Job 14
1 As for man, the son of woman, his days are short and full of trouble.
Man, that is born of woman, Is of few days, and full of trouble.
2 He comes out like a flower, and is cut down: he goes in flight like a shade, and is never seen again.
He cometh forth as a flower, and is cut down; He fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.
3 Is it on such a one as this that your eyes are fixed, with the purpose of judging him?
And dost thou fix thine eyes upon such a one? And dost thou bring me into judgment with thee?
4 If only a clean thing might come out of an unclean! But it is not possible.
Who can produce a clean thing from an unclean? Not one.
5 If his days are ordered, and you have knowledge of the number of his months, having given him a fixed limit past which he may not go;
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 Let your eyes be turned away from him, and take your hand from him, so that he may have pleasure at the end of his day, like a servant working for payment.
O turn thine eyes from him, and let him rest, That he may enjoy, as a hireling, his day!
7 For there is hope of a tree; if it is cut down, it will come to life again, and its branches will not come to an end.
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 Though its root may be old in the earth, and its cut-off end may be dead in the dust;
Though its root may have grown old in the earth, And though its trunk be dead upon the ground,
9 Still, at the smell of water, it will make buds, and put out branches like a young plant.
Through the scent of water it will bud, And put forth boughs, like a young plant.
10 But man comes to his death and is gone: he gives up his spirit, and where is he?
But man dieth, and he is gone! Man expireth, and where is he?
11 The waters go from a pool, and a river becomes waste and dry;
The waters fail from the lake; And the stream wasteth and drieth up;
12 So man goes down to his last resting-place and comes not again: till the heavens come to an end, they will not be awake or come out of their 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 keep me safe in the underworld, putting me in a secret place till your wrath is past, giving me a fixed time when I might come to your memory again! (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 If death takes a man, will he come to life again? All the days of my trouble I would be waiting, till the time came for me to be free.
If a man die, can he live again? All the days of my war-service would I wait, Till my change should come.
15 At the sound of your voice I would give an answer, and you would have a desire for 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 now my steps are numbered by you, and my sin is not overlooked.
But now thou numberest my steps; Thou watchest over my sins.
17 My wrongdoing is corded up in a bag, and my sin is shut up safe.
My transgression is sealed up in a bag; Yea, thou addest unto my iniquity.
18 But truly a mountain falling comes to dust, and a rock is moved from its place;
As the mountain falling cometh to nought, And the rock is removed from its place;
19 The stones are crushed small by the force of the waters; the dust of the earth is washed away by their overflowing: and so you put an end to the hope of man.
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 overcome him for ever, and he is gone; his face is changed in death, and you send him away.
Thou prevailest against him continually, and he perisheth; Thou changest his countenance, and sendest him away.
21 His sons come to honour, and he has no knowledge of it; they are made low, but he is not conscious of it.
His sons come to honor, but he knoweth it not; Or they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not.
22 Only his flesh still has pain, and his soul is sad.
But his flesh shall have pain for itself alone; For itself alone shall his soul mourn.
