Job 7

1 Is there not a time of service to man upon earth? And are not his days like the days of a hireling?

Is not the life of man upon earth a state of trial? and his existence as that of a hireling by the day?

2 As a servant that eagerly longeth for the shadow, and as a hireling that looketh for his wages;

Or as a servant that fears his master, and one who has grasped a shadow? or as a hireling waiting for his pay?

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

So have I also endured months of vanity, and nights of pain have been appointed me.

4 When I lie down, I say: 'When shall I arise?' But the night is long, and I am full of tossings to and fro unto the dawning of the day.

Whenever I lie down, I say, When [will it be] day? and whenever I rise up, again [I say] when [will it be] evening? and I am full of pains from evening to morning.

5 My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; my skin closeth up and breaketh out afresh.

And my body is covered with loathsome worms; and I waste away, scraping off clods of dust from my eruption.

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

And my life is lighter than a word, and has perished in vain hope.

7 O remember that my life is a breath; mine eye shall no more see good.

Remember then that my life is breath, and mine eye shall not yet again see good.

8 The eye of him that seeth me shall behold me no more; while Thine eyes are upon me, I am gone.

The eye of him that sees me shall not see me [again]: your eyes are upon me, and I am no more.

9 As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away, so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more. (Sheol h7585)

[I am] as a cloud that is cleared away from the sky: for if a man go down to the grave, he shall not come up again: (Sheol h7585)

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

and he shall surely not return to his own 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.

Then neither will I refrain my mouth: I will speak being in distress; being in anguish I will disclose the bitterness of my soul.

12 Am I a sea, or a sea-monster, that Thou settest a watch over me?

Am I a sea, or a serpent, that you have set a watch over me?

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

I said that my bed should comfort me, and I would privately counsel with myself on my couch.

14 Then Thou scarest me with dreams, and terrifiest me through visions;

You scare me with dreams, and do terrify me with visions.

15 So that my soul chooseth strangling, and death rather than these my bones.

You will separate life from my spirit; and yet [keep] my bones from death.

16 I loathe it; I shall not live alway; let me alone; for my days are vanity.

For I shall not live for ever, that I should patiently endure: depart from me, for my life [is] vain.

17 What is man, that Thou shouldest magnify him, and that Thou shouldest set Thy heart upon him,

For what is man, that you have magnified him? or that you give heed to him?

18 And that Thou shouldest remember him every morning, and try him every moment?

Will you visit him till the morning, and judge him till [the time of] rest?

19 How long wilt Thou not look away from me, nor let me alone till I swallow down my spittle?

How long do you not let me alone, nor let me go, until I shall swallow down my spittle?

20 If I have sinned, what do I unto Thee, O Thou watcher of men? Why hast Thou set me as a mark for Thee, so that I am a burden to myself?

If I have sinned, what shall I be able to do, O you that understand the mind of men? why have you made me as your accuser, and [why] am I a burden to you?

21 And why dost Thou not pardon my transgression, and take away mine iniquity? For now shall I lie down in the dust; and Thou wilt seek me, but I shall not be.

Why have you not forgotten my iniquity, and purged my sin? but now I shall depart to the earth; and in the morning I am no more.