Job 14

1 Man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble.

“We humans are very frail. We live only a short time, and we experience a lot of trouble.

2 He comes forth like a flower, and is cut down: he flees also as a shadow, and continues not.

We disappear quickly, like flowers that grow from the ground quickly and then wither and die [SIM]. We are like shadows that disappear [when the sun stops shining].

3 And does you open your eyes on such an one, and bring me into judgment with you?

[Yahweh, ] why do you keep watching me [to see if I am doing something that is wrong] [RHQ]? Are you wanting to take me to court to judge me?

4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.

People are sinners from the time when they are born; who can cause them to be sinless? No one [RHQ]!

5 Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with you, you have appointed his bounds that he cannot pass;

You have decided how long our lives will be. You have decided how many months we will live, and we cannot live more months than the (limit/number of months) that you have decided.

6 Turn from him, that he may rest, till he shall accomplish, as an hireling, his day.

So please stop examining us, and allow us to be alone, until/while we finish our time [here on earth], like a man finishes his work [at the end of the day].

7 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.

If someone cuts a tree down, we hope that it will sprout again and grow new branches.

8 Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground;

Its roots in the ground may be very old, and its stump may decay,

9 Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant.

but if some water falls on it, it may bud/sprout and send up shoots like a young plant.

10 But man dies, and wastes away: yes, man gives up the ghost, and where is he?

But when we people lose all our strength and die, we stop breathing and then we are gone [forever].

11 As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decays and dries up:

Just like water evaporates from the ocean, or like a riverbed dries up,

12 So man lies down, and rises not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.

people [lie down and die and] do not get up again. Until the heavens disappear, people who die [EUP] do not wake up, and no one can wake them up.

13 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)

[“Yahweh, ] I wish that you would put me safely in the place of the dead and forget about me until you are no longer angry with me. I wish that you would decide how much time I would spend there, and then remember [that] I [am there]. (Sheol h7585)

14 If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.

When we humans die, we will certainly not live again [RHQ]. If [I knew that] we would live again, I would wait patiently, and I would wait for you to release me [from my sufferings].

15 You shall call, and I will answer you: you will have a desire to the work of your hands.

You would call me, and I would answer. You would be eager to see me, one of the creatures that you had made.

16 For now you number my steps: do you not watch over my sin?

You would take care of [MET] me, instead of watching me to see if I would sin.

17 My transgression is sealed up in a bag, and you sew up my iniquity.

[It is as though the record of] my sins would be sealed in a small bag, and you would cover them up.

18 And surely the mountains falling comes to nothing, and the rock is removed out of his place.

“But, just like mountains crumble and rocks fall down from a cliff,

19 The waters wear the stones: you wash away the things which grow out of the dust of the earth; and you destroy the hope of man.

and just like water slowly wears away the stones, and just like floods wash away soil, [you eventually destroy us]; you do not allow us to continue to (hope/confidently expect) [that we will keep on living].

20 You prevail for ever against him, and he passes: you change his countenance, and send him away.

You always defeat us, and then we die [EUP]. You cause our faces to look ugly after we die, and you send us away.

21 His sons come to honor, and he knows it not; and they are brought low, but he perceives it not of them.

[When we die] we do not know if our sons will grow up and [do things that will cause them to] be honored. And if they become disgraced, we do not see that, [either].

22 But his flesh on him shall have pain, and his soul within him shall mourn.

We will feel our own pains; we will not feel anything else; we will be sorry for ourselves, not for anyone else.”