You have made my days(A) a mere handbreadth;
    the span of my years is as nothing before you.
Everyone is but a breath,(B)
    even those who seem secure.[a]

“Surely everyone goes around(C) like a mere phantom;(D)
    in vain they rush about,(E) heaping up wealth(F)
    without knowing whose it will finally be.(G)

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 39:5 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 11.

Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah.

Surely every man walketh in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.

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Surely the lowborn(A) are but a breath,(B)
    the highborn are but a lie.
If weighed on a balance,(C) they are nothing;
    together they are only a breath.

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Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity.

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“Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher.[a](A)
    “Everything is meaningless!(B)

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Footnotes

  1. Ecclesiastes 12:8 Or the leader of the assembly; also in verses 9 and 10

Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity.

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20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it,(A) in hope 21 that[a] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay(B) and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.(C)

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Footnotes

  1. Romans 8:21 Or subjected it in hope. 21 For

20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,

21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

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