Job 7

1 Has not man his ordered time of trouble on the earth? and are not his days like the days of a servant working for payment?

The life of a man on the earth is a battle, and his days are like the days of a hired hand.

2 As a servant desiring the shades of evening, and a workman looking for his payment:

Just as a servant desires the shade, and just as the hired hand looks forward to the end of his work,

3 So I have for my heritage months of pain to no purpose, and nights of weariness are given to me.

so also have I had empty months and have counted my burdensome nights.

4 When I go to my bed, I say, When will it be time to get up? but the night is long, and I am turning from side to side till morning light.

If I lie down to sleep, I will say, “When will I rise?” And next I will hope for the evening and will be filled with sorrows even until darkness.

5 My flesh is covered with worms and dust; my skin gets hard and then is cracked again.

My flesh is clothed with particles of rottenness and filth; my skin is dried up and tightened.

6 My days go quicker than the cloth-worker's thread, and come to an end without hope.

My days have passed by more quickly than threads are cut by a weaver, and they have been consumed without any hope.

7 O, keep in mind that my life is wind: my eye will never again see good.

Remember that my life is wind, and my eye will not return to see good things.

8 The eye of him who sees me will see me no longer: your eyes will be looking for me, but I will be gone.

Neither will the sight of man gaze upon me; your eyes are upon me, and I will not endure.

9 A cloud comes to an end and is gone; so he who goes down into the underworld comes not up again. (Sheol h7585)

Just as a cloud is consumed and passes away, so he who descends to hell will not ascend. (Sheol h7585)

10 He will not come back to his house, and his place will have no more knowledge of him.

He will not return again to his house, nor will his own place know him any longer.

11 So I will not keep my mouth shut; I will let the words come from it in the pain of my spirit, my soul will make a bitter outcry.

And because of this, I will not restrain my mouth. I will speak in the affliction of my spirit. I will converse from the bitterness of my soul.

12 Am I a sea, or a sea-beast, that you put a watch over me?

Am I an ocean or a whale, that you have encircled me in a prison?

13 When I say, In my bed I will have comfort, there I will get rest from my disease;

If I say, “My bed will comfort me, and I will find rest, speaking with myself on my blanket,”

14 Then you send dreams to me, and visions of fear;

then you will frighten me with dreams, and strike dread through visions,

15 So that a hard death seems better to my soul than my pains.

so that, because of these things, my soul would choose hanging, and my bones, death.

16 I have no desire for life, I would not be living for ever! Keep away from me, for my days are as a breath.

I despair; by no means will I live any longer. Spare me, for my days are nothing.

17 What is man, that you have made him great, and that your attention is fixed on him,

What is man, that you should praise him? Or why do you place your heart near him?

18 And that your hand is on him every morning, and that you are testing him every minute?

You visit him at dawn, and you test him unexpectedly.

19 How long will it be before your eyes are turned away from me, so that I may have a minute's breathing-space?

How long will you not spare me, nor release me to ingest my saliva?

20 If I have done wrong, what have I done to you, O keeper of men? why have you made me a mark for your blows, so that I am a weariness to myself?

I have sinned; what should I do for you, O keeper of men? Why have you set me against you, so that I have become burdensome even to myself?

21 And why do you not take away my sin, and let my wrongdoing be ended? for now I go down to the dust, and you will be searching for me with care, but I will be gone.

Why do you not steal away my sin, and why do you not sweep away my iniquity? Behold, now I will sleep in the dust, and if you seek me in the morning, I will not remain.