1 “Mortals, born of woman,

are of few days and full of trouble.

2 They spring up like flowers and wither away;

like fleeting shadows, they do not endure.

3 Do you fix your eye on them?

Will you bring them before you for judgment?

4 Who can bring what is pure from the impure?

No one!

5 A person’s days are determined;

you have decreed the number of his months

and have set limits he cannot exceed.

1 “Man who is born of a woman

is few of days and full of trouble.

2 He comes out like a flower and withers;

he flees like a shadow and continues not.

3 And do you open your eyes on such a one

and bring me into judgment with you?

4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean?

There is not one.

5 Since his days are determined,

and the number of his months is with you,

and you have appointed his limits that he cannot pass,

1 “How frail is humanity!

How short is life, how full of trouble!

2 We blossom like a flower and then wither.

Like a passing shadow, we quickly disappear.

3 Must you keep an eye on such a frail creature

and demand an accounting from me?

4 Who can bring purity out of an impure person?

No one!

5 You have decided the length of our lives.

You know how many months we will live,

and we are not given a minute longer.

1 “Man who is born of woman

Is of few days and full of trouble.

2 He comes forth like a flower and fades away;

He flees like a shadow and does not continue.

3 And do You open Your eyes on such a one,

And bring me to judgment with Yourself?

4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean?

No one!

5 Since his days are determined,

The number of his months is with You;

You have appointed his limits, so that he cannot pass.

1 “All of us born to women

live only a few days and have lots of trouble.

2 We grow up like flowers and then dry up and die.

We are like a passing shadow that does not last.

3 Lord, do you need to watch me like this?

Must you bring me before you to be judged?

4 No one can bring something clean from something dirty.

5 Our time is limited.

You have given us only so many months to live

and have set limits we cannot go beyond.

1 Man, that is born of a woman,

Is of few days, and full of trouble.

2 He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down:

He fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.

3 And dost thou open thine eyes upon such a one,

And bringest me into judgment with thee?

4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.

5 Seeing his days are determined,

The number of his months is with thee,

And thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass;

1 Man, born of woman, is of few days, and full of trouble. 2 He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down; and he fleeth as a shadow, and continueth not. 3 Yet dost thou open thine eyes upon such a one, and bringest me into judgment with thee? 4 Who can bring a clean man out of the unclean? Not one! 5 If his days are determined, if the number of his months is with thee, and thou hast appointed his bounds which he must not pass,

1 “A person who is born of a woman is short-lived 

and is full of trouble. 

2 He comes up like a flower; then he withers. 

He is like a fleeting shadow; he doesn’t stay long. 

3 You observe this 

and call me to account to you. 

4 “If only an unclean person could become clean!

It’s not possible. 

5 If the number of his days 

and the number of his months are determined by you, 

and you set his limit, 

then he cannot go past it. 

1 Man born of woman

is short of days and full of trouble.

2 He blossoms like a flower, then withers;

he flees like a shadow and does not last.

3 Do You really take notice of one like this?

Will You bring me into judgment against You?

4 Who can produce something pure from what is impure?

No one!

5 Since man’s days are determined

and the number of his months depends on You,

and since You have set limits he cannot pass,

1 “A mortal, born of woman, few of days and full of trouble,

2 comes up like a flower and withers,

flees like a shadow and does not last.

3 Do you fix your eyes on such a one?

Do you bring me into judgment with you?

4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean?

No one can.

5 Since their days are determined,

and the number of their months is known to you,

and you have appointed the bounds that they cannot pass,

1 “A human being born of a woman

is short of days and full of troubles.

2 Like a flower he comes up, and he withers away;

and he flees like a shadow, but he does not last.

3 Even on such a one you fix your eyes,

and you bring me into judgment with you.

4 “Who can bring a clean thing from an unclean thing?

No one!

5 If his days are determined, the number of his months is with you;

you have appointed his boundaries, and he cannot cross them.

1 They have only a few days to live.

Their lives are full of trouble.

2 They grow like flowers, and then they dry up.

They are like shadows that quickly disappear.

3 “God, why do you keep looking at someone like me?

Are you planning to take me to court?

4 Who can bring what is pure from something that isn’t pure?

No one!

5 You decide how long anyone will live.

You have established the number of his months.

You have set a limit to the number of his days.

1 “Man, who is born of woman,

Is short-lived and full of turmoil.

2 “Like a flower he comes forth and withers.

He also flees like a shadow and does not remain.

3 “You also open Your eyes on him

And bring him into judgment with Yourself.

4 “Who can make the clean out of the unclean?

No one!

5 “Since his days are determined,

The number of his months is with You;

And his limits You have set so that he cannot pass.