Job 14
1 “Man, who is born of woman, is short of days and full of trouble.
Man, born of 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; and he fleeth as a shadow, and continueth not.
3 Do You open Your eyes to one like this? Will You bring him into judgment before You?
Yet 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 [man] out of the 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,
If his days are determined, if the number of his months is with thee, [and] thou hast appointed his bounds which he must not pass,
6 look away from him and let him rest, so he can enjoy his day as a hired hand.
Look away from him; and let him rest, till he 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 for a tree: if it be cut down, it will sprout again, and its tender branch will not cease;
8 If its roots grow old in the ground and its stump dies in the soil,
Though its root grow old in the earth, and its stock 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 young plant.
10 But a man dies and is laid low; he breathes his last, and where is he?
But a man dieth, and is prostrate; yea, man expireth, and where is he?
11 As water disappears from the sea and a river becomes parched and dry,
The waters recede from the lake, 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 again; till the heavens be no more, they do not awake, nor are raised 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 thine anger 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 time of toil would I wait, till my change 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 after the work of thy hands.
16 For then You would count my steps, but would not keep track of my sin.
For 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 heapest up mine iniquity.
18 But as a mountain erodes and crumbles and a rock is dislodged from its place,
And indeed a 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 floods thereof wash away the dust of the earth; and 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 away; thou changest his countenance, and dismissest him.
21 If his sons receive honor, he does not know it; if they are brought low, he is unaware.
His sons come to honour, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, and he perceiveth it not.
22 He feels only the pain of his own body and mourns only for himself.”
But his flesh hath pain for himself alone, and his soul mourneth for himself.
