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1. "Man who is born of woman lives only a short time and is full of trouble.
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1.
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2. He grows up and dries like a flower. He leaves like a shadow and does not stay.
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2.
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3. You open Your eyes on him and decide about him.
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3.
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4. Who can make clean what is unclean? No one!
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4.
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5. A man's days are numbered. You know the number of his months. He cannot live longer than the time You have set.
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5.
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6. So now look away from him that he may rest, until he has lived the time set for him like a man paid to work.
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6.
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7. "For there is hope for a tree, when it is cut down, that it will grow again, and that its branches will not stop growing.
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7.
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8. Its roots grow old in the ground, and the base of the tree dies in the dry ground.
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8.
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9. But with water it will grow. Branches will grow from it like a plant.
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9.
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10. But man dies and is laid low. Man dies, and where is he?
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10.
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11. As water goes into the air from the sea, and the river wastes away and dries up,
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11.
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12. so man lies down and does not get up again. Until the heavens are no more, he will not wake up or come out of his sleep.
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12.
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13. "If only You would hide me in the place of the dead! If only You would hide me until Your anger is past, and set a time for me and remember me!
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13.
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14. If a man dies, will he live again? I will wait all the days of my trouble until a change comes.
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14.
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15. You will call and I will answer You. You will wait for the work of Your hands.
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15.
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16. For now You number my steps. You do not write down my sin.
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16.
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17. My sin is locked up in a bag. You cover my wrong-doing.
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17.
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18. "But the mountain falls and breaks apart to nothing. The rock moves from its place.
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19. Water wears away the stones. Its floods wash away the dust of the earth. So You destroy man's hope.
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20. You have power over him forever, and he leaves. You change what he looks like and send him away.
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20.
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21. His sons receive honor, but he does not know it. Or they lose honor, but he does not see it.
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21.
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22. His body gives him pain, and he has sorrow only for himself."
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22.
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