Job 14

1 For a mortal born of a woman [is] short lived, and full of wrath.

Man, that is born of woman, Is of few days, and full of trouble.

2 Or he falls like a flower that has bloomed; and he departs like a shadow, and cannot continue.

He cometh forth as a flower, and is cut down; He fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.

3 Hast thou not taken account even of him, and caused him to enter into judgment before thee?

And dost thou fix thine eyes upon such a one? And dost thou bring me into judgment with thee?

4 For who shall be pure from uncleanness? not even one;

Who can produce a clean thing from an unclean? Not one.

5 if even his life should be [but] one day upon the earth: and his months are numbered by him: thou hast appointed [him] for a time, and he shall by no means exceed [it].

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 Depart from him, that he may be quiet, and take pleasure in his life, [though] as a hireling.

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, even if it should be cut down, [that] it shall blossom again, and its branch shall 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 For though its root should grow old in the earth, and its stem die in the rock;

Though its root may have grown old in the earth, And though its trunk be dead upon the ground,

9 it will blossom from the scent of water, and will produce a crop, as one newly planted.

Through the scent of water it will bud, And put forth boughs, like a young plant.

10 But a man that has died is utterly gone; and when a mortal has fallen, he is no more.

But man dieth, and he is gone! Man expireth, and where is he?

11 For the sea wastes in [length of] time, and a river fails and is dried up.

The waters fail from the lake; And the stream wasteth and drieth up;

12 And man that has lain down [in death] shall certainly not rise again till the heaven be dissolved, and they shall not awake from 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 For oh that thou hadst kept me in the grave, and hadst hidden me until thy wrath should cease, and thou shouldest set me a time in which thou wouldest 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 For if a man should die, shall he live [again], having accomplished the days of his life? I will wait till I exist again?

If a man die, can he live again? All the days of my war-service would I wait, Till my change should come.

15 Then shalt thou call, and I will hearken to thee: but do not thou reject the work of thine hands.

Thou wilt call, and I will answer thee; Thou wilt have compassion upon the work of thy hands!

16 But thou hast numbered my devices: and not one of my sins shall escape thee?

But now thou numberest my steps; Thou watchest over my sins.

17 An thou hast sealed up my transgressions in a bag, and marked if I have been guilty of any transgression unawares.

My transgression is sealed up in a bag; Yea, thou addest unto my iniquity.

18 And verily a mountain falling will utterly be destroyed, and a rock shall be worn out of its place.

As the mountain falling cometh to nought, And the rock is removed from its place;

19 The waters wear the stones, and waters falling headlong [overflow] a heap of the earth: and thou destroyest 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 Thou drivest him to an end, and he is gone: thou settest thy face against him, and sendest him away;

Thou prevailest against him continually, and he perisheth; Thou changest his countenance, and sendest him away.

21 and though his children be multiplied, he knows [it] not; and if they be few, he is not aware.

His sons come to honor, but he knoweth it not; Or they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not.

22 But his flesh is in pain, and his soul mourns.

But his flesh shall have pain for itself alone; For itself alone shall his soul mourn.