Job 14
1 Man, who is born of woman, lives only a few days and is full of trouble.
Man born of a woman is short of days, and sated with harrowing trouble.
2 He sprouts from the ground like a flower and is cut down; he flees like a shadow and does not last.
Like a flower he cometh forth, and is cut down: and he fleeth like a shadow, and remaineth not.
3 Do you look at any of these? Do you bring me into judgment with you?
And yet on such a one dost thou open thy eyes, and me thou bringest into judgment with thee?
4 Who can bring something clean out of something unclean? No one.
Who can make a clean thing out of an unclean? not one [thing].
5 Man's days are determined. The number of his months is with you; you have appointed his limits that he cannot pass.
Seeing that his days are determined, the number of his months are [fixed] with thee, that thou hast set his bounds which 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 thyself from him that he may recover from his pain, and be able to enjoy like a hired laborer 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 for the tree: if it be cut down, it may still sprout again, while its young shoot will not cease.
8 Though its root grows old in the earth, and its stump dies in the ground,
If even its root become old in the earth, and its stock die in the dust:
9 yet even if it only smells water, it will bud and send out branches like a plant.
Yet through the scent of water will it flourish [again], and produce boughs as though It were newly planted.
10 But man dies; he becomes weak; indeed, man stops breathing, and then where is he?
But man dieth, and lieth powerless: yea, the son of earth departeth—and where is he?
11 As water disappears from a lake, and as a river loses water and dries up,
The waters run off from the sea, and the river faileth and drieth 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 doth man lie down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they will not awake, and will not be roused 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 h7585)
Oh who would grant that thou mightest hide me in the nether world, that thou mightest conceal me, until thy wrath be appeased, that thou mightest set for me a fixed time, and remember me then! (Sheol h7585)
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.
Or, when a man dieth, will he live again? all the days of my time of service would I then wait, till [the hour of] my release were come.
15 You would call, and I would answer you. You would have a desire for the work of your hands.
Do thou call, and I will truly answer thee: have a desire for the work of thy hands.
16 You would number and care for my footsteps; you would not keep track of my sin.
Yet now thou numberest my steps: and thou waitest not with [the punishment of] my sin.
17 My transgression would be sealed up in a bag; you would cover up my iniquity.
Sealed up in a bag is my transgression, and thou yet addest to my iniquity.
18 But even mountains fall and come to nothing; even rocks are moved out of their place;
But truly a falling mountain will crumble, and [even] a rock is moved out of its 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 water weareth out stones; thou sweepest away their fragments [like] the dust of the earth: and so thou destroyest the hope of man.
20 You always defeat him, and he passes away; you change his face and send him away to die.
Thou assailest him with might without ceasing, till he passeth away: thou changest his countenance, and sendest him off.
21 If his sons are honored, he does not know it; and if they are brought low, he does not see it.
His children acquire honor, but he knoweth it not: and they are esteemed little, but he perceiveth nothing of them.
22 He feels only the pain of his own body, and he mourns for himself.
But his body. on him, feeleth pain, and his soul will mourn for him.
