< Job 14 >
1 Man born of a woman is short of days, and sated with harrowing trouble.
Man, born of woman! Of few days, and full of trouble!
2 Like a flower he cometh forth, and is cut down: and he fleeth like a shadow, and remaineth not.
As a flower he hath gone forth, and is cut off, And he fleeth as a shadow and standeth not.
3 And yet on such a one dost thou open thy eyes, and me thou bringest into judgment with thee?
Also — on this Thou hast opened Thine eyes, And dost bring me into judgment with Thee.
4 Who can make a clean thing out of an unclean? not one [thing].
Who giveth a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.
5 Seeing that his days are determined, the number of his months are [fixed] with thee, that thou hast set his bounds which he cannot pass:
If determined are his days, The number of his months [are] with Thee, His limit Thou hast made, And he passeth not over;
6 Turn thyself from him that he may recover from his pain, and be able to enjoy like a hired laborer his day.
Look away from off him that he may cease, Till he enjoy as an hireling his day.
7 For there is hope for the tree: if it be cut down, it may still sprout again, while its young shoot will not cease.
For there is of a tree hope, if it be cut down, That again it doth change, That its tender branch doth not cease.
8 If even its root become old in the earth, and its stock die in the dust:
If its root becometh old in the earth, And its stem doth die in the dust,
9 Yet through the scent of water will it flourish [again], and produce boughs as though It were newly planted.
From the fragrance of water it doth flourish, And hath made a crop as a plant.
10 But man dieth, and lieth powerless: yea, the son of earth departeth—and where is he?
And a man dieth, and becometh weak, And man expireth, and where [is] he?
11 The waters run off from the sea, and the river faileth and drieth up:
Waters have gone away from a sea, And a river becometh waste and dry.
12 So doth man lie down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they will not awake, and will not be roused out of their sleep.
And man hath lain down, and riseth not, Till the wearing out of the heavens they awake not, Nor are roused from their sleep.
13 Oh who would grant that thou mightest hide me in the nether world, that thou mightest conceal me, until thy wrath be appeased, that thou mightest set for me a fixed time, and remember me then! (Sheol )
O that in Sheol Thou wouldest conceal me, Hide me till the turning of Thine anger, Set for me a limit, and remember me. (Sheol )
14 Or, when a man dieth, will he live again? all the days of my time of service would I then wait, till [the hour of] my release were come.
If a man dieth — doth he revive? All days of my warfare I wait, till my change come.
15 Do thou call, and I will truly answer thee: have a desire for the work of thy hands.
Thou dost call, and I — I answer Thee; To the work of Thy hands Thou hast desire.
16 Yet now thou numberest my steps: and thou waitest not with [the punishment of] my sin.
But now, my steps Thou numberest, Thou dost not watch over my sin.
17 Sealed up in a bag is my transgression, and thou yet addest to my iniquity.
Sealed up in a bag [is] my transgression, And Thou sewest up mine iniquity.
18 But truly a falling mountain will crumble, and [even] a rock is moved out of its place.
And yet, a falling mountain wasteth away, And a rock is removed from its place.
19 The water weareth out stones; thou sweepest away their fragments [like] the dust of the earth: and so thou destroyest the hope of man.
Stones have waters worn away, Their outpourings wash away the dust of earth, And the hope of man Thou hast destroyed.
20 Thou assailest him with might without ceasing, till he passeth away: thou changest his countenance, and sendest him off.
Thou prevailest [over] him for ever, and he goeth, He is changing his countenance, And Thou sendest him away.
21 His children acquire honor, but he knoweth it not: and they are esteemed little, but he perceiveth nothing of them.
Honoured are his sons, and he knoweth not; And they are little, and he attendeth not to them.
22 But his body. on him, feeleth pain, and his soul will mourn for him.
Only — his flesh for him is pained, And his soul for him doth mourn.'