Job 14
1 Man, that is born of woman, Is of few days, and full of trouble.
Man, born of woman, living for a short time, is filled with many miseries.
2 He cometh forth as a flower, and is cut down; He fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.
He comes forth like a flower, and is crushed, and he flees, as if a shadow, and never remains in the same state.
3 And dost thou fix thine eyes upon such a one? And dost thou bring me into judgment with thee?
And do you consider it fitting to look down with your eyes on someone in this way and to lead him into judgment with you?
4 Who can produce a clean thing from an unclean? Not one.
Who can make him clean who is conceived of unclean seed? Are you not the only one who can?
5 Seeing that his days are determined, And the number of his months, with thee, And that thou hast appointed him bounds which he cannot pass,
The days of man are short, and the number of his months is with you; you have determined his limits, which cannot be surpassed.
6 O turn thine eyes from him, and let him rest, That he may enjoy, as a hireling, his day!
Withdraw a little from him, so that he may rest, until his awaited day arrives, like that of the hired hand.
7 For there is hope for a tree, If it be cut down, that it will sprout again, And that its tender branches will not fail;
A tree has hope: if it has been cut, it turns green again, and its branches spring forth.
8 Though its root may have grown old in the earth, And though its trunk be dead upon the ground,
If its roots grow old in the earth, and its trunk passes into dust,
9 Through the scent of water it will bud, And put forth boughs, like a young plant.
at the scent of water, it will sprout and bring forth leaves, as when it had first been planted.
10 But man dieth, and he is gone! Man expireth, and where is he?
Truly, when a man dies, and has been left unprotected, and has decayed, I ask you where is he?
11 The waters fail from the lake; And the stream wasteth and drieth up;
It is as if the waters had receded from the sea and an emptied river had dried up;
12 So man lieth down, and riseth not; Till the heavens be no more, he shall not awake, Nor be roused from his sleep.
just so, when a man is fallen asleep, he will not rise again, until the heavens are worn away; he will not awaken, nor rise from his sleep.
13 O that thou wouldst hide me in the under-world! That thou wouldst conceal me till thy wrath be past! That thou wouldst appoint me a time, and then remember me! (Sheol h7585)
Who will grant this to me, that you will protect me in the underworld, and hide me until your fury passes by, and establish a time for me, in which you will remember me? (Sheol h7585)
14 If a man die, can he live again? All the days of my war-service would I wait, Till my change should come.
Do you suppose that a dead man will live again? On each of the days in which I now battle, I wait until my transformation occurs.
15 Thou wilt call, and I will answer thee; Thou wilt have compassion upon the work of thy hands!
You will call me and I will answer you; to the work of your hands, you will extend your right hand.
16 But now thou numberest my steps; Thou watchest over my sins.
Indeed, you have numbered my steps, but you have been lenient with my sins.
17 My transgression is sealed up in a bag; Yea, thou addest unto my iniquity.
You have sealed up my offenses, as if in a purse, but you have cured my iniquity.
18 As the mountain falling cometh to nought, And the rock is removed from its place;
A falling mountain flows away, and a stone is transferred from its place.
19 As the waters wear away the stones, And the floods wash away the dust of the earth, So thou destroyest the hope of man.
Waters wear away stones, and with a flood the land is reduced little by little; and similarly, you will destroy man.
20 Thou prevailest against him continually, and he perisheth; Thou changest his countenance, and sendest him away.
You have strengthened him for a little while, so that he may cross over into eternity. You will change his face and send him forth.
21 His sons come to honor, but he knoweth it not; Or they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not.
Whether his sons have been noble or ignoble, he will not understand.
22 But his flesh shall have pain for itself alone; For itself alone shall his soul mourn.
And in this way his body, while he yet lives, will have grief, and his soul will mourn over himself.
