Job 7
1 “Is there not warfare to man on earth? And his days as the days of a hired worker?
The life of man upon earth is a warfare, and his days are like the days of a hireling.
2 As a servant desires the shadow, And as a hired worker expects his wage,
As a servant longeth for the shade, as the hireling looketh for the end of his work;
3 So I have been caused to inherit months of vanity, And they numbered nights of misery to me.
So I also have had empty months, and have numbered to myself wearisome nights.
4 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.
If I lie down to sleep, I shall say: When shall arise? and again I shall look for the evening, and shall be filled with sorrows even till darkness.
5 My flesh has been clothed [with] worms, And a clod of dust, My skin has been shriveled and is loathsome,
My flesh is clothed with rottenness and the filth of dust, my skin is withered and drawn together.
6 My days swifter than a loom, And they are consumed without hope.
My days have passed more swiftly than the web is cut by the weaver, and are consumed without any hope.
7 Remember that my life [is] a breath, My eye does not turn back to see good.
Remember that my life is but wind, and my eyes shall not return to see good things.
8 The eye of my beholder does not behold me. Your eyes [are] on me—and I am not.
Nor shall the sight of man behold me: thy eyes are upon me, and I shall be no more.
9 A cloud has been consumed, and it goes, So he who is going down to Sheol does not come up. (Sheol h7585)
As a cloud is consumed, and passeth away: so he that shall go down to hell shall not come up. (Sheol h7585)
10 He does not turn to his house again, Nor does his place discern him again.
Nor shall he return my more into his house, neither shall his place know him any more.
11 Also I do not withhold my mouth—I speak in the distress of my spirit, I talk in the bitterness of my soul.
Wherefore I will not spare my month, I will speak in the affliction of my spirit: I will talk with the bitterness of my soul.
12 Am I a sea [monster], or a dragon, That You set a watch over me?
Am I a sea, or a whale, that thou hast enclosed me in a prison?
13 When I said, My bed comforts me, In my talking He takes away my couch.
If I say: My bed shall comfort me, and I shall be relieved speaking with myself on my couch:
14 And You have frightened me with dreams, And You terrify me from visions,
Thou wilt frighten me with dreams and terrify me with visions.
15 And my soul chooses strangling, Death rather than my bones.
So that my soul rather chooseth hanging, and my bones death.
16 I have wasted away—I do not live for all time. Cease from me, for my days [are] vanity.
I have done with hope, I shall now live no longer: spare me, for my days are nothing.
17 What [is] man that You magnify him? And that You set Your heart to him?
What is a man that thou shouldst magnify him? or why dost thou set thy heart upon him?
18 And inspect him in the mornings, [And] in the evenings try him?
Thou visitest him early in the morning, and thou provest him suddenly.
19 How long do You not look from me? You do not desist until I swallow my spittle.
How long wilt thou not spare me, nor suffer me to swallow down my spittle?
20 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?
I have sinned: what shall I do to thee, O keeper of men? why hast thou set me opposite to thee, and I am become burdensome to myself?
21 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!”
Why dost thou not remove my sin, and why dost thou not take away my iniquity? Behold now I shall sleep in the dust: and if thou seek me in the morning, I shall not be.
