Job 14

1 Man, born of woman, living for a short time, is filled with many miseries.

Man that is born of a woman, is of few days, and full of trouble:

2 He comes forth like a flower, and is crushed, and he flees, as if a shadow, and never remains in the same state.

As a flower, he cometh forth—and fadeth, He fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.

3 And do you consider it fitting to look down with your eyes on someone in this way and to lead him into judgment with you?

And yet upon such a one as this, hast thou opened thine eye? And, him, wouldst thou bring into judgment with thee?

4 Who can make him clean who is conceived of unclean seed? Are you not the only one who can?

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

5 The days of man are short, and the number of his months is with you; you have determined his limits, which cannot be surpassed.

If determined am his days, the number of his months, is with thee, Fixed times for him, thou hast appointed and he cannot go beyond.

6 Withdraw a little from him, so that he may rest, until his awaited day arrives, like that of the hired hand.

Look sway from him, that he may rest, Till he shall pay off, as a hireling, his day.

7 A tree has hope: if it has been cut, it turns green again, and its branches spring forth.

Though there is—for a tree—hope, —if it should be cut down, that, again, it will grow, and, the tender branch thereof, will not cease;

8 If its roots grow old in the earth, and its trunk passes into dust,

If its root, should become old in the earth, and, in the dust, its stock should die:

9 at the scent of water, it will sprout and bring forth leaves, as when it had first been planted.

Through the scent of water, it may break forth, and produce branches like a sapling,

10 Truly, when a man dies, and has been left unprotected, and has decayed, I ask you where is he?

Yet, man, dieth, and is prostrate, Yea the son of earth doth cease to breathe, and where is he?

11 It is as if the waters had receded from the sea and an emptied river had dried up;

Waters, have failed from, the sea, and, a river, may waste and dry up;

12 just so, when a man is fallen asleep, he will not rise again, until the heavens are worn away; he will not awaken, nor rise from his sleep.

So, a man, hath lain down, and shall not arise, until there are no heavens, they shall not awake, nor be roused up out of their sleep.

13 Who will grant this to me, that you will protect me in the underworld, and hide me until your fury passes by, and establish a time for me, in which you will remember me? (Sheol h7585)

Oh that, in hades, thou wouldst hide me! that thou wouldst keep me secret, until the turn of thine anger, that thou wouldst set for me a fixed time, and remember me: (Sheol h7585)

14 Do you suppose that a dead man will live again? On each of the days in which I now battle, I wait until my transformation occurs.

If a man die, can he live again? All the days of my warfare, would I wait, until my relief should come: —

15 You will call me and I will answer you; to the work of your hands, you will extend your right hand.

Thou shouldst call, and, I, would answer thee, —For the work of thine own hand, thou shouldst long.

16 Indeed, you have numbered my steps, but you have been lenient with my sins.

For, now, my steps, thou countest, Thou wilt not pass over my sin:

17 You have sealed up my offenses, as if in a purse, but you have cured my iniquity.

Sealed up in a bag, is my transgression, and thou hast glued over mine iniquity.

18 A falling mountain flows away, and a stone is transferred from its place.

But, in very deed, a mountain falling, will lie prostrate, or, a rock moved out of its place:

19 Waters wear away stones, and with a flood the land is reduced little by little; and similarly, you will destroy man.

Stones, have been hollowed out by waters, the floods thereof wash away the dust of the earth, and, the hope of mortal man, thou hast destroyed:

20 You have strengthened him for a little while, so that he may cross over into eternity. You will change his face and send him forth.

Thou dost overpower him utterly, and he departeth, Disfiguring his face, so, hast thou sent him away.

21 Whether his sons have been noble or ignoble, he will not understand.

His sons, come to honour, and he knoweth it not, Or they are brought low, and he perceiveth it not of them.

22 And in this way his body, while he yet lives, will have grief, and his soul will mourn over himself.

But, his flesh, for himself, is in pain, and, his soul, for himself, doth mourn.