Job 14

¹ “Man, who is born of a woman, is of few days, and full of trouble.

² He grows up like a flower, and is cut down. He also flees like a shadow, and doesn’t continue.

³ Do you open your eyes on such a one, and bring me into judgment with you?

⁴ Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one.

⁵ Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months is with you, and you have appointed his bounds that he can’t pass.

⁶ Look away from him, that he may rest, until he accomplishes, as a hireling, his day.

⁷ “For there is hope for a tree if it is cut down, that it will sprout again, that the tender branch of it will not cease.

⁸ Though its root grows old in the earth, and its stock dies in the ground,

⁹ yet through the scent of water it will bud, and sprout boughs like a plant.

¹⁰ But man dies, and is laid low. Yes, man gives up the spirit, and where is he?

¹¹ As the waters fail from the sea, and the river wastes and dries up,

¹² so man lies down and doesn’t rise. Until the heavens are no more, they will not awake, nor be roused out of their sleep.

¹³ “Oh that you would hide me in Sheol, that you would keep me secret until your wrath is past, that you would appoint me a set time and remember me!

¹⁴ If a man dies, will he live again? I would wait all the days of my warfare, until my release should come.

¹⁵ You would call, and I would answer you. You would have a desire for the work of your hands.

¹⁶ But now you count my steps. Don’t you watch over my sin?

¹⁷ My disobedience is sealed up in a bag. You fasten up my iniquity.

¹⁸ “But the mountain falling comes to nothing. The rock is removed out of its place.

¹⁹ The waters wear the stones. The torrents of it wash away the dust of the earth. So you destroy the hope of man.

²⁰ You forever prevail against him, and he departs. You change his face, and send him away.

²¹ His sons come to honor, and he doesn’t know it. They are brought low, but he doesn’t perceive it of them.

²² But his flesh on him has pain, and his soul within him mourns.”

¹ MMan born of a woman, living for a short time, is filled with many miseries.

² Who cometh forth like a flower, and is destroyed, and fleeth as a shadow, and never continueth in the same state.

³ And dost thou think it meet to open thy eyes upon such an one, and to bring him into judgment with thee?

⁴ Who can make him clean that is conceived of unclean seed? is it not thou who only art?

⁵ The days of man are short, and the number of his months is with thee: thou hast appointed his bounds which cannot be passed.

⁶ Depart a little from him, that he may rest until his wished for day come, as that of the hireling.

⁷ A tree hath hope: if it be cut, it groweth green again, and the boughs thereof sprout.

⁸ If its roots be old in the earth, and its stock be dead in the dust:

⁹ At the scent of water, it shall spring, and bring forth leaves, as when it was first planted.

¹⁰ But man when he shall be dead, and stripped and consumed, I pray you where is he?

¹¹ As if the waters should depart out of the sea, and an emptied river should be dried up;

¹² So man when he is fallen asleep shall not rise again; till the heavens be broken, he shall not awake, nor rise up out of his sleep.

¹³ Who will grant me this, that thou mayst protect me in hell, and hide me till thy wrath pass, and appoint me a time when thou wilt remember me?

¹⁴ Shall man that is dead, thinkest thou, live again? all the days in which I am now in warfare, I expect until my change come.

¹⁵ Thou shalt call me, and I will answer thee: to the work of thy hands thou shalt reach out thy right hand.

¹⁶ Thou indeed hast numbered my steps, but spare my sins.

¹⁷ Thou hast sealed up my offences as it were in a bag, but hast cured my iniquity.

¹⁸ A mountain falling cometh to nought, and a rock is removed out of its place.

¹⁹ Waters wear away the stones, and with inundation the ground by little and little is washed away: so in like manner thou shalt destroy man.

²⁰ Thou hast strengthened him for a little while, that he may pass away for ever: thou shalt change his face, and shalt send him away.

²¹ Whether his children come to honour or dishonour, he shall not understand.

²² But yet his flesh, while he shall live, shall have pain, and his soul shall mourn over him.