1. Man born of a woman, living for a short time, is filled with many miseries.
2. Who cometh forth like a flower, and is destroyed, and fleeth as a shadow, and never continueth in the same state.
3. And dost thou think it meet to open thy eyes upon such an one, and to bring him into judgment with thee?
4. Who can make him clean that is conceived of unclean seed? is it not thou who only art?
5. The days of man are short, and the number of his months is with thee: thou hast appointed his bounds which cannot be passed.
6. Depart a little from him, that he may rest, until his wished for day come, as that of the hireling.
7. A tree hath hope: if it be cut, it groweth green again, and the boughs thereof sprout.
8. If its root be old in the earth, and its stock be dead in the dust:
9. At the scent of water, it shall spring, and bring forth leaves, as when it was first planted.
10. But man when he shall be dead, and stripped and consumed, I pray you where is he?