| 1 אָדָם יְלוּד אִשָּׁה קְצַר יָמִים וּשְׂבַע־רֹגֶז | 1 Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble. |
| 2 כְּצִיץ יָצָא וַיִּמָּל וַיִּבְרַח כַּצֵּל וְלֹא יַעֲמֹוד | 2 He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not. |
| 3 אַף־עַל־זֶה פָּקַחְתָּ עֵינֶךָ וְאֹתִי תָבִיא בְמִשְׁפָּט עִמָּךְ | 3 And dost thou open thine eyes upon such an one, and bringest me into judgment with thee? |
| 4 מִי־יִתֵּן טָהֹור מִטָּמֵא לֹא אֶחָד | 4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one. |
| 5 אִם חֲרוּצִים ׀ יָמָיו מִסְפַּר־חֳדָשָׁיו אִתָּךְ [חֻקֹּו כ] (חֻקָּיו ק) עָשִׂיתָ וְלֹא יַעֲבֹור | 5 Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass; |
| 6 שְׁעֵה מֵעָלָיו וְיֶחְדָּל עַד־יִרְצֶה כְּשָׂכִיר יֹומֹו | 6 Turn from him, that he may rest, till he shall accomplish, as an hireling, his day. |
| 7 כִּי יֵשׁ לָעֵץ תִּקְוָה אִם־יִכָּרֵת וְעֹוד יַחֲלִיף וְיֹנַקְתֹּו לֹא תֶחְדָּל | 7 For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease. |
| 8 אִם־יַזְקִין בָּאָרֶץ שָׁרְשֹׁו וּבֶעָפָר יָמוּת גִּזְעֹו | 8 Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground; |
| 9 מֵרֵיחַ מַיִם יַפְרִחַ וְעָשָׂה קָצִיר כְּמֹו־נָטַע | 9 Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant. |
| 10 וְגֶבֶר יָמוּת וַיֶּחֱלָשׁ וַיִּגְוַע אָדָם וְאַיֹּו | 10 But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he? |
| 11 אָזְלוּ־מַיִם מִנִּי־יָם וְנָהָר יֶחֱרַב וְיָבֵשׁ | 11 As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up: |
| 12 וְאִישׁ שָׁכַב וְלֹא־יָקוּם עַד־בִּלְתִּי מַיִם לֹא יָקִיצוּ וְלֹא־יֵעֹרוּ מִשְּׁנָתָם | 12 So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep. |
| 13 מִי יִתֵּן ׀ בִּשְׁאֹול תַּצְפִּנֵנִי תַּסְתִּירֵנִי עַד־שׁוּב אַפֶּךָ תָּשִׁית לִי חֹק וְתִזְכְּרֵנִי | 13 O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me! |
| 14 אִם־יָמוּת גֶּבֶר הֲיִחְיֶה כָּל־יְמֵי צְבָאִי אֲיַחֵל עַד־בֹּוא חֲלִיפָתִי | 14 If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come. |
| 15 תִּקְרָא וְאָנֹכִי אֶעֱנֶךָּ לְמַעֲשֵׂה יָדֶיךָ תִכְסֹף | 15 Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands. |
| 16 כִּי־עַתָּה צְעָדַי תִּסְפֹּור לֹא־תִשְׁמֹור עַל־חַטָּאתִי | 16 For now thou numberest my steps: dost thou not watch over my sin? |
| 17 חָתֻם בִּצְרֹור פִּשְׁעִי וַתִּטְפֹּל עַל־עֲוֹנִי | 17 My transgression is sealed up in a bag, and thou sewest up mine iniquity. |
| 18 וְאוּלָם הַר־נֹופֵל יִבֹּול וְצוּר יֶעְתַּק מִמְּקֹמֹו | 18 And surely the mountain falling cometh to nought, and the rock is removed out of his place. |
| 19 אֲבָנִים ׀ שָׁחֲקוּ מַיִם תִּשְׁטֹף־סְפִיחֶיהָ עֲפַר־אָרֶץ וְתִקְוַת אֱנֹושׁ הֶאֱבַדְתָּ | 19 The waters wear the stones: thou washest away the things which grow out of the dust of the earth; and thou destroyest the hope of man. |
| 20 תִּתְקְפֵהוּ לָנֶצַח וַיַּהֲלֹךְ מְשַׁנֶּה פָנָיו וַתְּשַׁלְּחֵהוּ | 20 Thou prevailest for ever against him, and he passeth: thou changest his countenance, and sendest him away. |
| 21 יִכְבְּדוּ בָנָיו וְלֹא יֵדָע וְיִצְעֲרוּ וְלֹא־יָבִין לָמֹו | 21 His sons come to honour, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them. |
| 22 אַךְ־בְּשָׂרֹו עָלָיו יִכְאָב וְנַפְשֹׁו עָלָיו תֶּאֱבָל׃ פ | 22 But his flesh upon him shall have pain, and his soul within him shall mourn. |
