14:4 Who can make 1 a clean thing come from an unclean? 2
No one!
14:5 Since man’s days 3 are determined, 4
the number of his months is under your control; 5
you have set his limit 6 and he cannot pass it.
14:6 Look away from him and let him desist, 7
until he fulfills 8 his time like a hired man.
14:7 “But there is hope for 9 a tree: 10
If it is cut down, it will sprout again,
and its new shoots will not fail.
14:8 Although its roots may grow old 11 in the ground
and its stump begins to die 12 in the soil, 13
14:9 at the scent 14 of water it will flourish 15
and put forth 16 shoots like a new plant.
14:10 But man 17 dies and is powerless; 18
he expires – and where is he? 19
14:11 As 20 water disappears from the sea, 21
or a river drains away and dries up,
14:12 so man lies down and does not rise;
until the heavens are no more, 22
they 23 will not awake
nor arise from their sleep.
14:13 “O that 24 you would hide me in Sheol, 25
and conceal me till your anger has passed! 26
O that you would set me a time 27
and then remember me! 28
14:14 If a man dies, will he live again? 29
All the days of my hard service 30 I will wait 31
until my release comes. 32
14:15 You will call 33 and I 34 – I will answer you;
you will long for 35 the creature you have made. 36
14:16 “Surely now you count my steps; 38
then you would not mark 39 my sin. 40
14:17 My offenses would be sealed up 41 in a bag; 42
you would cover over 43 my sin.
14:18 But as 44 a mountain falls away and crumbles, 45
and as a rock will be removed from its place,
14:19 as water wears away stones,
and torrents 46 wash away the soil, 47
so you destroy man’s hope. 48
14:20 You overpower him once for all, 49
and he departs;
you change 50 his appearance
and send him away.
14:21 If 51 his sons are honored, 52
he does not know it; 53
if they are brought low,
he does not see 54 it.
14:22 Only his flesh has pain for himself, 55
and he mourns for himself.” 56