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¹ Man that is borne of woman, hath but a short time to lyue, and is full of miserie.² He commeth vp, and is cut downe like a floure: He fleeth as it were a shadow, and neuer continueth in one state.³ Doest thou open thyne eyes vpon such one, and bringest me into thy iudgement?⁴ Who can make it cleane that commeth of an vncleane thing? no bodye.⁵ The dayes of man surely are determined, the number of his monethes are knowen onely vnto thee, thou hast appoynted him his bondes which he can not go beyonde.⁶ Go from him, that he may rest vntill his day come which he loketh for, lyke as an hireling doth.

⁷ For if a tree be cut downe, there is some hope yet that it wyll sproute and shoote foorth the braunches againe.⁸ Though the roote of it be waxen olde, and the stocke thereof be dead in the grounde:⁹ Yet when it getteth the sent of water, it wyll budde and bring foorth bowes, lyke as a tree that is planted.¹⁰ But as for man, when he is dead, perished, and consumed away, what becommeth of him?¹¹ As the waters passe from the sea, and as the flood decayeth and dryeth vp:¹² So man after he is asleepe ryseth not, he shall not wake tyll the heauens be no more, nor rise out of his sleepe.¹³ O that thou wouldest hide me in the graue, & keepe me secret vntyl thy wrath were past, and to appoynt me a time wherein thou mightest remember me.¹⁴ May a dead man lyue againe? All the dayes of my lyfe wyll I wayte still, till my chaunging shall come.¹⁵ Thou shalt call [me] and I shall aunswere thee, despise not thou the worke of thyne owne handes.

¹⁶ For now thou numbrest all my goinges, and geuest no delay vnto my sinne.¹⁷ Myne iniquitie is sealed vp as it were in a bagge, and thou addest [punishement] vnto my wickednesse.¹⁸ The mountaines fal away at the last, the rockes are remoued out of their place.¹⁹ The waters pearse through the very stones by litle & litle, the floodes washe away the grauell and earth: so shalt thou destroy the hope of man.²⁰ Thou preuaylest still against him, so that he passeth away: thou chaungest his estate and puttest him from thee.²¹ And whether his children come to worship or no, he can not tell: And if they be men of lowe degree, he knoweth not.²² But while his fleshe is vpon him, it must haue sorowe: and his soule shall mourne within him.