Job 7

1 Hath not man a life of labour upon earth? and are not his days like the days of a hireling?

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?

2 As a bondman earnestly desireth the shadow, and a hireling expecteth his wages,

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

3 So am I made to possess months of vanity, and wearisome nights are appointed to me.

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

4 If I lie down, I say, When shall I rise up, and the darkness be gone? and I am full of tossings until the dawn.

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.

5 My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; my skin is broken, and suppurates.

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

6 My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and are spent without hope.

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

7 Remember thou that my life is wind; mine eye shall no more see good.

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

8 The eye of him that hath seen me shall behold me no [more]: thine eyes are upon me, and I am not.

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

9 The cloud consumeth and vanisheth away; so he that goeth down to Sheol shall not come up. (Sheol h7585)

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

10 He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him again.

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

11 Therefore I will not restrain my mouth: I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.

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.

12 Am I a sea, or a sea-monster, that thou settest a watch over me?

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

13 When I say, My bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaint;

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

14 Then thou scarest me with dreams, and terrifiest me through visions;

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

15 So that my soul chooseth strangling, death, rather than my bones.

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

16 I loathe it; I shall not live always: let me alone, for my days are a breath.

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

17 What is man, that thou makest much of him? and that thou settest thy heart upon him?

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

18 And that thou visitest him every morning, triest him every moment?

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

19 How long wilt thou not look away from me, nor let me alone till I swallow down my spittle?

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

20 Have I sinned, what do I unto thee, thou Observer of men? Why hast thou set me as an object of assault for thee, so that I am become a burden to myself?

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?

21 And why dost not thou forgive my transgression and take away mine iniquity? for now shall I lie down in the dust, and thou shalt seek me early, and I shall not be.

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.