Job 14
1 “Man, who is born of woman, is short of days and full of trouble.
Life is short and full of trouble,
2 Like a flower, he comes forth, then withers away; like a fleeting shadow, he does not endure.
like a flower that blooms and withers, like a passing shadow that soon disappears.
3 Do You open Your eyes to one like this? Will You bring him into judgment before You?
Do you even notice me, God, and why do you have to drag me to court?
4 Who can bring out clean from unclean? No one!
Who can bring something clean of what is unclean? No 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,
You have determined how long we shall live—the number of months, a time limit on our lives.
6 look away from him and let him rest, so he can enjoy his day as a hired hand.
So leave us alone and give us some peace—so like a laborer we could enjoy a few hours of rest at the end of the 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.
Even a tree that's cut down has the hope of sprouting again, of sending up shoots and continuing to live.
8 If its roots grow old in the ground and its stump dies in the soil,
Even though its roots grow old in the earth, and its stump dies in the ground,
9 at the scent of water it will bud and put forth twigs like a sapling.
just a trickle of water will make it bud and grow branches like a young plant.
10 But a man dies and is laid low; he breathes his last, and where is he?
But human beings die, their strength dwindles away; they perish, and where are they then?
11 As water disappears from the sea and a river becomes parched and dry,
Like water evaporating from a lake and a river that dries up and disappears,
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 human beings lie down and don't get up again. Until the heavens cease to exist they will not awake from 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)
I wish you would hide me in Sheol; conceal me there until your anger is gone. Set a definite time for me there, 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.
Will the dead live again? Then I would have hope through all my time of trouble until my release comes.
15 You will call, and I will answer; You will desire the work of Your hands.
You would call and I would answer you; you would long for me, the being that you made.
16 For then You would count my steps, but would not keep track of my sin.
Then you would look after me and wouldn't be watching me to see if I sinned.
17 My transgression would be sealed in a bag, and You would cover over my iniquity.
My sins would be sealed up in a bag and you would cover my guilt.
18 But as a mountain erodes and crumbles and a rock is dislodged from its place,
But just as the mountains crumble and fall, and the rocks tumble down;
19 as water wears away the stones and torrents wash away the soil, so You destroy a man’s hope.
as water wears away the stones, as floods wash away the soil, so you destroy the hope people have.
20 You forever overpower him, and he passes on; You change his countenance and send him away.
You continually overpower them and they pass away; you distort their faces in death and send them away.
21 If his sons receive honor, he does not know it; if they are brought low, he is unaware.
Their children may become important or fall from their positions, but they don't know or see any of this.
22 He feels only the pain of his own body and mourns only for himself.”
As people die they only know their own pain and are sad for themselves.”
