Job 7

1 “Isn’t a man forced to labour on earth? Aren’t his days like the days of a hired hand?

Is not the life of man upon earth a state of trial? and his existence as that of a hireling by the day?

2 As a servant who earnestly desires the shadow, as a hireling who looks for his wages,

Or as a servant that fears his master, and one who has grasped a shadow? or as a hireling waiting for his pay?

3 so I am made to possess months of misery, wearisome nights are appointed to me.

So have I also endured months of vanity, and nights of pain have been appointed me.

4 When I lie down, I say, ‘When will I arise, and the night be gone?’ I toss and turn until the dawning of the day.

Whenever I lie down, I say, When [will it be] day? and whenever I rise up, again [I say] when [will it be] evening? and I am full of pains from evening to morning.

5 My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust. My skin closes up, and breaks out afresh.

And my body is covered with loathsome worms; and I waste away, scraping off clods of dust from my eruption.

6 My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, and are spent without hope.

And my life is lighter than a word, and has perished in vain hope.

7 Oh remember that my life is a breath. My eye will no more see good.

Remember then that my life is breath, and mine eye shall not yet again see good.

8 The eye of him who sees me will see me no more. Your eyes will be on me, but I will not be.

The eye of him that sees me shall not see me [again]: your eyes are upon me, and I am no more.

9 As the cloud is consumed and vanishes away, so he who goes down to Sheol will come up no more. (Sheol h7585)

[I am] as a cloud that is cleared away from the sky: for if a man go down to the grave, he shall not come up again: (Sheol h7585)

10 He will return no more to his house, neither will his place know him any more.

and he shall surely not return to his own house, neither shall his place know him any more.

11 “Therefore I will not keep silent. I will speak in the anguish of my spirit. I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.

Then neither will I refrain my mouth: I will speak being in distress; being in anguish I will disclose the bitterness of my soul.

12 Am I a sea, or a sea monster, that you put a guard over me?

Am I a sea, or a serpent, that you have set a watch over me?

13 When I say, ‘My bed will comfort me. My couch will ease my complaint,’

I said that my bed should comfort me, and I would privately counsel with myself on my couch.

14 then you scare me with dreams and terrify me through visions,

You scare me with dreams, and do terrify me with visions.

15 so that my soul chooses strangling, death rather than my bones.

You will separate life from my spirit; and yet [keep] my bones from death.

16 I loathe my life. I don’t want to live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are but a breath.

For I shall not live for ever, that I should patiently endure: depart from me, for my life [is] vain.

17 What is man, that you should magnify him, that you should set your mind on him,

For what is man, that you have magnified him? or that you give heed to him?

18 that you should visit him every morning, and test him every moment?

Will you visit him till the morning, and judge him till [the time of] rest?

19 How long will you not look away from me, nor leave me alone until I swallow down my spittle?

How long do you not let me alone, nor let me go, until I shall swallow down my spittle?

20 If I have sinned, what do I do to you, you watcher of men? Why have you set me as a mark for you, so that I am a burden to myself?

If I have sinned, what shall I be able to do, O you that understand the mind of men? why have you made me as your accuser, and [why] am I a burden to you?

21 Why do you not pardon my disobedience, and take away my iniquity? For now will I lie down in the dust. You will seek me diligently, but I will not be.”

Why have you not forgotten my iniquity, and purged my sin? but now I shall depart to the earth; and in the morning I am no more.