Job 7
1 Is there not a warfare to man on earth? And as the days of an hireling his days?
The life of a man on the earth is a battle, and his days are like the days of a hired hand.
2 As a servant desireth the shadow, And as a hireling expecteth his wage,
Just as a servant desires the shade, and just as the hired hand looks forward to the end of his work,
3 So I have been caused to inherit months of vanity, And nights of misery they numbered to me.
so also have I had empty months and have counted my burdensome nights.
4 If I lay down then I said, 'When do I rise!' And evening hath been measured, And I have been full of tossings till dawn.
If I lie down to sleep, I will say, “When will I rise?” And next I will hope for the evening and will be filled with sorrows even until darkness.
5 Clothed hath been my flesh [with] worms, And a clod of dust, My skin hath been shrivelled and is loathsome,
My flesh is clothed with particles of rottenness and filth; my skin is dried up and tightened.
6 My days swifter than a weaving machine, And they are consumed without hope.
My days have passed by more quickly than threads are cut by a weaver, and they have been consumed without any hope.
7 Remember Thou that my life [is] a breath, Mine eye turneth not back to see good.
Remember that my life is wind, and my eye will not return to see good things.
8 The eye of my beholder beholdeth me not. Thine eyes [are] upon me — and I am not.
Neither will the sight of man gaze upon me; your eyes are upon me, and I will not endure.
9 Consumed hath been a cloud, and it goeth, So he who is going down to Sheol cometh not up. (Sheol h7585)
Just as a cloud is consumed and passes away, so he who descends to hell will not ascend. (Sheol h7585)
10 He turneth not again to his house, Nor doth his place discern him again.
He will not return again to his house, nor will his own place know him any longer.
11 Also I — I withhold not my mouth — I speak in the distress of my spirit, I talk in the bitterness of my soul.
And because of this, I will not restrain my mouth. I will speak in the affliction of my spirit. I will converse from the bitterness of my soul.
12 A sea -[monster] am I, or a dragon, That thou settest over me a guard?
Am I an ocean or a whale, that you have encircled me in a prison?
13 When I said, 'My bed doth comfort me,' He taketh away in my talking my couch.
If I say, “My bed will comfort me, and I will find rest, speaking with myself on my blanket,”
14 And thou hast affrighted me with dreams, And from visions thou terrifiest me,
then you will frighten me with dreams, and strike dread through visions,
15 And my soul chooseth strangling, Death rather than my bones.
so that, because of these things, my soul would choose hanging, and my bones, death.
16 I have wasted away — not to the age do I live. Cease from me, for my days [are] vanity.
I despair; by no means will I live any longer. Spare me, for my days are nothing.
17 What [is] man that Thou dost magnify him? And that Thou settest unto him Thy heart?
What is man, that you should praise him? Or why do you place your heart near him?
18 And inspectest him in the mornings, In the evenings dost try him?
You visit him at dawn, and you test him unexpectedly.
19 How long dost Thou not look from me? Thou dost not desist till I swallow my spittle.
How long will you not spare me, nor release me to ingest my saliva?
20 I have sinned, what do I to Thee, O watcher of man? Why hast Thou set me for a mark to Thee, And I am for a burden to myself — and what?
I have sinned; what should I do for you, O keeper of men? Why have you set me against you, so that I have become burdensome even to myself?
21 Thou dost not take away my transgression, And cause to pass away mine iniquity, Because now, for dust I lie down: And Thou hast sought me — and I am not!
Why do you not steal away my sin, and why do you not sweep away my iniquity? Behold, now I will sleep in the dust, and if you seek me in the morning, I will not remain.
