Job 7
1 "Isn't a man forced to labor on earth? Aren't his days like the days of a hired hand?
Is there not a warfare to man on earth? And as the days of an hireling his days?
2 As a servant who earnestly desires the shadow, as a hireling who looks for his wages,
As a servant desireth the shadow, And as a hireling expecteth his wage,
3 so am I made to possess months of misery, wearisome nights are appointed to me.
So I have been caused to inherit months of vanity, And nights of misery they numbered to me.
4 When I lie down, I say, 'When shall I arise, and the night be gone?' I toss and turn until the dawning of the day.
If I lay down then I said, 'When do I rise!' And evening hath been measured, And I have been full of tossings till dawn.
5 My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust. My skin closes up, and breaks out afresh.
Clothed hath been my flesh [with] worms, And a clod of dust, My skin hath been shrivelled and is loathsome,
6 My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and are spent without hope.
My days swifter than a weaving machine, And they are consumed without hope.
7 Oh remember that my life is a breath. My eye shall no more see good.
Remember Thou that my life [is] a breath, Mine eye turneth not back to see good.
8 The eye of him who sees me shall see me no more. Your eyes shall be on me, but I shall not be.
The eye of my beholder beholdeth me not. Thine eyes [are] upon me — and I am not.
9 As the cloud is consumed and vanishes away, so he who goes down to Sheol shall come up no more. (Sheol h7585)
Consumed hath been a cloud, and it goeth, So he who is going down to Sheol cometh not up. (Sheol h7585)
10 He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him any more.
He turneth not again to his house, Nor doth his place discern him again.
11 "Therefore I will not keep silent. I will speak in the anguish of my spirit. I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.
Also I — I withhold not 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 sea monster, that you put a guard over me?
A sea -[monster] am I, or a dragon, That thou settest over me a guard?
13 When I say, 'My bed shall comfort me. My couch shall ease my complaint;'
When I said, 'My bed doth comfort me,' He taketh away in my talking my couch.
14 then you scare me with dreams, and terrify me through visions:
And thou hast affrighted me with dreams, And from visions thou terrifiest me,
15 so that my soul chooses strangling, death rather than my bones.
And my soul chooseth strangling, Death rather than my bones.
16 I loathe my life. I do not want to live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are but a breath.
I have wasted away — not to the age do I live. Cease from me, for my days [are] vanity.
17 What is man, that you should magnify him, that you should set your mind on him,
What [is] man that Thou dost magnify him? And that Thou settest unto him Thy heart?
18 that you should visit him every morning, and test him every moment?
And inspectest him in the mornings, In the evenings dost try him?
19 How long will you not look away from me, nor leave me alone until I swallow down my spittle?
How long dost Thou not look from me? Thou dost not desist till I swallow my spittle.
20 If I have sinned, what do I do to you, you watcher of men? Why have you set me as a mark for you, so that I am a burden to myself?
I have sinned, what do I to Thee, O watcher of man? Why hast Thou set me for a mark to Thee, And I am for a burden to myself — and what?
21 Why do you not pardon my disobedience, and take away my iniquity? For now shall I lie down in the dust. You will seek me diligently, but I shall not be."
Thou dost not take away my transgression, And cause to pass away mine iniquity, Because now, for dust I lie down: And Thou hast sought me — and I am not!
