Job 14
1 “Man, born of woman! Of few days, and full of trouble!
Man, who is born of woman, lives only a few days and is full of trouble.
2 As a flower he has gone forth, and is cut off, And he flees as a shadow and does not stand.
He sprouts from the ground like a flower and is cut down; he flees like a shadow and does not last.
3 Also—on this You have opened Your eyes, and bring me into judgment with You.
Do you look at any of these? Do you bring me into judgment with you?
4 Who gives a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one.
Who can bring something clean out of something unclean? No one.
5 If his days are determined, The number of his months [are] with You, You have made his limit, And he does not pass over;
Man's days are determined. The number of his months is with you; you have appointed his limits that he cannot pass.
6 Look away from off him that he may cease, Until he enjoy as a hired worker his day.
Look away from him that he may rest, so that he may enjoy his day like a hired man if he can do so.
7 For there is hope for a tree, if it is cut down, That it changes again, That its tender branch does not cease.
There can be hope for a tree; if it is cut down, it might sprout again, so that its tender stalk does not disappear.
8 If its root becomes old in the earth, And its stem dies in the dust,
Though its root grows old in the earth, and its stump dies in the ground,
9 From the fragrance of water it flourishes, And has made a crop as a plant.
yet even if it only smells water, it will bud and send out branches like a plant.
10 And a man dies, and becomes weak, And man expires, and where [is] he?
But man dies; he becomes weak; indeed, man stops breathing, and then where is he?
11 Waters have gone away from a sea, And a river becomes waste and dry.
As water disappears from a lake, and as a river loses water and dries up,
12 And man has lain down, and does not rise, Until the wearing out of the heavens they do not awaken, Nor are roused from their sleep.
so people lie down and do not rise again. Until the heavens are no more, they will not awake nor be roused out of their sleep.
13 O that You would conceal me in Sheol, Hide me until the turning of Your anger, Set a limit for me, and remember me. (Sheol h7585)
Oh, that you would hide me away in Sheol away from troubles, and that you would keep me in private until your wrath is over, that you would set me a fixed time to stay there and then call me to mind! (Sheol h7585)
14 If a man dies—does he revive? All [the] days of my warfare I wait, until my change comes.
If a man dies, will he live again? If so, I would wish to wait all my weary time there until my release should come.
15 You call, and I answer You; To the work of Your hands You have desire.
You would call, and I would answer you. You would have a desire for the work of your hands.
16 But now, You number my steps, You do not watch over my sin.
You would number and care for my footsteps; you would not keep track of my sin.
17 My transgression [is] sealed up in a bag, and You sew up my iniquity.
My transgression would be sealed up in a bag; you would cover up my iniquity.
18 And yet, a falling mountain wastes away, and a rock is removed from its place.
But even mountains fall and come to nothing; even rocks are moved out of their place;
19 Waters have worn away stones, Their outpourings wash away the dust of earth, And You have destroyed the hope of man.
the waters wear down the stones; their flooding washes away the dust of the earth. Like this, you destroy the hope of man.
20 You prevail [over] him forever, and he goes, He is changing his countenance, And You send him away.
You always defeat him, and he passes away; you change his face and send him away to die.
21 His sons are honored, and he does not know; And they are little, and he does not attend to them.
If his sons are honored, he does not know it; and if they are brought low, he does not see it.
22 Only—his flesh is pained for him, And his soul mourns for him.”
He feels only the pain of his own body, and he mourns for himself.
