Job 14
1 Life is short and full of trouble,
“Man, who 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 grows up like a flower, and is cut down. He also flees like a shadow, and doesn’t continue.
3 Do you even notice me, God, and why do you have to drag me to court?
Do you open your eyes on such a one, and bring me into judgement 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 is with you, and you have appointed his bounds that he can’t 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.
Look away from him, that he may rest, until he accomplishes, as a hireling, 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 for a tree if it is cut down, that it will sprout again, that the tender branch of it will not cease.
8 Even though its roots grow old in the earth, and its stump dies in the ground,
Though its root grows old in the earth, and its stock dies 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 sprout boughs like a plant.
10 But human beings die, their strength dwindles away; they perish, and where are they then?
But man dies, and is laid low. Yes, 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 river wastes 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 doesn’t rise. Until the heavens are no more, they will not awake, nor be roused 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)
“Oh that you would hide me in Sheol, that you would keep me secret until your wrath is 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 dies, will he live again? I would wait all the days of my warfare, until my release should come.
15 You would call and I would answer you; you would long for me, the being that you made.
You would call, and I would answer you. You would have a desire for the work of your hands.
16 Then you would look after me and wouldn't be watching me to see if I sinned.
But now you count my steps. Don’t you watch over my sin?
17 My sins would be sealed up in a bag and you would cover my guilt.
My disobedience is sealed up in a bag. You fasten up my iniquity.
18 But just as the mountains crumble and fall, and the rocks tumble down;
“But the mountain falling comes to nothing. The rock is removed out of its 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. The torrents of it wash away the dust of the earth. So you destroy the hope of man.
20 You continually overpower them and they pass away; you distort their faces in death and send them away.
You forever prevail against him, and he departs. You change his face, 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 doesn’t know it. They are brought low, but he doesn’t perceive it of them.
22 As people die they only know their own pain and are sad for themselves.”
But his flesh on him has pain, and his soul within him mourns.”
