Job 14
1 Man, who is born of woman, lives only a few days and is full of trouble.
“Man, born of woman! 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.
As a flower he has gone forth, and is cut off, And he flees as a shadow and does not stand.
3 Do you look at any of these? Do you bring me into judgment with you?
Also—on this You have opened Your eyes, and bring me into judgment with You.
4 Who can bring something clean out of something unclean? No one.
Who gives 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.
If his days are determined, The number of his months [are] with You, You have made his limit, And he does not pass over;
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.
Look away from off him that he may cease, Until he enjoy as a hired 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 for a tree, if it is cut down, That it changes again, That its tender branch does not cease.
8 Though its root grows old in the earth, and its stump dies in the ground,
If its root becomes old in the earth, And its stem dies in the dust,
9 yet even if it only smells water, it will bud and send out branches like a plant.
From the fragrance of water it flourishes, And has made a crop as a plant.
10 But man dies; he becomes weak; indeed, man stops breathing, and then where is he?
And a man dies, and becomes weak, And man expires, and where [is] he?
11 As water disappears from a lake, and as a river loses water and dries up,
Waters have gone away from a sea, And a river becomes waste and dry.
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.
And man has lain down, and does not rise, Until the wearing out of the heavens they do not awaken, Nor are roused from 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)
O that You would conceal me in Sheol, Hide me until the turning of Your anger, Set a limit for me, and remember me. (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.
If a man dies—does he revive? All [the] days of my warfare I wait, until my change comes.
15 You would call, and I would answer you. You would have a desire for the work of your hands.
You call, and I answer You; To the work of Your hands You have desire.
16 You would number and care for my footsteps; you would not keep track of my sin.
But now, You number my steps, You do 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 my iniquity.
18 But even mountains fall and come to nothing; even rocks are moved out of their place;
And yet, a falling mountain wastes away, and a rock is removed from 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.
Waters have worn away stones, Their outpourings wash away the dust of earth, And You have destroyed 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 [over] him forever, and he goes, He is changing his countenance, And You 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 are honored, and he does not know; And they are little, and he does not attend to them.
22 He feels only the pain of his own body, and he mourns for himself.
Only—his flesh is pained for him, And his soul mourns for him.”
