Job 14
1 Man, born of woman! Of few days, and full of trouble!
“We humans are very frail. We live only a short time, and we experience a lot of trouble.
2 As a flower he hath gone forth, and is cut off, And he fleeth as a shadow and standeth not.
We disappear quickly, like flowers that grow from the ground quickly and then wither and die [SIM]. We are like shadows that disappear [when the sun stops shining].
3 Also — on this Thou hast opened Thine eyes, And dost bring me into judgment with Thee.
[Yahweh, ] why do you keep watching me [to see if I am doing something that is wrong] [RHQ]? Are you wanting to take me to court to judge me?
4 Who giveth a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.
People are sinners from the time when they are born; who can cause them to be sinless? No one [RHQ]!
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 decided how long our lives will be. You have decided how many months we will live, and we cannot live more months than the (limit/number of months) that you have decided.
6 Look away from off him that he may cease, Till he enjoy as an hireling his day.
So please stop examining us, and allow us to be alone, until/while we finish our time [here on earth], like a man finishes his work [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.
If someone cuts a tree down, we hope that it will sprout again and grow new branches.
8 If its root becometh old in the earth, And its stem doth die in the dust,
Its roots in the ground may be very old, and its stump may decay,
9 From the fragrance of water it doth flourish, And hath made a crop as a plant.
but if some water falls on it, it may bud/sprout and send up shoots like a young plant.
10 And a man dieth, and becometh weak, And man expireth, and where [is] he?
But when we people lose all our strength and die, we stop breathing and then we are gone [forever].
11 Waters have gone away from a sea, And a river becometh waste and dry.
Just like water evaporates from the ocean, or like a riverbed dries up,
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.
people [lie down and die and] do not get up again. Until the heavens disappear, people who die [EUP] do not wake up, and no one can wake them up.
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)
[“Yahweh, ] I wish that you would put me safely in the place of the dead and forget about me until you are no longer angry with me. I wish that you would decide how much time I would spend there, and then remember [that] I [am there]. (Sheol h7585)
14 If a man dieth — doth he revive? All days of my warfare I wait, till my change come.
When we humans die, we will certainly not live again [RHQ]. If [I knew that] we would live again, I would wait patiently, and I would wait for you to release me [from my sufferings].
15 Thou dost call, and I — I answer Thee; To the work of Thy hands Thou hast desire.
You would call me, and I would answer. You would be eager to see me, one of the creatures that you had made.
16 But now, my steps Thou numberest, Thou dost not watch over my sin.
You would take care of [MET] me, instead of watching me to see if I would sin.
17 Sealed up in a bag [is] my transgression, And Thou sewest up mine iniquity.
[It is as though the record of] my sins would be sealed in a small bag, and you would cover them up.
18 And yet, a falling mountain wasteth away, And a rock is removed from its place.
“But, just like mountains crumble and rocks fall down from a cliff,
19 Stones have waters worn away, Their outpourings wash away the dust of earth, And the hope of man Thou hast destroyed.
and just like water slowly wears away the stones, and just like floods wash away soil, [you eventually destroy us]; you do not allow us to continue to (hope/confidently expect) [that we will keep on living].
20 Thou prevailest [over] him for ever, and he goeth, He is changing his countenance, And Thou sendest him away.
You always defeat us, and then we die [EUP]. You cause our faces to look ugly after we die, and you send us away.
21 Honoured are his sons, and he knoweth not; And they are little, and he attendeth not to them.
[When we die] we do not know if our sons will grow up and [do things that will cause them to] be honored. And if they become disgraced, we do not see that, [either].
22 Only — his flesh for him is pained, And his soul for him doth mourn.'
We will feel our own pains; we will not feel anything else; we will be sorry for ourselves, not for anyone else.”
