Job 14
1 Man that is born of a 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: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.
like a flower that blooms and withers, like a passing shadow that soon disappears.
3 And dost thou open thy eyes upon such one, and bring 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 thing out of an unclean? not one.
Who can bring something clean of what is unclean? No one.
5 Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months is with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass;
You have determined how long we shall live—the number of months, a time limit on our lives.
6 Turn from him, that he may rest, till he shall accomplish, as an 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 of a tree, if it is cut down, that it will sprout again, and that 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 shall become 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 bring forth boughs like a plant.
just a trickle of water will make it bud and grow branches like a young plant.
10 But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?
But human beings die, their strength dwindles away; they perish, and where are they then?
11 As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth 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: till the heavens shall be no more, they shall not awake, nor be 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 O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest conceal me, until thy wrath is 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 dieth, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change shall come.
Will the dead live again? Then I would have hope through all my time of trouble until my release comes.
15 Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to 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 sewest up my iniquity.
My sins would be sealed up in a bag and you would cover my guilt.
18 And surely the 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: thou washest away the things which grow out of 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: thou changest his countenance, and sendest him away.
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, but he perceiveth it not of them.
Their children may become important or fall from their positions, but they don't know or see any of this.
22 But his flesh upon him shall have pain, and his soul within him shall mourn.
As people die they only know their own pain and are sad for themselves.”
