| 1 Man born of woman is short-lived and full of trouble, | 1 אָדָם יְלוּד אִשָּׁה קְצַר יָמִים וּשְׂבַע־רֹגֶז |
| 2 Like a flower that springs up and fades, swift as a shadow that does not abide. | 2 כְּצִיץ יָצָא וַיִּמָּל וַיִּבְרַח כַּצֵּל וְלֹא יַעֲמֹוד |
| 3 Upon such a one will you cast your eyes so as to bring him into judgment before you, | 3 אַף־עַל־זֶה פָּקַחְתָּ עֵינֶךָ וְאֹתִי תָבִיא בְמִשְׁפָּט עִמָּךְ |
| 4 Can a man be found who is clean of defilement? There is none, | 4 מִי־יִתֵּן טָהֹור מִטָּמֵא לֹא אֶחָד |
| 5 however short his days. You know the number of his months; you have fixed the limit which he cannot pass. | 5 אִם חֲרוּצִים ׀ יָמָיו מִסְפַּר־חֳדָשָׁיו אִתָּךְ [חֻקֹּו כ] (חֻקָּיו ק) עָשִׂיתָ וְלֹא יַעֲבֹור |
| 6 Look away from him and let him be, while, like a hireling, he completes his day. | 6 שְׁעֵה מֵעָלָיו וְיֶחְדָּל עַד־יִרְצֶה כְּשָׂכִיר יֹומֹו |
| 7 For a tree there is hope, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again and that its tender shoots will not cease. | 7 כִּי יֵשׁ לָעֵץ תִּקְוָה אִם־יִכָּרֵת וְעֹוד יַחֲלִיף וְיֹנַקְתֹּו לֹא תֶחְדָּל |
| 8 Even though its root grow old in the earth, and its stump die in the dust, | 8 אִם־יַזְקִין בָּאָרֶץ שָׁרְשֹׁו וּבֶעָפָר יָמוּת גִּזְעֹו |
| 9 Yet at the first whiff of water it may flourish again and put forth branches like a young plant. | 9 מֵרֵיחַ מַיִם יַפְרִחַ וְעָשָׂה קָצִיר כְּמֹו־נָטַע |
| 10 But when a man dies, all vigor leaves him; when man expires, where then is he? | 10 וְגֶבֶר יָמוּת וַיֶּחֱלָשׁ וַיִּגְוַע אָדָם וְאַיֹּו |
| 11 As when the waters of a lake fail, or a stream grows dry and parches, | 11 אָזְלוּ־מַיִם מִנִּי־יָם וְנָהָר יֶחֱרַב וְיָבֵשׁ |
| 12 So men lie down and rise not again. Till the heavens are no more, they shall not awake, nor be roused out of their sleep. | 12 וְאִישׁ שָׁכַב וְלֹא־יָקוּם עַד־בִּלְתִּי מַיִם לֹא יָקִיצוּ וְלֹא־יֵעֹרוּ מִשְּׁנָתָם |
| 13 Oh, that you would hide me in the nether world and keep me sheltered till your wrath is past; would fix a time for me, and then remember me! | 13 מִי יִתֵּן ׀ בִּשְׁאֹול תַּצְפִּנֵנִי תַּסְתִּירֵנִי עַד־שׁוּב אַפֶּךָ תָּשִׁית לִי חֹק וְתִזְכְּרֵנִי |
| 14 When a man has died, were he to live again, all the days of my drudgery I would wait, until my relief should come. | 14 אִם־יָמוּת גֶּבֶר הֲיִחְיֶה כָּל־יְמֵי צְבָאִי אֲיַחֵל עַד־בֹּוא חֲלִיפָתִי |
| 15 You would call, and I would answer you; you would esteem the work of your hands. | 15 תִּקְרָא וְאָנֹכִי אֶעֱנֶךָּ לְמַעֲשֵׂה יָדֶיךָ תִכְסֹף |
| 16 Surely then you would count my steps, and not keep watch for sin in me. | 16 כִּי־עַתָּה צְעָדַי תִּסְפֹּור לֹא־תִשְׁמֹור עַל־חַטָּאתִי |
| 17 My misdeeds would be sealed up in a pouch, and you would cover over my guilt. | 17 חָתֻם בִּצְרֹור פִּשְׁעִי וַתִּטְפֹּל עַל־עֲוֹנִי |
| 18 But as a mountain falls at last and its rock is moved from its place, | 18 וְאוּלָם הַר־נֹופֵל יִבֹּול וְצוּר יֶעְתַּק מִמְּקֹמֹו |
| 19 As waters wear away the stones and floods wash away the soil of the land, so you destroy the hope of man. | 19 אֲבָנִים ׀ שָׁחֲקוּ מַיִם תִּשְׁטֹף־סְפִיחֶיהָ עֲפַר־אָרֶץ וְתִקְוַת אֱנֹושׁ הֶאֱבַדְתָּ |
| 20 You prevail once for all against him and he passes on; with changed appearance you send him away. | 20 תִּתְקְפֵהוּ לָנֶצַח וַיַּהֲלֹךְ מְשַׁנֶּה פָנָיו וַתְּשַׁלְּחֵהוּ |
| 21 If his sons are honored, he is not aware of it; if they are in disgrace, he does not know about them. | 21 יִכְבְּדוּ בָנָיו וְלֹא יֵדָע וְיִצְעֲרוּ וְלֹא־יָבִין לָמֹו |
| 22 Only his own flesh pains him, and his soul grieves for him. | 22 אַךְ־בְּשָׂרֹו עָלָיו יִכְאָב וְנַפְשֹׁו עָלָיו תֶּאֱבָל׃ פ |