Job 14

1 Life is short and full of trouble,

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

2 like a flower that blooms and withers, like a passing shadow that soon disappears.

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

3 Do you even notice me, God, and why do you have to drag me to court?

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

4 Who can bring something clean of what is unclean? No one.

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

5 You have determined how long we shall live—the number of months, a time limit on our lives.

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

6 So leave us alone and give us some peace—so like a laborer we could enjoy a few hours of rest at the end of the day.

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

7 Even a tree that's cut down has the hope of sprouting again, of sending up shoots and continuing to live.

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 Even though its roots grow old in the earth, and its stump dies in the ground,

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

9 just a trickle of water will make it bud and grow branches like a young plant.

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

10 But human beings die, their strength dwindles away; they perish, and where are they then?

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

11 Like water evaporating from a lake and a river that dries up and disappears,

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

12 so human beings lie down and don't get up again. Until the heavens cease to exist they will not awake from their sleep.

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 I wish you would hide me in Sheol; conceal me there until your anger is gone. Set a definite time for me there, and remember me! (Sheol h7585)

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! (Sheol h7585)

14 Will the dead live again? Then I would have hope through all my time of trouble until my release comes.

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

15 You would call and I would answer you; you would long for me, the being that you made.

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

16 Then you would look after me and wouldn't be watching me to see if I sinned.

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

17 My sins would be sealed up in a bag and you would cover my guilt.

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

18 But just as the mountains crumble and fall, and the rocks tumble down;

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

19 as water wears away the stones, as floods wash away the soil, so you destroy the hope people have.

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 You continually overpower them and they pass away; you distort their faces in death and send them away.

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

21 Their children may become important or fall from their positions, but they don't know or see any of this.

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

22 As people die they only know their own pain and are sad for themselves.”

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