Job 7
1 “Is there not warfare to man on earth? And his days as the days of a hired worker?
Does not man have hard labor on earth? Are not his days like the days of a hired man?
2 As a servant desires the shadow, And as a hired worker expects his wage,
Like a slave earnestly desires the shadows of evening, like a hired man looks for his wages—
3 So I have been caused to inherit months of vanity, And they numbered nights of misery to me.
so I have been made to endure months of misery; I have been given trouble-filled 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.
When I lie down, I say to myself, 'When will I get up and when will the night be gone?' I am full of tossing to and fro until the day's dawning.
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 worms and clods of dust; the sores in my skin harden up and then dissolve and run afresh.
6 My days swifter than a loom, And they are consumed without hope.
My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle; they pass without hope.
7 Remember that my life [is] a breath, My eye does not turn back to see good.
God, call to mind that my life is only a breath; my eye will no more see good.
8 The eye of my beholder does not behold me. Your eyes [are] on me—and I am not.
The eye of God, who sees me, will see me no more; God's eyes will be on me, but I will not exist.
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 vanishes away, so he who goes down to Sheol will come up no more. (Sheol h7585)
10 He does not turn to his house again, Nor does his place discern him again.
He will return no more to his house; neither will his place know him again.
11 Also I do not withhold my mouth—I speak in the distress of my spirit, I talk in the bitterness of my soul.
Therefore I will not restrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.
12 Am I a sea [monster], or a dragon, That You set a watch over me?
Am I the sea or a sea monster that you place a guard over me?
13 When I said, My bed comforts me, In my talking He takes away my couch.
When I say, 'My bed will comfort me, and my couch will ease my complaint,'
14 And You have frightened me with dreams, And You terrify me from visions,
then you scare me with dreams and terrify me through visions,
15 And my soul chooses strangling, Death rather than my bones.
so that I would choose strangling and death rather than preserving these bones of mine.
16 I have wasted away—I do not live for all time. Cease from me, for my days [are] vanity.
I loathe my life; I would not wish to always be alive; let me alone for my days are useless.
17 What [is] man that You magnify him? And that You set Your heart to him?
What is man that you should pay attention to him, that you should set your mind on him,
18 And inspect him in the mornings, [And] in the evenings try him?
that you should observe him every morning and test him every moment?
19 How long do You not look from me? You do not desist until I swallow my spittle.
How long will it be before you look away from me, before you let me alone long enough for me to swallow down my own saliva?
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?
Even if I have sinned, what would that do to you, you who watch men? Why have you made a target of me, so that I am a burden for you?
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 do you not pardon my transgression and take away my iniquity? For now will I lie down in the dust; you will seek me carefully, but I will not exist.”
