| New King James Version | New Living Translation |
| 1“Man who is born of woman Is of few days and full of trouble. | 1“How frail is humanity! How short is life, how full of trouble! |
| 2He comes forth like a flower and fades away; He flees like a shadow and does not continue. | 2We blossom like a flower and then wither. Like a passing shadow, we quickly disappear. |
| 3And do You open Your eyes on such a one, And bring me to judgment with Yourself? | 3Must you keep an eye on such a frail creature and demand an accounting from me? |
| 4Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? No one! | 4Who can bring purity out of an impure person? No one! |
| 5Since his days are determined, The number of his months is with You; You have appointed his limits, so that he cannot pass. | 5You have decided the length of our lives. You know how many months we will live, and we are not given a minute longer. |
| 6Look away from him that he may rest, Till like a hired man he finishes his day. | 6So leave us alone and let us rest! We are like hired hands, so let us finish our work in peace. |
| 7“For there is hope for a tree, If it is cut down, that it will sprout again, And that its tender shoots will not cease. | 7“Even a tree has more hope! If it is cut down, it will sprout again and grow new branches. |
| 8Though its root may grow old in the earth, And its stump may die in the ground, | 8Though its roots have grown old in the earth and its stump decays, |
| 9Yet at the scent of water it will bud And bring forth branches like a plant. | 9at the scent of water it will bud and sprout again like a new seedling. |
| 10But man dies and is laid away; Indeed he breathes his last And where is he? | 10“But when people die, their strength is gone. They breathe their last, and then where are they? |
| 11As water disappears from the sea, And a river becomes parched and dries up, | 11As water evaporates from a lake and a river disappears in drought, |
| 12So man lies down and does not rise. Till the heavens are no more, They will not awake Nor be roused from their sleep. | 12people are laid to rest and do not rise again. Until the heavens are no more, they will not wake up nor be roused from their sleep. |
| 13“Oh, that You would hide me in the grave, That You would conceal me until Your wrath is past, That You would appoint me a set time, and remember me! | 13“I wish you would hide me in the grave and forget me there until your anger has passed. But mark your calendar to think of me again! |
| 14If a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait, Till my change comes. | 14Can the dead live again? If so, this would give me hope through all my years of struggle, and I would eagerly await the release of death. |
| 15You shall call, and I will answer You; You shall desire the work of Your hands. | 15You would call and I would answer, and you would yearn for me, your handiwork. |
| 16For now You number my steps, But do not watch over my sin. | 16For then you would guard my steps, instead of watching for my sins. |
| 17My transgression is sealed up in a bag, And You cover my iniquity. | 17My sins would be sealed in a pouch, and you would cover my guilt. |
| 18“But as a mountain falls and crumbles away, And as a rock is moved from its place; | 18“But instead, as mountains fall and crumble and as rocks fall from a cliff, |
| 19As water wears away stones, And as torrents wash away the soil of the earth; So You destroy the hope of man. | 19as water wears away the stones and floods wash away the soil, so you destroy people’s hope. |
| 20You prevail forever against him, and he passes on; You change his countenance and send him away. | 20You always overpower them, and they pass from the scene. You disfigure them in death and send them away. |
| 21His sons come to honor, and he does not know it; They are brought low, and he does not perceive it. | 21They never know if their children grow up in honor or sink to insignificance. |
| 22But his flesh will be in pain over it, And his soul will mourn over it.” | 22They suffer painfully; their life is full of trouble.” |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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