Job 7
1 “Isn’t a man forced to labor on earth? Aren’t his days like the days of a hired hand?
Is there not a warfare to a mortal, upon earth? And, as the days of a hireling, are not his days?
2 As a servant who earnestly desires the shadow, as a hireling who looks for his wages,
As, a bondman, panteth for the shadow, and as, a hireling, longeth for his wage,
3 so I am made to possess months of misery, wearisome nights are appointed to me.
So, have I been made to inherit months of calamity, and, nights of weariness, 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.
As soon as I lie down, I say, When shall I arise? yet he lengtheneth out the evening, and I am wearied with tossings until the breeze of twilight.
5 My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust. My skin closes up, and breaks out afresh.
My flesh is clothed with worms and a coating of dust, My skin, hath hardened, and then run afresh:
6 My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, and are spent without hope.
My days, are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, and they are spent, without hope.
7 Oh remember that my life is a breath. My eye will no more see good.
Remember thou, that, a wind, is my life, not again shall mine eye see blessing:
8 The eye of him who sees me will see me no more. Your eyes will be on me, but I will not be.
Nor shall see me—the eye that used to behold me, Thine eyes, are upon me, and I am not.
9 As the cloud is consumed and vanishes away, so he who goes down to Sheol will come up no more. (Sheol h7585)
A cloud faileth, and is gone, So, he that descendeth to hades, shall not come up: (Sheol h7585)
10 He will return no more to his house, neither will his place know him any more.
He shall not return again to his house, and his own place shall be acquainted with him no 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.
I also, cannot restrain my mouth, —I must speak, in the anguish of my spirit, I must find utterance, in 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 sea-monster, —That thou shouldst set over me a watch?
13 When I say, ‘My bed will comfort me. My couch will ease my complaint,’
When I say, My bed shall comfort me, my couch shall help to carry my complaint,
14 then you scare me with dreams and terrify me through visions,
Then thou scarest me with dreams, and, by visions, dost thou terrify me:
15 so that my soul chooses strangling, death rather than my bones.
So that my soul chooseth strangling, Death, rather than [these] my bones!
16 I loathe my life. I don’t want to live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are but a breath.
I am wasted away, Not, to times age-abiding, can I live, Let me alone, for, a breath, are my days.
17 What is man, that you should magnify him, that you should set your mind on him,
What is a mortal, that thou shouldst nurture him? Or that thou shouldst fix upon him thy mind?
18 that you should visit him every morning, and test him every moment?
That thou shouldst inspect him morning by morning, moment by moment, shouldst test him?
19 How long will you not look away from me, nor leave me alone until I swallow down my spittle?
How long wilt thou not look away from me? Wilt thou not let me alone, till I can swallow 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?
I have sinned, What can I do for thee, thou watcher of men? Wherefore hast thou set me as thine object of attack, or have I become, unto thee, a burden?
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.”
And why wilt thou not remove my transgression, and take away mine iniquity? For, now, in the dust, should I lie down, and thou shouldst seek me diligently, and I should not be.
