Job 7
1 Is not the life of man upon earth a state of trial? and his existence as that of a hireling by the day?
“Is there not warfare to man on earth? And his days as the days of a hired worker?
2 Or as a servant that fears his master, and one who has grasped a shadow? or as a hireling waiting for his pay?
As a servant desires the shadow, And as a hired worker expects his wage,
3 So have I also endured months of vanity, and nights of pain have been appointed me.
So I have been caused to inherit months of vanity, And they numbered nights of misery to me.
4 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.
If I lay down, then I have said, When do I rise, And evening has been measured? And I have been full of tossings until dawn.
5 And my body is covered with loathsome worms; and I waste away, scraping off clods of dust from my eruption.
My flesh has been clothed [with] worms, And a clod of dust, My skin has been shriveled and is loathsome,
6 And my life is lighter than a word, and has perished in vain hope.
My days swifter than a loom, And they are consumed without hope.
7 Remember then that my life is breath, and mine eye shall not yet again see good.
Remember that my life [is] a breath, My eye does not turn back to see good.
8 The eye of him that sees me shall not see me [again]: your eyes are upon me, and I am no more.
The eye of my beholder does not behold me. Your eyes [are] on me—and I am not.
9 [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)
A cloud has been consumed, and it goes, So he who is going down to Sheol does not come up. (Sheol h7585)
10 and he shall surely not return to his own house, neither shall his place know him any more.
He does not turn to his house again, Nor does his place discern him again.
11 Then neither will I refrain my mouth: I will speak being in distress; being in anguish I will disclose the bitterness of my soul.
Also I do not withhold 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 serpent, that you have set a watch over me?
Am I a sea [monster], or a dragon, That You set a watch over me?
13 I said that my bed should comfort me, and I would privately counsel with myself on my couch.
When I said, My bed comforts me, In my talking He takes away my couch.
14 You scare me with dreams, and do terrify me with visions.
And You have frightened me with dreams, And You terrify me from visions,
15 You will separate life from my spirit; and yet [keep] my bones from death.
And my soul chooses strangling, Death rather than my bones.
16 For I shall not live for ever, that I should patiently endure: depart from me, for my life [is] vain.
I have wasted away—I do not live for all time. Cease from me, for my days [are] vanity.
17 For what is man, that you have magnified him? or that you give heed to him?
What [is] man that You magnify him? And that You set Your heart to him?
18 Will you visit him till the morning, and judge him till [the time of] rest?
And inspect him in the mornings, [And] in the evenings try him?
19 How long do you not let me alone, nor let me go, until I shall swallow down my spittle?
How long do You not look from me? You do not desist until I swallow my spittle.
20 If I have sinned, what shall I be able to do, O you that understand the mind of men? why have you made me as your accuser, and [why] am I a burden to you?
I have sinned, what do I do to You, O watcher of man? Why have You set me for a mark to You, And I am for a burden to myself—and what?
21 Why have you not forgotten my iniquity, and purged my sin? but now I shall depart to the earth; and in the morning I am no more.
You do not take away my transgression, And [do not] cause my iniquity to pass away, Because now, I lie down in dust, And You have sought me—and I am not!”
