8 “Ask those who are now old. Find out what their ancestors learned.
9 It seems as though we were born yesterday. We are too young to know anything. Our days on earth are very short, like a shadow.
10 Maybe the old people can tell you something. Maybe they will teach you what they learned.
11 “Can papyrus grow tall on a dry land? Can reeds grow without water?
12 No, they will dry up before harvest. They will be too small to cut and use.
13 People who forget God are like that. Those who oppose him have no hope.
14 They have put their trust in something weak. It is like a spider’s web.