< Job 14 >
1 Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.
Man born of a woman, living for a short time, is filled with many miseries.
2 He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.
Who cometh forth like a flower, and is destroyed, and fleeth as a shadow, and never continueth in the same state.
3 And dost thou open thine eyes upon such an one, and bringest me into judgment with thee?
And dost thou think it meet to open thy eyes upon such an one, and to bring him into judgment with thee?
4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.
Who can make him clean that is conceived of unclean seed? is it not thou who only art?
5 Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months is with thee, and thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass;
The days of man are short, and the number of his months is with thee: thou hast appointed his bounds which cannot be passed.
6 Look away from him, that he may rest, till he shall accomplish, as an hireling, his day.
Depart a little from him, that he may rest, until his wished for day come, as that of the hireling.
7 For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease.
A tree hath hope: if it be cut, it groweth green again, and the boughs thereof sprout.
8 Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground;
If its root be old in the earth, and its stock be dead in the dust:
9 Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and put forth boughs like a plant.
At the scent of water, it shall spring, and bring forth leaves, as when it was first planted.
10 But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?
But man when he shall be dead, and stripped and consumed, I pray you where is he?
11 [As] the waters fail from the sea, and the river decayeth and drieth up;
As if the waters should depart out of the sea, and an emptied river should be dried up:
12 So man lieth down and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be roused out of their sleep.
So man when he is fallen asleep shall not rise again; till the heavens be broken, he shall not awake, nor rise up out of his sleep.
13 Oh that thou wouldest hide me in Sheol, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me! (Sheol )
Who will grant me this, that thou mayst protect me in hell, and hide me till thy wrath pass, and appoint me a. time when thou wilt remember me? (Sheol )
14 If a man die, shall he live [again]? all the days of my warfare would I wait, till my release should come.
Shall man that is dead, thinkest thou, live again? all the days in which I am now in warfare, I expect until my change come.
15 Thou shouldest call, and I would answer thee: thou wouldest have a desire to the work of thine hands.
Thou shalt call me, and I will answer thee: to the work of thy hands thou shalt reach out thy right hand.
16 But now thou numberest my steps: dost thou not watch over my sin?
Thou indeed hast numbered my steps, but spare my sins.
17 My transgression is sealed up in a bag, and thou fastenest up mine iniquity.
Thou hast sealed up my offences as it were in a bag, but hast cured my iniquity.
18 And surely the mountain falling cometh to nought, and the rock is removed out of its place;
A mountain falling cometh to nought, and a rock is removed out of its place.
19 The waters wear the stones; the overflowings thereof wash away the dust of the earth: and thou destroyest the hope of man.
Waters wear away the stones, and with inundation the ground by little and little is washed away: so in like manner thou shalt destroy man.
20 Thou prevailest for ever against him, and he passeth; thou changest his countenance, and sendest him away.
Thou hast strengthened him for a little while, that he may pass away for ever: thou shalt change his face, and shalt send him away.
21 His sons come to honour, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them.
Whether his children come to honour or dishonour, he shall not understand.
22 But his flesh upon him hath pain, and his soul within him mourneth.
But yet his flesh, while he shall live, shall have pain, and his soul shall mourn over him.