Job 14
1 “Man, who is born of woman, is short of days and full of trouble.
Man, that is born of a woman, Is of few days, and full of trouble.
2 Like a flower, he comes forth, then withers away; like a fleeting shadow, he does not endure.
He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: He fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.
3 Do You open Your eyes to one like this? Will You bring him into judgment before You?
And dost thou open thine eyes upon such a one, And bringest me into judgment with thee?
4 Who can bring out clean from unclean? No one!
Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.
5 Since his days are determined and the number of his months is with You, and since You have set limits that he cannot exceed,
Seeing his days are determined, The number of his months is with thee, And thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass;
6 look away from him and let him rest, so he can enjoy his day as a hired hand.
Look away from him, that he may rest, Till he shall accomplish, as a hireling, his day.
7 For there is hope for a tree: If it is cut down, it will sprout again, and its tender shoots will not fail.
For there is hope of a tree, If it be cut down, that it will sprout again, And that the tender branch thereof will not cease.
8 If its roots grow old in the ground and its stump dies in the soil,
Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, And the stock thereof die in the ground;
9 at the scent of water it will bud and put forth twigs like a sapling.
Yet through the scent of water it will bud, And put forth boughs like a plant.
10 But a man dies and is laid low; he breathes his last, and where is he?
But man dieth, and is laid low: Yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?
11 As water disappears from the sea and a river becomes parched and dry,
[As] the waters fail from the sea, And the river wasteth and drieth up;
12 so a man lies down and does not rise. Until the heavens are no more, he will not be awakened or roused from sleep.
So man lieth down and riseth not: Till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, Nor be roused out of their sleep.
13 If only You would hide me in Sheol and conceal me until Your anger has passed! If only You would appoint a time for me and then remember me! (Sheol h7585)
Oh that thou wouldest hide me in Sheol, That thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, That thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me! (Sheol h7585)
14 When a man dies, will he live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait, until my renewal comes.
If a man die, shall he live [again]? All the days of my warfare would I wait, Till my release should come.
15 You will call, and I will answer; You will desire the work of Your hands.
Thou wouldest call, and I would answer thee: Thou wouldest have a desire to the work of thy hands.
16 For then You would count my steps, but would not keep track of my sin.
But now thou numberest my steps: Dost thou not watch over my sin?
17 My transgression would be sealed in a bag, and You would cover over my iniquity.
My transgression is sealed up in a bag, And thou fastenest up mine iniquity.
18 But as a mountain erodes and crumbles and a rock is dislodged from its place,
But the mountain falling cometh to nought; And the rock is removed out of its place;
19 as water wears away the stones and torrents wash away the soil, so You destroy a man’s hope.
The waters wear the stones; The overflowings thereof wash away the dust of the earth: So thou destroyest the hope of man.
20 You forever overpower him, and he passes on; You change his countenance and send him away.
Thou prevailest for ever against him, and he passeth; Thou changest his countenance, and sendest him away.
21 If his sons receive honor, he does not know it; if they are brought low, he is unaware.
His sons come to honor, and he knoweth it not; And they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them.
22 He feels only the pain of his own body and mourns only for himself.”
But his flesh upon him hath pain, And his soul within him mourneth.
