Job 14
1 Man, born of woman, living for a short time, is filled with many miseries.
Man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble.
2 He comes forth like a flower, and is crushed, and he flees, as if a shadow, and never remains in the same state.
He comes forth like a flower, and is cut down: he flees also as a shadow, and continues not.
3 And do you consider it fitting to look down with your eyes on someone in this way and to lead him into judgment with you?
And does you open your eyes upon such an one, and bring me into judgment with you?
4 Who can make him clean who is conceived of unclean seed? Are you not the only one who can?
Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.
5 The days of man are short, and the number of his months is with you; you have determined his limits, which cannot be surpassed.
Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with you, you have appointed his bounds that he cannot pass;
6 Withdraw a little from him, so that he may rest, until his awaited day arrives, like that of the hired hand.
Turn from him, that he may rest, till he shall accomplish, as a worker, his day.
7 A tree has hope: if it has been cut, it turns green again, and its branches spring forth.
For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease.
8 If its roots grow old in the earth, and its trunk passes into dust,
Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground;
9 at the scent of water, it will sprout and bring forth leaves, as when it had first been planted.
Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant.
10 Truly, when a man dies, and has been left unprotected, and has decayed, I ask you where is he?
But man dies, and wastes away: yea, man gives up the spirit, and where is he?
11 It is as if the waters had receded from the sea and an emptied river had dried up;
As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decays and dries up:
12 just so, when a man is fallen asleep, he will not rise again, until the heavens are worn away; he will not awaken, nor rise from his sleep.
So man lies down, and rises not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.
13 Who will grant this to me, that you will protect me in the underworld, and hide me until your fury passes by, and establish a time for me, in which you will remember me? (Sheol h7585)
O that you would hide me in the grave, that you would keep me secret, until your wrath be past, that you would appoint me a set time, and remember me! (Sheol h7585)
14 Do you suppose that a dead man will live again? On each of the days in which I now battle, I wait until my transformation occurs.
If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.
15 You will call me and I will answer you; to the work of your hands, you will extend your right hand.
You shall call, and I will answer you: you will have a desire to the work of your hands.
16 Indeed, you have numbered my steps, but you have been lenient with my sins.
For now you number my steps: do you not watch over my sin?
17 You have sealed up my offenses, as if in a purse, but you have cured my iniquity.
My transgression is sealed up in a bag, and you sew up mine iniquity.
18 A falling mountain flows away, and a stone is transferred from its place.
And surely the mountains falling comes to nothing, and the rock is removed out of his place.
19 Waters wear away stones, and with a flood the land is reduced little by little; and similarly, you will destroy man.
The waters wear the stones: you wash away the things which grow out of the dust of the earth; and you destroys the hope of man.
20 You have strengthened him for a little while, so that he may cross over into eternity. You will change his face and send him forth.
You prevail for ever against him, and he passes: you change his countenance, and send him away.
21 Whether his sons have been noble or ignoble, he will not understand.
His sons come to honour, and he knows it not; and they are brought low, but he perceives it not of them.
22 And in this way his body, while he yet lives, will have grief, and his soul will mourn over himself.
But his flesh upon him shall have pain, and his soul within him shall mourn.
