Job 14
1 Life is short and full of trouble,
Man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble.
2 like a flower that blooms and withers, like a passing shadow that soon disappears.
He comes forth like a flower, and is cut down: he flees also as a shadow, and continues not.
3 Do you even notice me, God, and why do you have to drag me to court?
And does you open your eyes upon such an one, and bring me into judgment with you?
4 Who can bring something clean of what is unclean? No one.
Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.
5 You have determined how long we shall live—the number of months, a time limit on our lives.
Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with you, you have appointed his bounds that he cannot pass;
6 So leave us alone and give us some peace—so like a laborer we could enjoy a few hours of rest at the end of the day.
Turn from him, that he may rest, till he shall accomplish, as a worker, his day.
7 Even a tree that's cut down has the hope of sprouting again, of sending up shoots and continuing to live.
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 Even though its roots grow old in the earth, and its stump dies in the ground,
Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground;
9 just a trickle of water will make it bud and grow branches like a young plant.
Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant.
10 But human beings die, their strength dwindles away; they perish, and where are they then?
But man dies, and wastes away: yea, man gives up the spirit, and where is he?
11 Like water evaporating from a lake and a river that dries up and disappears,
As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decays and dries up:
12 so human beings lie down and don't get up again. Until the heavens cease to exist they will not awake from their 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 I wish you would hide me in Sheol; conceal me there until your anger is gone. Set a definite time for me there, and 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 Will the dead live again? Then I would have hope through all my time of trouble until my release comes.
If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.
15 You would call and I would answer you; you would long for me, the being that you made.
You shall call, and I will answer you: you will have a desire to the work of your hands.
16 Then you would look after me and wouldn't be watching me to see if I sinned.
For now you number my steps: do you not watch over my sin?
17 My sins would be sealed up in a bag and you would cover my guilt.
My transgression is sealed up in a bag, and you sew up mine iniquity.
18 But just as the mountains crumble and fall, and the rocks tumble down;
And surely the mountains falling comes to nothing, and the rock is removed out of his place.
19 as water wears away the stones, as floods wash away the soil, so you destroy the hope people have.
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 continually overpower them and they pass away; you distort their faces in death and send them away.
You prevail for ever against him, and he passes: you change his countenance, and send him away.
21 Their children may become important or fall from their positions, but they don't know or see any of this.
His sons come to honour, and he knows it not; and they are brought low, but he perceives it not of them.
22 As people die they only know their own pain and are sad for themselves.”
But his flesh upon him shall have pain, and his soul within him shall mourn.
