Job 7

1 “Isn’t a man forced to labor on earth? Aren’t his days like the days of a hired hand?

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

2 As a servant who earnestly desires the shadow, as a hireling who looks for his wages,

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

3 so I am made to possess months of misery, wearisome nights are appointed to me.

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

4 When I lie down, I say, ‘When will I arise, and the night be gone?’ I toss and turn until the dawning of the day.

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.

5 My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust. My skin closes up, and breaks out afresh.

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

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

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

7 Oh remember that my life is a breath. My eye will no more see good.

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

8 The eye of him who sees me will see me no more. Your eyes will be on me, but I will not be.

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

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

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

10 He will return no more to his house, neither will his place know him any more.

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

11 “Therefore I will not keep silent. I will speak in the anguish of my spirit. I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.

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.

12 Am I a sea, or a sea monster, that you put a guard over me?

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

13 When I say, ‘My bed will comfort me. My couch will ease my complaint,’

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

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

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

15 so that my soul chooses strangling, death rather than my bones.

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

16 I loathe my life. I don’t want to live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are but a breath.

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

17 What is man, that you should magnify him, that you should set your mind on him,

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

18 that you should visit him every morning, and test him every moment?

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

19 How long will you not look away from me, nor leave me alone until I swallow down my spittle?

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?

20 If I have sinned, what do I do to you, you watcher of men? Why have you set me as a mark for you, so that I am a burden to myself?

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?

21 Why do you not pardon my disobedience, and take away my iniquity? For now will I lie down in the dust. You will seek me diligently, but I will not be.”

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.”