Job 14

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

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

2 Who cometh forth like a flower, and is destroyed, and fleeth as a shadow, and never continueth in the same state.

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

3 And dost thou think it meet to open thy eyes upon such an one, and to bring him into judgment with thee?

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

4 Who can make him clean that is conceived of unclean seed? is it not thou who only art?

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

5 The days of man are short, and the number of his months is with thee: thou hast appointed his bounds which cannot be passed.

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;

6 Depart a little from him, that he may rest, until his wished for day come, as that of the hireling.

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.

7 A tree hath hope: if it be cut, it groweth green again, and the boughs thereof sprout.

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.

8 If its root be old in the earth, and its stock be dead in the dust:

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

9 At the scent of water, it shall spring, and bring forth leaves, as when it was first planted.

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

10 But man when he shall be dead, and stripped and consumed, I pray you where is he?

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

11 As if the waters should depart out of the sea, and an emptied river should be dried up:

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

12 So man when he is fallen asleep shall not rise again; till the heavens be broken, he shall not awake, nor rise up out of his sleep.

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.

13 Who will grant me this, that thou mayst protect me in hell, and hide me till thy wrath pass, and appoint me a. time when thou wilt remember me? (Sheol h7585)

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)

14 Shall man that is dead, thinkest thou, live again? all the days in which I am now in warfare, I expect until my change come.

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.

15 Thou shalt call me, and I will answer thee: to the work of thy hands thou shalt reach out thy right hand.

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

16 Thou indeed hast numbered my steps, but spare my sins.

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

17 Thou hast sealed up my offences as it were in a bag, but hast cured my iniquity.

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

18 A mountain falling cometh to nought, and a rock is removed out of its place.

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

19 Waters wear away the stones, and with inundation the ground by little and little is washed away: so in like manner thou shalt destroy man.

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.

20 Thou hast strengthened him for a little while, that he may pass away for ever: thou shalt change his face, and shalt send him away.

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

21 Whether his children come to honour or dishonour, he shall not understand.

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

22 But yet his flesh, while he shall live, shall have pain, and his soul shall mourn over him.

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