¹力言人生是短暂且可悲

¹Man, born of woman! Of few days, and full of trouble!

²他生长如花，又遭割下；他飞去如影，并不停留。

²As a flower he hath gone forth, and is cut off, And he fleeth as a shadow and standeth not.

³这样的人你还睁眼看他，又把他带到你跟前受审吗？

³Also — on this Thou hast opened Thine eyes, And dost bring me into judgment with Thee.

⁴谁能使洁净出于污秽呢？无人有此本事。

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

⁵人的日子既然被限定，他的月数亦在乎你，你也定下他的界限，使他不能越过。

⁵If determined are his days, The number of his months [are] with Thee, His limit Thou hast made, And he passeth not over;

⁶就求你转眼不看他，使他得歇息，直等到他像雇工一样享受他的日子。

⁶Look away from off him that he may cease, Till he enjoy as an hireling his day.

⁷树木常有希望，树木若被砍下，也会再发芽，嫩枝仍生长不息。

⁷For there is of a tree hope, if it be cut down, That again it doth change, That its tender branch doth not cease.

⁸虽然树根衰老在地里，树干也枯死在土中，

⁸If its root becometh old in the earth, And its stem doth die in the dust,

⁹一有水气，就会萌芽，又生长枝条如新栽的树一样。

⁹From the fragrance of water it doth flourish, And hath made a crop as a plant.

¹⁰人死了，就化为乌有；人一气绝就不在了。

¹⁰And a man dieth, and becometh weak, And man expireth, and where [is] he?

¹¹海洋中的水消失，江河枯竭干涸，

¹¹Waters have gone away from a sea, And a river becometh waste and dry.

¹²人也是这样一躺下去，就不再起来，直到天都没有了还不醒过来，也不能从睡眠中被唤醒。

¹²And man hath lain down, and riseth not, Till the wearing out of the heavens they awake not, Nor are roused from their sleep.

¹³但愿你把我藏在阴间，把我隐藏，直到你的怒气过去；愿你为我定一个期限，好记念我。

¹³O that in Sheol Thou wouldst conceal me, Hide me till the turning of Thine anger, Set for me a limit, and remember me.

¹⁴人若死了，怎能再活呢？我要在我一切劳苦的日子等待，等到我得释放的时候来到。

¹⁴If a man dieth — doth he revive? All days of my warfare I wait, till my change come.

¹⁵你一呼叫，我就回答你，你必渴慕你手所作的。

¹⁵Thou dost call, and I — I answer Thee; To the work of Thy hands Thou hast desire.

¹⁶但现在你数点我的脚步，必不再鉴察我的罪过，

¹⁶But now, my steps Thou numberest, Thou dost not watch over my sin.

¹⁷我的过犯被你封在囊中，我的罪孽你以灰泥遮盖了。

¹⁷Sealed up in a bag [is] my transgression, And Thou sewest up mine iniquity.

¹⁸山崩下坠，岩石挪开原处；

¹⁸And yet, a falling mountain wasteth away, And a rock is removed from its place.

¹⁹流水磨蚀石头，水的泛溢冲去地上的尘土，你也这样灭绝人的指望。

¹⁹Stones have waters worn away, Their outpourings wash away the dust of earth, And the hope of man Thou hast destroyed.

²⁰你永远胜过人，人就去世，你改变他的容貌，把他遣走。

²⁰Thou prevailest [over] him for ever, and he goeth, He is changing his countenance, And Thou sendest him away.

²¹他的儿女得尊荣，他并不晓得，他们降为卑，他也不觉得，

²¹Honoured are his sons, and he knoweth not; And they are little, and he attendeth not to them.

²²只觉自己身上的痛苦，为自己悲哀。”

²²Only — his flesh for him is pained, And his soul for him doth mourn.`