Job 7

1 “Is not man consigned to labor on earth? Are not his days like those of a hired hand?

2 Like a slave he longs for shade; like a hireling he waits for his wages.

3 So I am allotted months of futility, and nights of misery are appointed to me.

4 When I lie down I think: ‘When will I get up?’ But the night drags on, and I toss and turn until dawn.

5 My flesh is clothed with worms and encrusted with dirt; my skin is cracked and festering.

6 My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle; they come to an end without hope.

7 Remember that my life is but a breath. My eyes will never again see happiness.

8 The eye that beholds me will no longer see me. You will look for me, but I will be no more.

9 As a cloud vanishes and is gone, so he who goes down to Sheol does not come back up.

10 He never returns to his house; his place remembers him no more.

11 Therefore I will not restrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.

12 Am I the sea, or the monster of the deep, that You must keep me under guard?

13 When I think my bed will comfort me and my couch will ease my complaint,

14 then You frighten me with dreams and terrify me with visions,

15 so that I would prefer strangling and death over my life in this body.

16 I loathe my life! I would not live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are but a breath.

17 What is man that You should exalt him, that You should set Your heart upon him,

18 that You attend to him every morning, and test him every moment?

19 Will You never look away from me, or leave me alone to swallow my spittle?

20 If I have sinned, what have I done to You, O watcher of mankind? Why have You made me Your target, so that I am a burden to You?

21 Why do You not pardon my transgression and take away my iniquity? For soon I will lie down in the dust; You will seek me, but I will be no more.”

1 ¶ [Is there] not an appointed time to man upon earth? [are not] his days also like the days of an hireling?

2 As a servant earnestly desireth the shadow, and as an hireling looketh for [the reward of] his work:

3 So am I made to possess months of vanity, and wearisome nights are appointed to me.

4 When I lie down, I say, When shall I arise, and the night be gone? and I am full of tossings to and fro unto the dawning of the day.

5 My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; my skin is broken, and become loathsome.

6 My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and are spent without hope.

7 ¶ O remember that my life [is] wind: mine eye shall no more see good.

8 The eye of him that hath seen me shall see me no [more]: thine eyes [are] upon me, and I [am] not.

9 [As] the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away: so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no [more].

10 He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him any more.

11 Therefore I will not refrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.

12 [Am] I a sea, or a whale, that thou settest a watch over me?

13 When I say, My bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaint;

14 Then thou scarest me with dreams, and terrifiest me through visions:

15 So that my soul chooseth strangling, [and] death rather than my life.

16 I loathe [it]; I would not live alway: let me alone; for my days [are] vanity.

17 ¶ What [is] man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him?

18 And [that] thou shouldest visit him every morning, [and] try him every moment?

19 How long wilt thou not depart from me, nor let me alone till I swallow down my spittle?

20 I have sinned; what shall I do unto thee, O thou preserver of men? why hast thou set me as a mark against thee, so that I am a burden to myself?

21 And why dost thou not pardon my transgression, and take away mine iniquity? for now shall I sleep in the dust; and thou shalt seek me in the morning, but I [shall] not [be].

1 Must not man always be at strife upon the earth, and his days be as the days of a hired servant?

2 As a servant longs for a shadow, and a hired servant for his work to be done,

3 So I have labored in vain for whole moons, and miserable nights have been many to me.

4 And when I lay down, I said, When shall I rise? And after that I reckoned when it was evening: for I was altogether an abomination to every man, until it was dark.

5 My flesh is worm-eaten and boil-eaten round about: my skin is shrivelled up, and is become ruinous.

6 My days have flown away lighter than a weaver's bobbin, and have passed away, that there hath been no stopping.

7 Remember that my life is a wind, and mine eyes come not again to see the good.

8 and no living eye shall see me any more. Thine eyes look upon me; At this I perish.

9 A cloud passeth away, and fadeth away: so he that goeth down to hell cometh not up again.

10 And he cometh not again into his house, and his place knoweth him no more.

11 Therefore also I will not withhold my mouth; I will speak of the anguish of my heart, and I will testify of the affliction of my soul.

12 Am I then a sea, or a whale, that thou hast kept me thus?

13 When I have thought, my bed shall comfort me, my couch shall make me light;

14 when I speak to myself, thou terrifieth me with dreams, and makest me afraid,

15 My soul desireth to be hanged, and my bones to die.

16 I desire no more to live. Cease from me, for my days have been in vain.

17 What is a man, that thou esteemest him great, and art troubled with him?

18 Thou visitest him daily, and tryest him every hour.

19 Why dost thou not depart from me, and dost not cease from me, till I have swallowed up my spittle?

20 If I have sinned, what shall I do unto thee, O thou keeper of men? Why makest thou me to stumble upon thee, and art a burden unto myself?

21 And why forgivest thou not my iniquity, and takest not away my sin? For now will I lie down in the earth; and when they seek me to morrow, I shall not be there.