< Job 14 >
1 Man, who is born of woman, lives only a few days and is full of trouble.
Man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble.
2 He sprouts from the ground like a flower and is cut down; he flees like a shadow and does not last.
He comes forth like a flower, and is cut down: he flees also as a shadow, and continues not.
3 Do you look at any of these? Do you bring me into judgment with you?
And does you open your eyes upon such an one, and bring me into judgment with you?
4 Who can bring something clean out of something unclean? No one.
Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.
5 Man's days are determined. The number of his months is with you; you have appointed his limits that he cannot pass.
Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with you, you have appointed his bounds that he cannot pass;
6 Look away from him that he may rest, so that he may enjoy his day like a hired man if he can do so.
Turn from him, that he may rest, till he shall accomplish, as a worker, his day.
7 There can be hope for a tree; if it is cut down, it might sprout again, so that its tender stalk does not disappear.
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.
8 Though its root grows old in the earth, and its stump dies in the ground,
Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground;
9 yet even if it only smells water, it will bud and send out branches like a plant.
Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant.
10 But man dies; he becomes weak; indeed, man stops breathing, and then where is he?
But man dies, and wastes away: yea, man gives up the spirit, and where is he?
11 As water disappears from a lake, and as a river loses water and dries up,
As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decays and dries up:
12 so people lie down and do not rise again. Until the heavens are no more, they will not awake nor be roused out of their sleep.
So man lies down, and rises not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.
13 Oh, that you would hide me away in Sheol away from troubles, and that you would keep me in private until your wrath is over, that you would set me a fixed time to stay there and then call me to mind! (Sheol )
O that you would hide me in the grave, that you would keep me secret, until your wrath be past, that you would appoint me a set time, and remember me! (Sheol )
14 If a man dies, will he live again? If so, I would wish to wait all my weary time there until my release should come.
If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.
15 You would call, and I would answer you. You would have a desire for the work of your hands.
You shall call, and I will answer you: you will have a desire to the work of your hands.
16 You would number and care for my footsteps; you would not keep track of my sin.
For now you number my steps: do you not watch over my sin?
17 My transgression would be sealed up in a bag; you would cover up my iniquity.
My transgression is sealed up in a bag, and you sew up mine iniquity.
18 But even mountains fall and come to nothing; even rocks are moved out of their place;
And surely the mountains falling comes to nothing, and the rock is removed out of his place.
19 the waters wear down the stones; their flooding washes away the dust of the earth. Like this, you destroy the hope of man.
The waters wear the stones: you wash away the things which grow out of the dust of the earth; and you destroys the hope of man.
20 You always defeat him, and he passes away; you change his face and send him away to die.
You prevail for ever against him, and he passes: you change his countenance, and send him away.
21 If his sons are honored, he does not know it; and if they are brought low, he does not see it.
His sons come to honour, and he knows it not; and they are brought low, but he perceives it not of them.
22 He feels only the pain of his own body, and he mourns for himself.
But his flesh upon him shall have pain, and his soul within him shall mourn.