Job 7

1 Does not man have hard labor on earth? Are not his days like the days of a hired man?

Is not the life of man upon earth a state of trial? and his existence as that of a hireling by the day?

2 Like a slave earnestly desires the shadows of evening, like a hired man looks for his wages—

Or as a servant that fears his master, and one who has grasped a shadow? or as a hireling waiting for his pay?

3 so I have been made to endure months of misery; I have been given trouble-filled nights.

So have I also endured months of vanity, and nights of pain have been appointed me.

4 When I lie down, I say to myself, 'When will I get up and when will the night be gone?' I am full of tossing to and fro until the day's dawning.

Whenever I lie down, I say, When [will it be] day? and whenever I rise up, again [I say] when [will it be] evening? and I am full of pains from evening to morning.

5 My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; the sores in my skin harden up and then dissolve and run afresh.

And my body is covered with loathsome worms; and I waste away, scraping off clods of dust from my eruption.

6 My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle; they pass without hope.

And my life is lighter than a word, and has perished in vain hope.

7 God, call to mind that my life is only a breath; my eye will no more see good.

Remember then that my life is breath, and mine eye shalt not yet again see good.

8 The eye of God, who sees me, will see me no more; God's eyes will be on me, but I will not exist.

The eye of him that sees me shall not see me [again]: thine eyes are upon me, and I am no more.

9 As a cloud is consumed and vanishes away, so he who goes down to Sheol will come up no more. (Sheol h7585)

[I am] as a cloud that is cleared away from the sky: for if a man go down to the grave, he shall not come up again: (Sheol h7585)

10 He will return no more to his house; neither will his place know him again.

and he shall surely not return to his own house, neither shall his place know him any more.

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.

Then neither will I refrain my mouth: I will speak being in distress; being in anguish I will disclose the bitterness of my soul.

12 Am I the sea or a sea monster that you place a guard over me?

Am I a sea, or a serpent, that thou hast set a watch over me?

13 When I say, 'My bed will comfort me, and my couch will ease my complaint,'

I said that my bed should comfort me, and I would privately counsel with myself on my couch.

14 then you scare me with dreams and terrify me through visions,

Thou scarest me with dreams, and dost terrify me with visions.

15 so that I would choose strangling and death rather than preserving these bones of mine.

Thou wilt separate life from my spirit; and yet [keep] my bones from death.

16 I loathe my life; I would not wish to always be alive; let me alone for my days are useless.

For I shall not live for ever, that I should patiently endure: depart from me, for my life [is] vain.

17 What is man that you should pay attention to him, that you should set your mind on him,

For what is man, that thou hast magnified him? or that thou givest heed to him?

18 that you should observe him every morning and test him every moment?

Wilt thou visit him till the morning, and judge him till [the time of] rest?

19 How long will it be before you look away from me, before you let me alone long enough for me to swallow down my own saliva?

How long dost thou not let me alone, nor let me go, until I shall swallow down my spittle?

20 Even if I have sinned, what would that do to you, you who watch men? Why have you made a target of me, so that I am a burden for you?

If I have sinned, what shall I be able to do, O thou that understandest the mind of men? why hast thou made me as thine accuser, and [why] am I a burden to thee?

21 Why do you not pardon my transgression and take away my iniquity? For now will I lie down in the dust; you will seek me carefully, but I will not exist.”

Why hast thou not forgotten my iniquity, and purged my sin? but now I shall depart to the earth; and in the morning I am no more.