Job 7
1 Is there not an appointed time to man on earth? are not his days also like the days of an hireling?
Is there not a warfare to man on earth? And as the days of an hireling his days?
2 As a servant earnestly desires the shadow, and as an hireling looks for the reward of his work:
As a servant desireth the shadow, And as a hireling expecteth his wage,
3 So am I made to possess months of vanity, and wearisome nights are appointed to me.
So I have been caused to inherit months of vanity, And nights of misery they numbered to me.
4 When I lie down, I say, When shall I arise, and the night be gone? and I am full of tossings to and fro to the dawning of the day.
If I lay down then I said, 'When do I rise!' And evening hath been measured, And I have been full of tossings till dawn.
5 My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; my skin is broken, and become loathsome.
Clothed hath been my flesh [with] worms, And a clod of dust, My skin hath been shrivelled and is loathsome,
6 My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, and are spent without hope.
My days swifter than a weaving machine, And they are consumed without hope.
7 O remember that my life is wind: my eye shall no more see good.
Remember Thou that my life [is] a breath, Mine eye turneth not back to see good.
8 The eye of him that has seen me shall see me no more: your eyes are on me, and I am not.
The eye of my beholder beholdeth me not. Thine eyes [are] upon me — and I am not.
9 As the cloud is consumed and vanishes away: so he that goes down to the grave shall come up no more. (Sheol h7585)
Consumed hath been a cloud, and it goeth, So he who is going down to Sheol cometh not up. (Sheol h7585)
10 He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him any more.
He turneth not again to his house, Nor doth his place discern him again.
11 Therefore I will not refrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.
Also I — I withhold not my mouth — I speak in the distress of my spirit, I talk in the bitterness of my soul.
12 Am I a sea, or a whale, that you set a watch over me?
A sea -[monster] am I, or a dragon, That thou settest over me a guard?
13 When I say, My bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaints;
When I said, 'My bed doth comfort me,' He taketh away in my talking my couch.
14 Then you scare me with dreams, and terrify me through visions:
And thou hast affrighted me with dreams, And from visions thou terrifiest me,
15 So that my soul chooses strangling, and death rather than my life.
And my soul chooseth strangling, Death rather than my bones.
16 I loathe it; I would not live always: let me alone; for my days are vanity.
I have wasted away — not to the age do I live. Cease from me, for my days [are] vanity.
17 What is man, that you should magnify him? and that you should set your heart on him?
What [is] man that Thou dost magnify him? And that Thou settest unto him Thy heart?
18 And that you should visit him every morning, and try him every moment?
And inspectest him in the mornings, In the evenings dost try him?
19 How long will you not depart from me, nor let me alone till I swallow down my spittle?
How long dost Thou not look from me? Thou dost not desist till I swallow my spittle.
20 I have sinned; what shall I do to you, O you preserver of men? why have you set me as a mark against you, so that I am a burden to myself?
I have sinned, what do I to Thee, O watcher of man? Why hast Thou set me for a mark to Thee, And I am for a burden to myself — and what?
21 And why do you not pardon my transgression, and take away my iniquity? for now shall I sleep in the dust; and you shall seek me in the morning, but I shall not be.
Thou dost not take away my transgression, And cause to pass away mine iniquity, Because now, for dust I lie down: And Thou hast sought me — and I am not!
