Job 14
1 Man, born of woman, is of few days, and full of trouble.
Life is short and full of trouble,
2 He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down; and he fleeth as a shadow, and continueth not.
like a flower that blooms and withers, like a passing shadow that soon disappears.
3 Yet dost thou open thine eyes upon such a one, and bringest me into judgment with thee?
Do you even notice me, God, and why do you have to drag me to court?
4 Who can bring a clean [man] out of the unclean? Not one!
Who can bring something clean of what is unclean? No one.
5 If his days are determined, if the number of his months is with thee, [and] thou hast appointed his bounds which he must not pass,
You have determined how long we shall live—the number of months, a time limit on our lives.
6 Look away from him; and let him rest, till he accomplish, as a hireling, his day.
So leave us alone and give us some peace—so like a laborer we could enjoy a few hours of rest at the end of the day.
7 For there is hope for a tree: if it be cut down, it will sprout again, and its tender branch will not cease;
Even a tree that's cut down has the hope of sprouting again, of sending up shoots and continuing to live.
8 Though its root grow old in the earth, and its stock die in the ground,
Even though its roots grow old in the earth, and its stump dies in the ground,
9 Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and put forth boughs like a young plant.
just a trickle of water will make it bud and grow branches like a young plant.
10 But a man dieth, and is prostrate; yea, man expireth, and where is he?
But human beings die, their strength dwindles away; they perish, and where are they then?
11 The waters recede from the lake, and the river wasteth and drieth up:
Like water evaporating from a lake and a river that dries up and disappears,
12 So man lieth down, and riseth not again; till the heavens be no more, they do not awake, nor are raised out of their sleep.
so human beings lie down and don't get up again. Until the heavens cease to exist they will not awake from their sleep.
13 Oh that thou wouldest hide me in Sheol, that thou wouldest keep me secret until thine anger be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me, — (Sheol h7585)
I wish you would hide me in Sheol; conceal me there until your anger is gone. Set a definite time for me there, and remember me! (Sheol h7585)
14 (If a man die, shall he live [again]?) all the days of my time of toil would I wait, till my change should come:
Will the dead live again? Then I would have hope through all my time of trouble until my release comes.
15 Thou wouldest call, and I would answer thee; thou wouldest have a desire after the work of thy hands.
You would call and I would answer you; you would long for me, the being that you made.
16 For now thou numberest my steps: dost thou not watch over my sin?
Then you would look after me and wouldn't be watching me to see if I sinned.
17 My transgression is sealed up in a bag, and thou heapest up mine iniquity.
My sins would be sealed up in a bag and you would cover my guilt.
18 And indeed a mountain falling cometh to nought, and the rock is removed out of its place;
But just as the mountains crumble and fall, and the rocks tumble down;
19 The waters wear the stones, the floods thereof wash away the dust of the earth; and thou destroyest the hope of man.
as water wears away the stones, as floods wash away the soil, so you destroy the hope people have.
20 Thou prevailest for ever against him, and he passeth away; thou changest his countenance, and dismissest him.
You continually overpower them and they pass away; you distort their faces in death and send them away.
21 His sons come to honour, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, and he perceiveth it not.
Their children may become important or fall from their positions, but they don't know or see any of this.
22 But his flesh hath pain for himself alone, and his soul mourneth for himself.
As people die they only know their own pain and are sad for themselves.”
