Job 14
1 “Man, who is born of woman, is short of days and full of trouble.
Man, that is 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 as 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 fix thine eyes upon such a one? And dost thou bring me into judgment with thee?
4 Who can bring out clean from unclean? No one!
Who can produce a clean thing from 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 that his days are determined, And the number of his months, with thee, And that thou hast appointed him bounds which he cannot pass,
6 look away from him and let him rest, so he can enjoy his day as a hired hand.
O turn thine eyes from him, and let him rest, That he may enjoy, 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, that it will sprout again, And that its tender branches will not fail;
8 If its roots grow old in the ground and its stump dies in the soil,
Though its root may have grown old in the earth, And though its trunk be dead upon the ground,
9 at the scent of water it will bud and put forth twigs like a sapling.
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 man dieth, and he is gone! Man expireth, and where is he?
11 As water disappears from the sea and a river becomes parched and dry,
The waters fail from the lake; And the stream 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, he shall not awake, Nor be roused from his 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)
O that thou wouldst hide me in the under-world! That thou wouldst conceal me till thy wrath be past! That thou wouldst appoint me a time, and then 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, can he live again? All the days of my war-service 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 wilt call, and I will answer thee; Thou wilt have compassion upon 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; Thou watchest over my sins.
17 My transgression would be sealed in a bag, and You would cover over my iniquity.
My transgression is sealed up in a bag; Yea, thou addest unto my iniquity.
18 But as a mountain erodes and crumbles and a rock is dislodged from its place,
As the mountain falling cometh to nought, And the rock is removed from its place;
19 as water wears away the stones and torrents wash away the soil, so You destroy a man’s hope.
As the waters wear away the stones, And the floods 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 against him continually, and he perisheth; 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, but he knoweth it not; Or they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not.
22 He feels only the pain of his own body and mourns only for himself.”
But his flesh shall have pain for itself alone; For itself alone shall his soul mourn.
