Job 14
1 Man born of a woman, living for a short time, is filled with many miseries.
Man, born of woman, is of few days, and full of trouble.
2 Who cometh forth like a flower, and is destroyed, and fleeth as a shadow, and never continueth in the same state.
He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down; and he fleeth as a shadow, and continueth not.
3 And dost thou think it meet to open thy eyes upon such an one, and to bring him into judgment with thee?
Yet dost thou open thine eyes upon such a one, and bringest me into judgment with thee?
4 Who can make him clean that is conceived of unclean seed? is it not thou who only art?
Who can bring a clean [man] out of the unclean? Not one!
5 The days of man are short, and the number of his months is with thee: thou hast appointed his bounds which cannot be passed.
If his days are determined, if the number of his months is with thee, [and] thou hast appointed his bounds which he must not pass,
6 Depart a little from him, that he may rest, until his wished for day come, as that of the hireling.
Look away from him; and let him rest, till he accomplish, as a hireling, his day.
7 A tree hath hope: if it be cut, it groweth green again, and the boughs thereof sprout.
For there is hope for a tree: if it be cut down, it will sprout again, and its tender branch will not cease;
8 If its root be old in the earth, and its stock be dead in the dust:
Though its root grow old in the earth, and its stock die in the ground,
9 At the scent of water, it shall spring, and bring forth leaves, as when it was first planted.
Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and put forth boughs like a young plant.
10 But man when he shall be dead, and stripped and consumed, I pray you where is he?
But a man dieth, and is prostrate; yea, man expireth, and where is he?
11 As if the waters should depart out of the sea, and an emptied river should be dried up:
The waters recede from the lake, and the river wasteth and drieth up:
12 So man when he is fallen asleep shall not rise again; till the heavens be broken, he shall not awake, nor rise up out of his sleep.
So man lieth down, and riseth not again; till the heavens be no more, they do not awake, nor are raised out of their sleep.
13 Who will grant me this, that thou mayst protect me in hell, and hide me till thy wrath pass, and appoint me a. time when thou wilt remember me? (Sheol h7585)
Oh that thou wouldest hide me in Sheol, that thou wouldest keep me secret until thine anger be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me, — (Sheol h7585)
14 Shall man that is dead, thinkest thou, live again? all the days in which I am now in warfare, I expect until my change come.
(If a man die, shall he live [again]?) all the days of my time of toil would I wait, till my change should come:
15 Thou shalt call me, and I will answer thee: to the work of thy hands thou shalt reach out thy right hand.
Thou wouldest call, and I would answer thee; thou wouldest have a desire after the work of thy hands.
16 Thou indeed hast numbered my steps, but spare my sins.
For now thou numberest my steps: dost thou not watch over my sin?
17 Thou hast sealed up my offences as it were in a bag, but hast cured my iniquity.
My transgression is sealed up in a bag, and thou heapest up mine iniquity.
18 A mountain falling cometh to nought, and a rock is removed out of its place.
And indeed a mountain falling cometh to nought, and the rock is removed out of its place;
19 Waters wear away the stones, and with inundation the ground by little and little is washed away: so in like manner thou shalt destroy man.
The waters wear the stones, the floods thereof wash away the dust of the earth; and thou destroyest the hope of man.
20 Thou hast strengthened him for a little while, that he may pass away for ever: thou shalt change his face, and shalt send him away.
Thou prevailest for ever against him, and he passeth away; thou changest his countenance, and dismissest him.
21 Whether his children come to honour or dishonour, he shall not understand.
His sons come to honour, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, and he perceiveth it not.
22 But yet his flesh, while he shall live, shall have pain, and his soul shall mourn over him.
But his flesh hath pain for himself alone, and his soul mourneth for himself.
