Job 14

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

2 Like a flower, he comes forth, then withers away; like a fleeting shadow, he does not endure.

3 Do You open Your eyes to one like this? Will You bring him into judgment before You?

4 Who can bring out clean from unclean? No one!

5 Since his days are determined and the number of his months is with You, and since You have set limits that he cannot exceed,

6 look away from him and let him rest, so he can enjoy his day as a hired hand.

7 For there is hope for a tree: If it is cut down, it will sprout again, and its tender shoots will not fail.

8 If its roots grow old in the ground and its stump dies in the soil,

9 at the scent of water it will bud and put forth twigs like a sapling.

10 But a man dies and is laid low; he breathes his last, and where is he?

11 As water disappears from the sea and a river becomes parched and dry,

12 so a man lies down and does not rise. Until the heavens are no more, he will not be awakened or roused from sleep.

13 If only You would hide me in Sheol and conceal me until Your anger has passed! If only You would appoint a time for me and then remember me!

14 When a man dies, will he live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait, until my renewal comes.

15 You will call, and I will answer; You will desire the work of Your hands.

16 For then You would count my steps, but would not keep track of my sin.

17 My transgression would be sealed in a bag, and You would cover over my iniquity.

18 But as a mountain erodes and crumbles and a rock is dislodged from its place,

19 as water wears away the stones and torrents wash away the soil, so You destroy a man’s hope.

20 You forever overpower him, and he passes on; You change his countenance and send him away.

21 If his sons receive honor, he does not know it; if they are brought low, he is unaware.

22 He feels only the pain of his own body and mourns only for himself.”

1 ¶ Man [that is] born of a woman [is] of few days, and full of trouble.

2 He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.

3 And dost thou open thine eyes upon such an one, and bringest me into judgment with thee?

4 Who can bring a clean [thing] out of an unclean? not one.

5 Seeing his days [are] determined, the number of his months [are] with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass;

6 Turn from him, that he may rest, till he shall accomplish, as an hireling, his day.

7 ¶ For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease.

8 Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground;

9 [Yet] through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant.

10 But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where [is] he?

11 [As] the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up:

12 So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens [be] no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.

13 O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me!

14 If a man die, shall he live [again]? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.

15 Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands.

16 ¶ For now thou numberest my steps: dost thou not watch over my sin?

17 My transgression [is] sealed up in a bag, and thou sewest up mine iniquity.

18 And surely the mountain falling cometh to nought, and the rock is removed out of his place.

19 The waters wear the stones: thou washest away the things which grow [out] of the dust of the earth; and thou destroyest the hope of man.

20 Thou prevailest for ever against him, and he passeth: thou changest his countenance, and sendest him away.

21 His sons come to honour, and he knoweth [it] not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth [it] not of them.

22 But his flesh upon him shall have pain, and his soul within him shall mourn.

2 Arise as a flower, and fall down; flit as a shadow, and abide not.

3 And thou openest thine eyes upon such a thing, that thou bringest me before thee into judgment.

4 who will find a pure one among them, since none is pure?

5 He hath his appointed time, the number of his months is with thee: thou hast finely appointed, he shall not pass over.

6 Depart from him, that he may have rest, till his time come, whose he waiteth for as a hired servant.

7 A tree hath hope, when it is cut down, that it will change again, and its shoots will not cease.

8 Whether his root be dead in the earth, and his stem die in the dust,

9 yet it is green again from the smell of the water, and grows therefore as if it were planted.

10 But where is a man when he is dead and perished and gone?

11 As the waters go out of the lake, and as a river run dry, and dry up,

12 So is a man when he lieth down, and shall not rise, neither shall he awake while the heavens remain, nor be awakened from his sleep.

13 Oh that thou wouldest hide me in hell, and harden me, till thy wrath be turned away, and set a purpose for me, that thou shouldest remember me! 14: Thinkest thou that a dead man shall live again? I wait daily, while I strive, till my change come,

15 That thou wouldest call unto me, and I would answer thee, and not fail in the work of thine hands.

16 For thou hast already numbered my steps; but thou wilt not be mindful of my sin.

17 Thou hast sealed up my transgression in a bundle, and gathered my iniquity together.

18 But a mountain falleth, and perisheth, and a rock is moved out of his place.

19 Water washeth away stones, and the drops flow away the earth: but the hope of man is lost.

20 For thou hast overthrown him, that he should come to pass; thou hast changed his nature, and let him go.

21 If his children be honourable, he knoweth it not: or if they be little, he knoweth it not.

22 Because he hath the flesh upon him, he must have pain; and because his soul is yet with him, he must ask for sorrow.