Job 14

Job Continues to Argue His Case with God

1 “A human being born of a woman
is short of days and full of troubles. ^{▼▼Literally “trouble”}
2 Like a flower he comes up, and he withers away;
and he flees like a ^{▼▼Or “the”} shadow, but ^{▼▼Hebrew “and”} he does not last.
3 Even on such a one you fix your eyes,
and you bring me into judgment with you.
4 “Who can bring a clean thing from an unclean thing?
No one! ^{▼▼Or “Not one”}
5 If his days are determined, the number of his months is with you;
you have appointed his boundaries, and he cannot cross them.
6 Look away from him, and let him desist
until he enjoys his days like a laborer.
7 “Indeed, there is hope for a tree:
if it is cut down, then ^{▼▼Hebrew “and”} it will sprout again,
and its new shoots will not cease;
8 though its root grows old in the earth,
and its stump dies in the dust,
9 at ^{▼▼Hebrew “from”} the scent of water it will bud,
and it will put forth branches like a young plant.
10 “But ^{▼▼Hebrew “And”} a man dies, and he dwindles away;
thus ^{▼▼Hebrew “And”} a human being passes away, and where is he? ^{▼▼Or “where is he then?”}
11 As water disappears from a lake,
and a river withers away and dries up, ^{▼▼Or “it dries up”}
12 ⌞so⌟ ^{▼▼Literally “and”} a man lies down, and he does not arise.
⌞Until the heavens are no more⌟, ^{▼▼Literally “Until not heavens”} they will not awaken,
and they will not be roused out of their sleep.
13 “⌞O that⌟ ^{▼▼Literally “Who shall give”} you would conceal me in Sheol,
that you would hide me ⌞until your wrath is past⌟, ^{▼▼Literally “until the return of your nose”}
that you would appoint a set time for me and remember me.
14 If a man dies, will he live again?
All the days of my compulsory service I will wait,
until the coming of my relief.
15 You would call, and I myself ^{▼▼Emphatic personal pronoun} would answer you;
you would long for the work of your hand.
16 For then ^{▼▼Hebrew “now”} you would count my steps,
but you would not keep watch over my sin.
17 My transgression would be sealed in a bag,
and you would cover over my guilt.
18 “But ^{▼▼Or “And but”} a mountain falls; it crumbles away,
and a rock moves away from its place.
19 Water wears away stones;
its torrents wash away the soil of the earth;
so ^{▼▼Hebrew “and”} you destroy the hope of human beings.
20 You overpower him forever, and he passes away;
you change ⌞his countenance⌟, ^{▼▼Literally “his faces”} ⌞then⌟ ^{▼▼Hebrew “and”} you send him away.
21 His children may come to honor, but ^{▼▼Hebrew “and”} he does not know it;
or ^{▼▼Hebrew “and”} they may become lowly, but ^{▼▼Hebrew “and”} he does not realize it. ^{▼▼Or “them”}
22 He feels only the pain of his own body, ^{▼▼Hebrew “his body on him”}
and his inner self ^{▼▼Or “soul”} mourns for him.” ^{▼▼Or “for himself”}