Job 14

1 Man born of woman

is short of days and full of trouble. ^a
2 He blossoms like a flower, then withers; ^b
he flees like a shadow and does not last.
3 Do You really take notice of one like this?
Will You bring me into judgment against You? ^{▼▼LXX, Syr, Vg read him
,} ^d
4 Who can produce something pure from what is impure?
No one!
5 Since man’s days are determined
and the number of his months depends on You,
and since You have set ^{▼▼Lit set his} limits he cannot pass, ^f
6 look away from him and let him rest
so that he can enjoy his day like a hired hand. ^g

7 There is hope for a tree:
If it is cut down, it will sprout again,
and its shoots will not die.
8 If its roots grow old in the ground
and its stump starts to die in the soil,
9 the smell of water makes it thrive
and produce twigs like a sapling. ^h
10 But a man dies and fades away;
he breathes his last – where is he?
11 As water disappears from the sea
and a river becomes parched and dry,
12 so man lies down never to rise again.
They will not wake up until the heavens are no more; ⁱ
they will not stir from their sleep.

13 If only You would hide me in ^{▼▼Sheol: A Hebrew word for either the grave or the realm of the dead}Sheol ^k
and conceal me until Your anger ^l passes.
If only You would appoint a time for me
and then remember me.
14 When a man dies, will he come back to life?
If so, I would wait ^m all the days of my struggle ⁿ
until my relief comes.
15 You would call, and I would answer You.
You would long for the work of Your hands. ^o
16 For then You would count my steps ^p
but would not take note ^q of my sin.
17 My rebellion would be sealed up in a bag,
and You would cover over my iniquity.

18 But as a mountain collapses and crumbles
and a rock is dislodged from its place,
19 as water wears away stones
and torrents wash away the soil from the land,
so You destroy a man’s hope. ^r
20 You completely overpower him, and he passes on;
You change his appearance and send him away.
21 If his sons receive honor, he does not know it;
if they become insignificant, he is unaware of it. ^s
22 He feels only the pain of his own body
and mourns only for himself.