Job 7
1 Is there not a war-service for man on the earth? Are not his days as the days of a hireling?
Is there not a warfare to man on earth? And as the days of an hireling his days?
2 As a servant panteth for the shade, And as a hireling looketh 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 affliction, And wearisome nights are appointed for me.
So I have been caused to inherit months of vanity, And nights of misery they numbered to me.
4 If I lie down, I say, When shall I arise, and the night be gone? And I am full of restlessness 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 is broken and become loathsome.
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; They pass away without hope.
My days swifter than a weaving machine, And they are consumed without hope.
7 O remember that my life is a breath; That mine 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 that hath seen me shall see me no more; Thine eyes shall look for 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 dissolveth and wasteth away, So he that goeth down to the grave shall arise 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 No more shall he return to his house, And his dwelling-place shall know him no more.
He turneth not again to his house, Nor doth his place discern him again.
11 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.
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 thou settest a watch over me?
A sea -[monster] am I, or a dragon, That thou settest over me a guard?
13 When I say, My bed shall relieve 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 thou scarest me with dreams, And terrifiest me with visions;
And thou hast affrighted me with dreams, And from visions thou terrifiest me,
15 So that my soul chooseth strangling, Yea, death, rather than these my bones.
And my soul chooseth strangling, Death rather than my bones.
16 I am wasting away; I shall not live alway: Let me alone, for my days are a vapor!
I have wasted away — not to the age do I live. Cease from me, for my days [are] vanity.
17 What is man, that thou shouldst make great account him, And fix thy mind upon him?—
What [is] man that Thou dost magnify him? And that Thou settest unto him Thy heart?
18 That thou shouldst visit him every morning, And prove him every moment?
And inspectest him in the mornings, In the evenings dost try him?
19 How long ere thou wilt look away from me, And let me alone, till I have time to breathe?
How long dost Thou not look from me? Thou dost not desist till I swallow my spittle.
20 If I have sinned, what have I done to thee, O thou watcher of men! Why hast thou set me up as thy mark, So that I have become 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 And why dost thou not pardon my transgression, And take away mine iniquity? For soon shall I sleep in the dust; And, though thou seek me diligently, 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!
