Job 7
1 Hath not man a life of labour upon earth? and are not his days like the days of a hireling?
“Is there not warfare to man on earth? And his days as the days of a hired worker?
2 As a bondman earnestly desireth the shadow, and a hireling expecteth his wages,
As a servant desires the shadow, And as a hired worker expects his wage,
3 So am I made to possess months of vanity, and wearisome nights are appointed to me.
So I have been caused to inherit months of vanity, And they numbered nights of misery to me.
4 If I lie down, I say, When shall I rise up, and the darkness be gone? and I am full of tossings until the dawn.
If I lay down, then I have said, When do I rise, And evening has been measured? And I have been full of tossings until dawn.
5 My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; my skin is broken, and suppurates.
My flesh has been clothed [with] worms, And a clod of dust, My skin has been shriveled and is loathsome,
6 My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and are spent without hope.
My days swifter than a loom, And they are consumed without hope.
7 Remember thou that my life is wind; mine eye shall no more see good.
Remember that my life [is] a breath, My eye does not turn back to see good.
8 The eye of him that hath seen me shall behold me no [more]: thine eyes are upon me, and I am not.
The eye of my beholder does not behold me. Your eyes [are] on me—and I am not.
9 The cloud consumeth and vanisheth away; so he that goeth down to Sheol shall not come up. (Sheol h7585)
A cloud has been consumed, and it goes, So he who is going down to Sheol does not come up. (Sheol h7585)
10 He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him again.
He does not turn to his house again, Nor does 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 do not withhold my mouth—I speak in the distress of my spirit, I talk in the bitterness of my soul.
12 Am I a sea, or a sea-monster, that thou settest a watch over me?
Am I a sea [monster], or a dragon, That You set a watch over me?
13 When I say, My bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaint;
When I said, My bed comforts me, In my talking He takes away my couch.
14 Then thou scarest me with dreams, and terrifiest me through visions;
And You have frightened me with dreams, And You terrify me from visions,
15 So that my soul chooseth strangling, death, rather than my bones.
And my soul chooses strangling, Death rather than my bones.
16 I loathe it; I shall not live always: let me alone, for my days are a breath.
I have wasted away—I do not live for all time. Cease from me, for my days [are] vanity.
17 What is man, that thou makest much of him? and that thou settest thy heart upon him?
What [is] man that You magnify him? And that You set Your heart to him?
18 And that thou visitest him every morning, triest him every moment?
And inspect him in the mornings, [And] in the evenings try him?
19 How long wilt thou not look away from me, nor let me alone till I swallow down my spittle?
How long do You not look from me? You do not desist until I swallow my spittle.
20 Have I sinned, what do I unto thee, thou Observer of men? Why hast thou set me as an object of assault for thee, so that I am become a burden to myself?
I have sinned, what do I do to You, O watcher of man? Why have You set me for a mark to You, And I am for a burden to myself—and what?
21 And why dost not thou forgive my transgression and take away mine iniquity? for now shall I lie down in the dust, and thou shalt seek me early, and I shall not be.
You do not take away my transgression, And [do not] cause my iniquity to pass away, Because now, I lie down in dust, And You have sought me—and I am not!”
