人为妇人所生，日子短少，饱受烦扰；
Man, born of woman, / Is of few days and full of trouble.

他长出如花，又被割下；他飞去如影，不能存留。
He comes forth like a blossom and is cut down, / He also flees like a shadow and does not remain.

这样的人你岂睁眼看他，又叫我来与你争讼么？
And do You open Your eyes upon such a one / And bring me into litigation with You?

谁能使洁净之物出于污秽之中？谁也不能！
Who can bring a clean thing out from the unclean? / No one!

人的日子既然限定，他的月数在你那里；你既然制定他的界限，使他不能越过；
Since his days are determined, / And the number of his months is with You; / Since You have appointed his bounds, and he cannot go beyond;

便求你转眼不看他，使他得歇息，直等他像雇工完毕他的日子。
Look away from him that he may rest, / Until he fulfills his day like a hired hand.

树木若被砍下，还可指望再发芽，嫩枝生长不息。
For there is hope for a tree: / If it is cut down, it will sprout again, / And its tender shoot will not cease.

其根虽然衰老在地里，干也死在土中，
Though its root grows old in the earth, / And its trunk dies in the dirt,

及至得了水气，还要发芽，又长枝条，像新栽的树一样。
At the scent of water it will bud / And will produce branches like a new plant.

但人死了就倒下；人气绝后，究竟在哪里呢？
But a man dies and is laid low; / Yes, a man expires, and then where is he?

海中的水退尽，江河枯竭干涸；
The waters of the sea recede, / And the river becomes parched and dried up:

人也是如此，躺下不再起来，直到天不再有了，仍不得复醒，也不得从睡中唤醒。
So a man lies down and does not rise up; / Until the heavens are no more, he will not awake, / Nor will he be roused from his sleep.

惟愿你把我藏在阴间，愿你将我隐藏，等你的怒气转消，愿你为我定下日期，并记念我！
Oh, that You would hide me in Sheol, / That You would conceal me until Your anger has passed, / That You would set me an appointed time and remember me!

人若死了，岂能再活？我只要在我一切劳役的日子等候，直到我被替换的时候来到。
If a man dies, will he live again? / All the days of my service I would wait, / Until a change for me should come.

你呼叫，我便回答；你手所作的，你必羡慕。
You would call, and I would answer You; / You would long after the work of Your hands.

但如今你数点我的脚步，岂不察看我的罪么？
For now You number my steps. / Do You not watch over my sin?

我的过犯被你封在囊中，你也缝严了我的罪孽。
My transgression has been sealed up in a bag, / And You have fastened up my iniquity.

但山崩塌溃碎，磐石挪开原处；
However the mountain falls and crumbles, / And the rock moves from its place;

流水消磨石头；所流溢的，洗去地上的尘土：你也照样灭绝人的指望。
Waters wear away stones; / Their torrents wash away the dust of the earth: / So You destroy the hope of man.

你永远胜过人，人就去世；你改变他的容貌，遣他离去。
You prevail forever against him, and he passes away; / You change his countenance and send him away.

他的子孙得尊荣，他也不知道；降为卑微，他也不觉得。
His sons gain honor, but he does not know it; / And they become insignificant, but he does not perceive it.

他只觉得自己肉身的疼痛，他的魂只为自己悲哀。
Only the pain of his own flesh does he feel, / And his own soul mourns for him.