Job 7
1 “Isn’t a man forced to labour on earth? Aren’t his days like the days of a hired hand?
The life of man upon earth is a warfare, and his days are like the days of a hireling.
2 As a servant who earnestly desires the shadow, as a hireling who looks for his wages,
As a servant longeth for the shade, as the hireling looketh for the end of his work;
3 so I am made to possess months of misery, wearisome nights are appointed to me.
So I also have had empty months, and have numbered to myself wearisome nights.
4 When I lie down, I say, ‘When will I arise, and the night be gone?’ I toss and turn until the dawning of the day.
If I lie down to sleep, I shall say: When shall arise? and again I shall look for the evening, and shall be filled with sorrows even till darkness.
5 My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust. My skin closes up, and breaks out afresh.
My flesh is clothed with rottenness and the filth of dust, my skin is withered and drawn together.
6 My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, and are spent without hope.
My days have passed more swiftly than the web is cut by the weaver, and are consumed without any hope.
7 Oh remember that my life is a breath. My eye will no more see good.
Remember that my life is but wind, and my eyes shall not return to see good things.
8 The eye of him who sees me will see me no more. Your eyes will be on me, but I will not be.
Nor shall the sight of man behold me: thy eyes are upon me, and I shall be no more.
9 As the cloud is consumed and vanishes away, so he who goes down to Sheol will come up no more. (Sheol h7585)
As a cloud is consumed, and passeth away: so he that shall go down to hell shall not come up. (Sheol h7585)
10 He will return no more to his house, neither will his place know him any more.
Nor shall he return my more into his house, neither shall his place know him any more.
11 “Therefore I will not keep silent. I will speak in the anguish of my spirit. I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.
Wherefore I will not spare my month, I will speak in the affliction of my spirit: I will talk with the bitterness of my soul.
12 Am I a sea, or a sea monster, that you put a guard over me?
Am I a sea, or a whale, that thou hast enclosed me in a prison?
13 When I say, ‘My bed will comfort me. My couch will ease my complaint,’
If I say: My bed shall comfort me, and I shall be relieved speaking with myself on my couch:
14 then you scare me with dreams and terrify me through visions,
Thou wilt frighten me with dreams and terrify me with visions.
15 so that my soul chooses strangling, death rather than my bones.
So that my soul rather chooseth hanging, and my bones death.
16 I loathe my life. I don’t want to live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are but a breath.
I have done with hope, I shall now live no longer: spare me, for my days are nothing.
17 What is man, that you should magnify him, that you should set your mind on him,
What is a man that thou shouldst magnify him? or why dost thou set thy heart upon him?
18 that you should visit him every morning, and test him every moment?
Thou visitest him early in the morning, and thou provest him suddenly.
19 How long will you not look away from me, nor leave me alone until I swallow down my spittle?
How long wilt thou not spare me, nor suffer me to swallow down my spittle?
20 If I have sinned, what do I do to you, you watcher of men? Why have you set me as a mark for you, so that I am a burden to myself?
I have sinned: what shall I do to thee, O keeper of men? why hast thou set me opposite to thee, and I am become burdensome to myself?
21 Why do you not pardon my disobedience, and take away my iniquity? For now will I lie down in the dust. You will seek me diligently, but I will not be.”
Why dost thou not remove my sin, and why dost thou not take away my iniquity? Behold now I shall sleep in the dust: and if thou seek me in the morning, I shall not be.
