Job 14

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

For a mortal born of a woman [is] short lived, and full of wrath.

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

Or he falls like a flower that has bloomed; and he departs like a shadow, and can’t continue.

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

Hast you not taken account even of him, and caused him to enter into judgement before you?

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

For who shall be pure from uncleanness? not even one;

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 even his life should be [but] one day upon the earth: and his months are numbered by him: you have appointed [him] for a time, and he shall by no means exceed [it].

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

Depart from him, that he may be quiet, and take pleasure in his life, [though] as a hireling.

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

For there is hope for a tree, even if it should be cut down, [that] it shall blossom again, and its branch shall not fail.

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

For though its root should grow old in the earth, and its stem die in the rock;

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

it will blossom from the scent of water, and will produce a crop, as one newly planted.

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

But a man that has died is utterly gone; and when a mortal has fallen, he is no more.

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

For the sea wastes in [length of] time, and a river fails and is dried up.

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.

And man that has lain down [in death] shall certainly not rise again till the heaven be dissolved, and they shall not awake from 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)

For oh that you had kept me in the grave, and had hidden me until your wrath should cease, and you should set me a time in which you would remember me! (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.

For if a man should die, shall he live [again], having accomplished the days of his life? I will wait till I exist again?

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

Then shall you call, and I will listen to you: but do not you reject the work of your hands.

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

But you have numbered my devices: and not one of my sins shall escape you?

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

An you have sealed up my transgressions in a bag, and marked if I have been guilty of any transgression unawares.

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

And verily a mountain falling will utterly be destroyed, and a rock shall be worn out of 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 waters wear the stones, and waters falling headlong [overflow] a heap of the earth: and you destroy 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 drive him to an end, and he is gone: you set your face against him, and send him away;

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

and though his children be multiplied, he knows [it] not; and if they be few, he is not aware.

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

But his flesh is in pain, and his soul mourns.