אָדָם יְלוּד אִשָּׁה קְצַר יָמִים וּשְׂבַע־רֹגֶז

Man is born of a woman, few of days and sated with vexation. Man’s life span is limited, while his troubles and suffering are too great.

כְּצִיץ יָצָא וַיִּמָּל וַיִּבְרַח כַּצֵּל וְלֹא יַעֲמוֹד

He emerges like a flower and withers; he flees like an insubstantial shadow, whose size and shape is constantly changing and does not endure. Man is ephemeral.

אַף־עַל־זֶה פָּקַחְתָּ עֵינֶךָ וְאֹתִי תָבִיא בְמִשְׁפָּט עִמָּךְ

Is it not enough for You to reflect upon and watch over all the great creatures and plants in the world? Yet even on this, ephemeral man, You opened Your eyes, and You would bring me, a lowly mortal, to judgment with You?

מִי־יִתֵּן טָהוֹר מִטָּמֵא לֹא אֶחָד

In this judgment, who can generate the pure from the impure? Isn’t it the One? Only the One, God, can justify man, even if he is impure and wicked, when He comes to judge him. Yet why should He punish such a puny creature?

אִם חֲרוּצִים יָמָיו מִסְפַּר־חֳדָשָׁיו אִתָּךְ חֻקָּו עָשִׂיתָ וְלֹא יַעֲבֹר

If his days are determined, circumscribed and limited, and the number of his months is fixed and established with You, and You have established his allotment of time and options, and it will not be surpassed,

שְׁעֵה מֵעָלָיו וְיֶחְדָּל עַד־יִרְצֶה כְּשָׂכִיר יוֹמוֹ

let him be, and it will cease. Let him rest from his pain until, like a hired laborer, he finishes the work of his day. Let him conclude his life in peace.

כִּי יֵשׁ לָעֵץ תִּקְוָה אִם־יִכָּרֵת וְעוֹד יַחֲלִיף וְיֹנַקְתּוֹ לֹא תֶחְדָּל

For the tree has hope: If it is hewed, it may yet regenerate, it can sprout again, and its roots will not cease. They will not disappear but will grow again.

אִם־יַזְקִין בָּאָרֶץ שָׁרְשׁוֹ ובֶעָפָר יָמוּת גִּזְעוֹ

If its root grows old in the earth and its trunk apparently dies in the dirt,

מֵרֵיחַ מַיִם יַפְרִחַ וְעָשָׂה קָצִיר כְּמוֹ־נָטַע

it will blossom at the scent of water, even if the tree is given only the smallest amount of water, and produce branches like a sapling.

וְגֶבֶר יָמוּת וַיֶּחֱלָשׁ וַיִּגְוַע אָדָם וְאַיּוֹ

But in contrast, man dies and weakens; a human expires, and where is he?

אָזְלוּ־מַיִם מִנִּי־יָם ונָהָר יֶחֱרַב וְיָבֵשׁ

Just as water has gone out of the sea, and as a river has dried and is parched, irreversible processes,

וְאִישׁ שָׁכַב וְלֹא־יָקוּם עַד־בִּלְתִּי שָׁמַיִם לֹא יָקִיצוּ וְלֹא־יֵעֹרוּ מִשְּׁנָתָם

so too, a man lies down dead and will not rise until the heavens wear out and are no more; they, the dead, will not ever awaken and will not ever be roused from their sleep.

מִי יִתֵּן בִּשְׁאוֹל תַּצְפִּנֵנִי תַּסְתִּירֵנִי עַד־שׁוּב אַפֶּךָ תָּשִׁית לִי חֹק וְתִזְכְּרֵנִי

If only You would hide me in the grave and would conceal me there until Your wrath subsides; You would watch over me there and set for me a portion, a limit for my suffering, and then You would eventually remember me and bring me out of the grave.

אִם־יָמוּת גֶּבֶר היִחְיֶה כָּל־יְמֵי צְבָאִי אֲיַחֵל עַד־בּוֹא חֲלִיפָתִי

If a man dies, will he live? All the days of my apportioned time of life, I wait until my passing, the time for my departure from the world, comes.

תִּקְרָא וְאָנֹכִי אֶעֱנֶךָּ למַעֲשֵׂה יָדֶיךָ תִכְסֹף

Call, and I will answer You; yearn for Your handiwork. Job requests from God: Call to me and I will answer; desire the response of the work of Your hands.

כִּי־עַתָּה צְעָדַי תִּסְפּוֹר לֹא־תִשְׁמֹר עַל חַטָּאתִי

For now, please count my steps. Watch over me and ensure that I do not fall. Do not keep watch over my sin. Alternatively, do not remember my sin forever, or if I have sinned, punish me for it immediately, without delay.

חָתֻם בִּצְרוֹר פִּשְׁעִי וַתִּטְפֹּל עַל־עֲוֹנִי

Currently, my transgression is sealed up with You as in a bundle, and You have added to my iniquity. You pile more sins upon me.

וְאוּלָם הַר־נוֹפֵל יִבּוֹל וְצוּר יֶעְתַּק מִמְּקֹמוֹ

However, just as the mightiest elements of nature do not last forever, as a falling mountain will crumble into dust, and bedrock will be moved from its place and does not remain firm,

אֲבָנִים שָׁחֲקוּ מַיִם תִּשְׁטֹף סְפִיחֶיהָ עֲפַר־אָרֶץ וְתִקְוַת אֱנוֹשׁ הֶאֱבָדְתָּ

and as stones are worn away by water, since its torrents wash away the dust or the aftergrowth of the earth, so too the hope of man You destroy.

תִּתְקְפֵהוּ לָנֶצַח וַיַּהֲלֹךְ מְשַׁנֶּה פָנָיו וַתְּשַׁלְּחֵהוּ

You overpower him, man, forever, and he is gone from the world and dies; You alter his countenance as he ages and send him away from the world.

יִכְבְּדוּ בָנָיו וְלֹא יֵדָע וְיִצְעֲרוּ וְלֹא־יָבִין לָמוֹ

His sons attain a position of honor, but he does not know this; they suffer, but he does not empathize with them.

אַךְ־בְּשָׂרוֹ עָלָיו יִכְאָב וְנַפְשׁוֹ עָלָיו תֶּאֱבָל

But his flesh on him is painful, and his soul mourns over him.