18 ⁸ What is man, and of what use is he?
What is his good and what is his evil?
18 ⁹ The number of a man's days is great if he reaches a hundred years.
18 ¹⁰ Like a drop of water from the sea and a grain of sand
so are a few years in the day of eternity.
18 ¹¹ Therefore the Lord is patient with them
and pours out his mercy upon them.
18 ¹² He sees and recognizes that their end will be evil;
therefore he grants them forgiveness in abundance.
18 ¹³ The compassion of man is for his neighbour,
but the compassion of the Lord is for all living beings.
He rebukes and trains and teaches them,
and turns them back, as a shepherd his flock.
18 ¹⁴ He has compassion on those who accept his discipline
and who are eager for his judgments.