Job 7
1 Does not man have hard labor on earth? Are not his days like the days of a hired man?
Has not man his ordered time of trouble on the earth? and are not his days like the days of a servant working for payment?
2 Like a slave earnestly desires the shadows of evening, like a hired man looks for his wages—
As a servant desiring the shades of evening, and a workman looking for his payment:
3 so I have been made to endure months of misery; I have been given trouble-filled nights.
So I have for my heritage months of pain to no purpose, and nights of weariness are given to me.
4 When I lie down, I say to myself, 'When will I get up and when will the night be gone?' I am full of tossing to and fro until the day's dawning.
When I go to my bed, I say, When will it be time to get up? but the night is long, and I am turning from side to side till morning light.
5 My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; the sores in my skin harden up and then dissolve and run afresh.
My flesh is covered with worms and dust; my skin gets hard and then is cracked again.
6 My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle; they pass without hope.
My days go quicker than the cloth-worker's thread, and come to an end without hope.
7 God, call to mind that my life is only a breath; my eye will no more see good.
O, keep in mind that my life is wind: my eye will never again see good.
8 The eye of God, who sees me, will see me no more; God's eyes will be on me, but I will not exist.
The eye of him who sees me will see me no longer: your eyes will be looking for me, but I will be gone.
9 As a cloud is consumed and vanishes away, so he who goes down to Sheol will come up no more. (Sheol h7585)
A cloud comes to an end and is gone; so he who goes down into the underworld comes not up again. (Sheol h7585)
10 He will return no more to his house; neither will his place know him again.
He will not come back to his house, and his place will have no more knowledge of him.
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.
So I will not keep my mouth shut; I will let the words come from it in the pain of my spirit, my soul will make a bitter outcry.
12 Am I the sea or a sea monster that you place a guard over me?
Am I a sea, or a sea-beast, that you put a watch over me?
13 When I say, 'My bed will comfort me, and my couch will ease my complaint,'
When I say, In my bed I will have comfort, there I will get rest from my disease;
14 then you scare me with dreams and terrify me through visions,
Then you send dreams to me, and visions of fear;
15 so that I would choose strangling and death rather than preserving these bones of mine.
So that a hard death seems better to my soul than my pains.
16 I loathe my life; I would not wish to always be alive; let me alone for my days are useless.
I have no desire for life, I would not be living for ever! Keep away from me, for my days are as a breath.
17 What is man that you should pay attention to him, that you should set your mind on him,
What is man, that you have made him great, and that your attention is fixed on him,
18 that you should observe him every morning and test him every moment?
And that your hand is on him every morning, and that you are testing him every minute?
19 How long will it be before you look away from me, before you let me alone long enough for me to swallow down my own saliva?
How long will it be before your eyes are turned away from me, so that I may have a minute's breathing-space?
20 Even if I have sinned, what would that do to you, you who watch men? Why have you made a target of me, so that I am a burden for you?
If I have done wrong, what have I done to you, O keeper of men? why have you made me a mark for your blows, so that I am a weariness to myself?
21 Why do you not pardon my transgression and take away my iniquity? For now will I lie down in the dust; you will seek me carefully, but I will not exist.”
And why do you not take away my sin, and let my wrongdoing be ended? for now I go down to the dust, and you will be searching for me with care, but I will be gone.
