Job 7
1 “Is not man consigned to labor on earth? Are not his days like those of a hired hand?
Is there not a warfare to man on earth? And as the days of an hireling his days?
2 Like a slave he longs for shade; like a hireling he waits for his wages.
As a servant desireth the shadow, And as a hireling expecteth his wage,
3 So I am allotted months of futility, and nights of misery are appointed me.
So I have been caused to inherit months of vanity, And nights of misery they numbered to me.
4 When I lie down I think: ‘When will I get up?’ But the night drags on, and I toss and turn until dawn.
If I lay down then I said, 'When do I rise!' And evening hath been measured, And I have been full of tossings till dawn.
5 My flesh is clothed with worms and encrusted with dirt; my skin is cracked and festering.
Clothed hath been my flesh [with] worms, And a clod of dust, My skin hath been shrivelled and is loathsome,
6 My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle; they come to an end without hope.
My days swifter than a weaving machine, And they are consumed without hope.
7 Remember that my life is but a breath. My eyes will never again see happiness.
Remember Thou that my life [is] a breath, Mine eye turneth not back to see good.
8 The eye that beholds me will no longer see me. You will look for me, but I will be no more.
The eye of my beholder beholdeth me not. Thine eyes [are] upon me — and I am not.
9 As a cloud vanishes and is gone, so he who goes down to Sheol does not come back up. (Sheol h7585)
Consumed hath been a cloud, and it goeth, So he who is going down to Sheol cometh not up. (Sheol h7585)
10 He never returns to his house; his place remembers him no more.
He turneth not again to his house, Nor doth his place discern him again.
11 Therefore I will not restrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.
Also I — I withhold not my mouth — I speak in the distress of my spirit, I talk in the bitterness of my soul.
12 Am I the sea, or the monster of the deep, that You must keep me under guard?
A sea -[monster] am I, or a dragon, That thou settest over me a guard?
13 When I think my bed will comfort me and my couch will ease my complaint,
When I said, 'My bed doth comfort me,' He taketh away in my talking my couch.
14 then You frighten me with dreams and terrify me with visions,
And thou hast affrighted me with dreams, And from visions thou terrifiest me,
15 so that I would prefer strangling and death over my life in this body.
And my soul chooseth strangling, Death rather than my bones.
16 I loathe my life! I would not live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are but a breath.
I have wasted away — not to the age do I live. Cease from me, for my days [are] vanity.
17 What is man that You should exalt him, that You should set Your heart upon him,
What [is] man that Thou dost magnify him? And that Thou settest unto him Thy heart?
18 that You attend to him every morning, and test him every moment?
And inspectest him in the mornings, In the evenings dost try him?
19 Will You never look away from me, or leave me alone to swallow my spittle?
How long dost Thou not look from me? Thou dost not desist till I swallow my spittle.
20 If I have sinned, what have I done to You, O watcher of mankind? Why have You made me Your target, so that I am a burden to You?
I have sinned, what do I to Thee, O watcher of man? Why hast Thou set me for a mark to Thee, And I am for a burden to myself — and what?
21 Why do You not pardon my transgression and take away my iniquity? For soon I will lie down in the dust; You will seek me, but I will be no more.”
Thou dost not take away my transgression, And cause to pass away mine iniquity, Because now, for dust I lie down: And Thou hast sought me — and I am not!
