Job 14
1 Man, born of woman! Of few days, and full of trouble!
Life is short and full of trouble,
2 As a flower he hath gone forth, and is cut off, And he fleeth as a shadow and standeth not.
like a flower that blooms and withers, like a passing shadow that soon disappears.
3 Also — on this Thou hast opened Thine eyes, And dost bring me into judgment with Thee.
Do you even notice me, God, and why do you have to drag me to court?
4 Who giveth a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.
Who can bring something clean of what is unclean? No one.
5 If determined are his days, The number of his months [are] with Thee, His limit Thou hast made, And he passeth not over;
You have determined how long we shall live—the number of months, a time limit on our lives.
6 Look away from off him that he may cease, Till he enjoy as an hireling his day.
So leave us alone and give us some peace—so like a laborer we could enjoy a few hours of rest at the end of the day.
7 For there is of a tree hope, if it be cut down, That again it doth change, That its tender branch doth not cease.
Even a tree that's cut down has the hope of sprouting again, of sending up shoots and continuing to live.
8 If its root becometh old in the earth, And its stem doth die in the dust,
Even though its roots grow old in the earth, and its stump dies in the ground,
9 From the fragrance of water it doth flourish, And hath made a crop as a plant.
just a trickle of water will make it bud and grow branches like a young plant.
10 And a man dieth, and becometh weak, And man expireth, and where [is] he?
But human beings die, their strength dwindles away; they perish, and where are they then?
11 Waters have gone away from a sea, And a river becometh waste and dry.
Like water evaporating from a lake and a river that dries up and disappears,
12 And man hath lain down, and riseth not, Till the wearing out of the heavens they awake not, Nor are roused from their sleep.
so human beings lie down and don't get up again. Until the heavens cease to exist they will not awake from their sleep.
13 O that in Sheol Thou wouldest conceal me, Hide me till the turning of Thine anger, Set for me a limit, and remember me. (Sheol h7585)
I wish you would hide me in Sheol; conceal me there until your anger is gone. Set a definite time for me there, and remember me! (Sheol h7585)
14 If a man dieth — doth he revive? All days of my warfare I wait, till my change come.
Will the dead live again? Then I would have hope through all my time of trouble until my release comes.
15 Thou dost call, and I — I answer Thee; To the work of Thy hands Thou hast desire.
You would call and I would answer you; you would long for me, the being that you made.
16 But now, my steps Thou numberest, Thou dost not watch over my sin.
Then you would look after me and wouldn't be watching me to see if I sinned.
17 Sealed up in a bag [is] my transgression, And Thou sewest up mine iniquity.
My sins would be sealed up in a bag and you would cover my guilt.
18 And yet, a falling mountain wasteth away, And a rock is removed from its place.
But just as the mountains crumble and fall, and the rocks tumble down;
19 Stones have waters worn away, Their outpourings wash away the dust of earth, And the hope of man Thou hast destroyed.
as water wears away the stones, as floods wash away the soil, so you destroy the hope people have.
20 Thou prevailest [over] him for ever, and he goeth, He is changing his countenance, And Thou sendest him away.
You continually overpower them and they pass away; you distort their faces in death and send them away.
21 Honoured are his sons, and he knoweth not; And they are little, and he attendeth not to them.
Their children may become important or fall from their positions, but they don't know or see any of this.
22 Only — his flesh for him is pained, And his soul for him doth mourn.'
As people die they only know their own pain and are sad for themselves.”
