Job 14
1 “Man, who is born of woman, is short of days and full of trouble.
Man born of a woman is short of days, and sated with harrowing trouble.
2 Like a flower, he comes forth, then withers away; like a fleeting shadow, he does not endure.
Like a flower he cometh forth, and is cut down: and he fleeth like a shadow, and remaineth not.
3 Do You open Your eyes to one like this? Will You bring him into judgment before You?
And yet on such a one dost thou open thy eyes, and me thou bringest into judgment with thee?
4 Who can bring out clean from unclean? No one!
Who can make a clean thing out of an unclean? not one [thing].
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 that his days are determined, the number of his months are [fixed] with thee, that thou hast set his bounds which he cannot pass:
6 look away from him and let him rest, so he can enjoy his day as a hired hand.
Turn thyself from him that he may recover from his pain, and be able to enjoy like a hired laborer 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 the tree: if it be cut down, it may still sprout again, while its young shoot will not cease.
8 If its roots grow old in the ground and its stump dies in the soil,
If even its root become old in the earth, and its stock die in the dust:
9 at the scent of water it will bud and put forth twigs like a sapling.
Yet through the scent of water will it flourish [again], and produce boughs as though It were newly planted.
10 But a man dies and is laid low; he breathes his last, and where is he?
But man dieth, and lieth powerless: yea, the son of earth departeth—and where is he?
11 As water disappears from the sea and a river becomes parched and dry,
The waters run off from the sea, and the river faileth 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 doth man lie down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they will not awake, and will not 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 who would grant that thou mightest hide me in the nether world, that thou mightest conceal me, until thy wrath be appeased, that thou mightest set for me a fixed time, and remember me then! (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.
Or, when a man dieth, will he live again? all the days of my time of service would I then wait, till [the hour of] my release were come.
15 You will call, and I will answer; You will desire the work of Your hands.
Do thou call, and I will truly answer thee: have a desire for the work of thy hands.
16 For then You would count my steps, but would not keep track of my sin.
Yet now thou numberest my steps: and thou waitest not with [the punishment of] my sin.
17 My transgression would be sealed in a bag, and You would cover over my iniquity.
Sealed up in a bag is my transgression, and thou yet addest to my iniquity.
18 But as a mountain erodes and crumbles and a rock is dislodged from its place,
But truly a falling mountain will crumble, and [even] a rock is moved 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 water weareth out stones; thou sweepest away their fragments [like] the dust of the earth: and 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 assailest him with might without ceasing, till he passeth away: thou changest his countenance, and sendest him off.
21 If his sons receive honor, he does not know it; if they are brought low, he is unaware.
His children acquire honor, but he knoweth it not: and they are esteemed little, but he perceiveth nothing of them.
22 He feels only the pain of his own body and mourns only for himself.”
But his body. on him, feeleth pain, and his soul will mourn for him.
