Job 14
1 “Man, who is born of woman, is short of days and full of trouble.
Man, born of woman! 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.
As a flower he hath gone forth, and is cut off, And he fleeth as a shadow and standeth not.
3 Do You open Your eyes to one like this? Will You bring him into judgment before You?
Also — on this Thou hast opened Thine eyes, And dost bring me into judgment with Thee.
4 Who can bring out clean from unclean? No one!
Who giveth 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,
If determined are his days, The number of his months [are] with Thee, His limit Thou hast made, And he passeth not over;
6 look away from him and let him rest, so he can enjoy his day as a hired hand.
Look away from off him that he may cease, Till he enjoy as an 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 of a tree hope, if it be cut down, That again it doth change, That its tender branch doth not cease.
8 If its roots grow old in the ground and its stump dies in the soil,
If its root becometh old in the earth, And its stem doth die in the dust,
9 at the scent of water it will bud and put forth twigs like a sapling.
From the fragrance of water it doth flourish, And hath made a crop as a plant.
10 But a man dies and is laid low; he breathes his last, and where is he?
And a man dieth, and becometh weak, And man expireth, and where [is] he?
11 As water disappears from the sea and a river becomes parched and dry,
Waters have gone away from a sea, And a river becometh waste and dry.
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.
And man hath lain down, and riseth not, Till the wearing out of the heavens they awake not, Nor are roused 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)
O that in Sheol Thou wouldest conceal me, Hide me till the turning of Thine anger, Set for me a limit, 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 dieth — doth he revive? All days of my warfare I wait, till my change come.
15 You will call, and I will answer; You will desire the work of Your hands.
Thou dost call, and I — I answer Thee; To the work of Thy hands Thou hast desire.
16 For then You would count my steps, but would not keep track of my sin.
But now, my steps Thou numberest, Thou dost not watch over 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 sewest up mine iniquity.
18 But as a mountain erodes and crumbles and a rock is dislodged from its place,
And yet, a falling mountain wasteth away, And a 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.
Stones have waters worn away, Their outpourings wash away the dust of earth, And the hope of man Thou hast destroyed.
20 You forever overpower him, and he passes on; You change his countenance and send him away.
Thou prevailest [over] him for ever, and he goeth, He is changing his countenance, And Thou sendest him away.
21 If his sons receive honor, he does not know it; if they are brought low, he is unaware.
Honoured are his sons, and he knoweth not; And they are little, and he attendeth not to them.
22 He feels only the pain of his own body and mourns only for himself.”
Only — his flesh for him is pained, And his soul for him doth mourn.'
