all flesh 1 is like grass
and all its glory like the flower of the grass; 2
the grass withers and the flower falls off,
the one who wants to love life and see good days must keep 7 his tongue from evil and his lips from uttering deceit.
1 sn Here all flesh is a metaphor for humanity – human beings as both frail and temporary.
2 tn Or “a wildflower.”
3 tn Grk “a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.” The latter phrase uses the term σκάνδαλον (skandalon), denoting an obstacle to faith, something that arouses anger and rejection.
4 sn A quotation from Isa 8:14.
5 tn Grk “who stumble,” referring to “those who do not believe” in vs. 7. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
6 tn Grk “to which they were also destined.”
7 tn Grk “stop.”