Job 7

1 The life of man upon earth is a warfare, and his days are like the days of a hireling.

Is not the life of man upon earth a state of trial? and his existence as that of a hireling by the day?

2 As a servant longeth for the shade, as the hireling looketh for the end of his work;

Or as a servant that fears his master, and one who has grasped a shadow? or as a hireling waiting for his pay?

3 So I also have had empty months, and have numbered to myself wearisome nights.

So have I also endured months of vanity, and nights of pain have been appointed me.

4 If I lie down to sleep, I shall say: When shall arise? and again I shall look for the evening, and shall be filled with sorrows even till darkness.

Whenever I lie down, I say, When [will it be] day? and whenever I rise up, again [I say] when [will it be] evening? and I am full of pains from evening to morning.

5 My flesh is clothed with rottenness and the filth of dust, my skin is withered and drawn together.

And my body is covered with loathsome worms; and I waste away, scraping off clods of dust from my eruption.

6 My days have passed more swiftly than the web is cut by the weaver, and are consumed without any hope.

And my life is lighter than a word, and has perished in vain hope.

7 Remember that my life is but wind, and my eyes shall not return to see good things.

Remember then that my life is breath, and mine eye shalt not yet again see good.

8 Nor shall the sight of man behold me: thy eyes are upon me, and I shall be no more.

The eye of him that sees me shall not see me [again]: thine eyes are upon me, and I am no more.

9 As a cloud is consumed, and passeth away: so he that shall go down to hell shall not come up. (Sheol h7585)

[I am] as a cloud that is cleared away from the sky: for if a man go down to the grave, he shall not come up again: (Sheol h7585)

10 Nor shall he return my more into his house, neither shall his place know him any more.

and he shall surely not return to his own house, neither shall his place know him any more.

11 Wherefore I will not spare my month, I will speak in the affliction of my spirit: I will talk with the bitterness of my soul.

Then neither will I refrain my mouth: I will speak being in distress; being in anguish I will disclose the bitterness of my soul.

12 Am I a sea, or a whale, that thou hast enclosed me in a prison?

Am I a sea, or a serpent, that thou hast set a watch over me?

13 If I say: My bed shall comfort me, and I shall be relieved speaking with myself on my couch:

I said that my bed should comfort me, and I would privately counsel with myself on my couch.

14 Thou wilt frighten me with dreams and terrify me with visions.

Thou scarest me with dreams, and dost terrify me with visions.

15 So that my soul rather chooseth hanging, and my bones death.

Thou wilt separate life from my spirit; and yet [keep] my bones from death.

16 I have done with hope, I shall now live no longer: spare me, for my days are nothing.

For I shall not live for ever, that I should patiently endure: depart from me, for my life [is] vain.

17 What is a man that thou shouldst magnify him? or why dost thou set thy heart upon him?

For what is man, that thou hast magnified him? or that thou givest heed to him?

18 Thou visitest him early in the morning, and thou provest him suddenly.

Wilt thou visit him till the morning, and judge him till [the time of] rest?

19 How long wilt thou not spare me, nor suffer me to swallow down my spittle?

How long dost thou not let me alone, nor let me go, until I shall swallow down my spittle?

20 I have sinned: what shall I do to thee, O keeper of men? why hast thou set me opposite to thee, and I am become burdensome to myself?

If I have sinned, what shall I be able to do, O thou that understandest the mind of men? why hast thou made me as thine accuser, and [why] am I a burden to thee?

21 Why dost thou not remove my sin, and why dost thou not take away my iniquity? Behold now I shall sleep in the dust: and if thou seek me in the morning, I shall not be.

Why hast thou not forgotten my iniquity, and purged my sin? but now I shall depart to the earth; and in the morning I am no more.