Job 14
1 Man born of a woman, living for a short time, is filled with many miseries.
Man, born of woman! 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.
As a flower he hath gone forth, and is cut off, And he fleeth as a shadow and standeth not.
3 And dost thou think it meet to open thy eyes upon such an one, and to bring him into judgment with thee?
Also — on this Thou hast opened Thine eyes, And dost bring 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 giveth a clean thing out of an 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 determined are his days, The number of his months [are] with Thee, His limit Thou hast made, And he passeth not over;
6 Depart a little from him, that he may rest, until his wished for day come, as that of the hireling.
Look away from off him that he may cease, Till he enjoy as an hireling his day.
7 A tree hath hope: if it be cut, it groweth green again, and the boughs thereof sprout.
For there is of a tree hope, if it be cut down, That again it doth change, That its tender branch doth not cease.
8 If its root be old in the earth, and its stock be dead in the dust:
If its root becometh old in the earth, And its stem doth die in the dust,
9 At the scent of water, it shall spring, and bring forth leaves, as when it was first planted.
From the fragrance of water it doth flourish, And hath made a crop as a plant.
10 But man when he shall be dead, and stripped and consumed, I pray you where is he?
And a man dieth, and becometh weak, And 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:
Waters have gone away from a sea, And a river becometh waste and dry.
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.
And man hath lain down, and riseth not, Till the wearing out of the heavens they awake not, Nor are roused from 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)
O that in Sheol Thou wouldest conceal me, Hide me till the turning of Thine anger, Set for me a limit, 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 dieth — doth he revive? All days of my warfare I wait, till my change 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 dost call, and I — I answer Thee; To the work of Thy hands Thou hast desire.
16 Thou indeed hast numbered my steps, but spare my sins.
But now, my steps Thou numberest, Thou dost not watch over my sin.
17 Thou hast sealed up my offences as it were in a bag, but hast cured my iniquity.
Sealed up in a bag [is] my transgression, And Thou sewest up mine iniquity.
18 A mountain falling cometh to nought, and a rock is removed out of its place.
And yet, a falling mountain wasteth away, And a rock is removed from 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.
Stones have waters worn away, Their outpourings wash away the dust of earth, And the hope of man Thou hast destroyed.
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 [over] him for ever, and he goeth, He is changing his countenance, And Thou sendest him away.
21 Whether his children come to honour or dishonour, he shall not understand.
Honoured are his sons, and he knoweth not; And they are little, and he attendeth not to them.
22 But yet his flesh, while he shall live, shall have pain, and his soul shall mourn over him.
Only — his flesh for him is pained, And his soul for him doth mourn.'
