1 אדם ילוד אשה קצר ימים ושבע רגז | 1 Man, born of woman, living for a short time, is filled with many miseries. |
2 כציץ יצא וימל ויברח כצל ולא יעמוד | 2 He comes forth like a flower, and is crushed, and he flees, as if a shadow, and never remains in the same state. |
3 אף על זה פקחת עינך ואתי תביא במשפט עמך | 3 And do you consider it fitting to look down with your eyes on someone in this way and to lead him into judgment with you? |
4 מי יתן טהור מטמא לא אחד | 4 Who can make him clean who is conceived of unclean seed? Are you not the only one who can? |
5 אם חרוצים ימיו מספר חדשיו אתך חקו עשית ולא יעבור | 5 The days of man are short, and the number of his months is with you; you have determined his limits, which cannot be surpassed. |
6 שעה מעליו ויחדל עד ירצה כשכיר יומו | 6 Withdraw a little from him, so that he may rest, until his awaited day arrives, like that of the hired hand. |
7 כי יש לעץ תקוה אם יכרת ועוד יחליף וינקתו לא תחדל | 7 A tree has hope: if it has been cut, it turns green again, and its branches spring forth. |
8 אם יזקין בארץ שרשו ובעפר ימות גזעו | 8 If its roots grow old in the earth, and its trunk passes into dust, |
9 מריח מים יפרח ועשה קציר כמו נטע | 9 at the scent of water, it will sprout and bring forth leaves, as when it had first been planted. |
10 וגבר ימות ויחלש ויגוע אדם ואיו | 10 Truly, when a man dies, and has been left unprotected, and has decayed, I ask you where is he? |
11 אזלו מים מני ים ונהר יחרב ויבש | 11 It is as if the waters had receded from the sea and an emptied river had dried up; |
12 ואיש שכב ולא יקום עד בלתי שמים לא יקיצו ולא יערו משנתם | 12 just so, when a man is fallen asleep, he will not rise again, until the heavens are worn away; he will not awaken, nor rise from his sleep. |
13 מי יתן בשאול תצפנני תסתירני עד שוב אפך תשית לי חק ותזכרני | 13 Who will grant this to me, that you will protect me in the underworld, and hide me until your fury passes by, and establish a time for me, in which you will remember me? |
14 אם ימות גבר היחיה כל ימי צבאי איחל עד בוא חליפתי | 14 Do you suppose that a dead man will live again? On each of the days in which I now battle, I wait until my transformation occurs. |
15 תקרא ואנכי אענך למעשה ידיך תכסף | 15 You will call me and I will answer you; to the work of your hands, you will extend your right hand. |
16 כי עתה צעדי תספור לא תשמור על חטאתי | 16 Indeed, you have numbered my steps, but you have been lenient with my sins. |
17 חתם בצרור פשעי ותטפל על עוני | 17 You have sealed up my offenses, as if in a purse, but you have cured my iniquity. |
18 ואולם הר נופל יבול וצור יעתק ממקמו | 18 A falling mountain flows away, and a stone is transferred from its place. |
19 אבנים שחקו מים תשטף ספיחיה עפר ארץ ותקות אנוש האבדת | 19 Waters wear away stones, and with a flood the land is reduced little by little; and similarly, you will destroy man. |
20 תתקפהו לנצח ויהלך משנה פניו ותשלחהו | 20 You have strengthened him for a little while, so that he may cross over into eternity. You will change his face and send him forth. |
21 יכבדו בניו ולא ידע ויצערו ולא יבין למו | 21 Whether his sons have been noble or ignoble, he will not understand. |
22 אך בשרו עליו יכאב ונפשו עליו תאבל | 22 And in this way his body, while he yet lives, will have grief, and his soul will mourn over himself. |