Job 14

1 As for man, the son of woman, his days are short and full of trouble.

“Man, who is born of a woman, is of few days, and full of trouble.

2 He comes out like a flower, and is cut down: he goes in flight like a shade, and is never seen again.

He grows up like a flower, and is cut down. He also flees like a shadow, and doesn’t continue.

3 Is it on such a one as this that your eyes are fixed, with the purpose of judging him?

Do you open your eyes on such a one, and bring me into judgement with you?

4 If only a clean thing might come out of an unclean! But it is not possible.

Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one.

5 If his days are ordered, and you have knowledge of the number of his months, having given him a fixed limit past which he may not go;

Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months is with you, and you have appointed his bounds that he can’t pass.

6 Let your eyes be turned away from him, and take your hand from him, so that he may have pleasure at the end of his day, like a servant working for payment.

Look away from him, that he may rest, until he accomplishes, as a hireling, his day.

7 For there is hope of a tree; if it is cut down, it will come to life again, and its branches will not come to an end.

“For there is hope for a tree if it is cut down, that it will sprout again, that the tender branch of it will not cease.

8 Though its root may be old in the earth, and its cut-off end may be dead in the dust;

Though its root grows old in the earth, and its stock dies in the ground,

9 Still, at the smell of water, it will make buds, and put out branches like a young plant.

yet through the scent of water it will bud, and sprout boughs like a plant.

10 But man comes to his death and is gone: he gives up his spirit, and where is he?

But man dies, and is laid low. Yes, man gives up the spirit, and where is he?

11 The waters go from a pool, and a river becomes waste and dry;

As the waters fail from the sea, and the river wastes and dries up,

12 So man goes down to his last resting-place and comes not again: till the heavens come to an end, they will not be awake or come out of their sleep.

so man lies down and doesn’t rise. Until the heavens are no more, they will not awake, nor be roused out of their sleep.

13 If only you would keep me safe in the underworld, putting me in a secret place till your wrath is past, giving me a fixed time when I might come to your memory again! (Sheol h7585)

“Oh that you would hide me in Sheol, that you would keep me secret until your wrath is past, that you would appoint me a set time and remember me! (Sheol h7585)

14 If death takes a man, will he come to life again? All the days of my trouble I would be waiting, till the time came for me to be free.

If a man dies, will he live again? I would wait all the days of my warfare, until my release should come.

15 At the sound of your voice I would give an answer, and you would have a desire for the work of your hands.

You would call, and I would answer you. You would have a desire for the work of your hands.

16 For now my steps are numbered by you, and my sin is not overlooked.

But now you count my steps. Don’t you watch over my sin?

17 My wrongdoing is corded up in a bag, and my sin is shut up safe.

My disobedience is sealed up in a bag. You fasten up my iniquity.

18 But truly a mountain falling comes to dust, and a rock is moved from its place;

“But the mountain falling comes to nothing. The rock is removed out of its place.

19 The stones are crushed small by the force of the waters; the dust of the earth is washed away by their overflowing: and so you put an end to the hope of man.

The waters wear the stones. The torrents of it wash away the dust of the earth. So you destroy the hope of man.

20 You overcome him for ever, and he is gone; his face is changed in death, and you send him away.

You forever prevail against him, and he departs. You change his face, and send him away.

21 His sons come to honour, and he has no knowledge of it; they are made low, but he is not conscious of it.

His sons come to honour, and he doesn’t know it. They are brought low, but he doesn’t perceive it of them.

22 Only his flesh still has pain, and his soul is sad.

But his flesh on him has pain, and his soul within him mourns.”