Job 7

Job’s Life Seems Futile

1 ^{▼▼ Lit Has not man compulsory labor}“Is not man ^bforced to labor on earth,
And are not his days like the days of ^ca hired man?
2 “As a slave who pants for the shade,
And as a hired man who eagerly waits for his wages,
3 So am I allotted months of vanity,
And ^dnights of trouble are appointed me.
4 “When I ^elie down I say,
‘When shall I arise?’
But the night continues,
And I am ^{▼▼ Lit sated with}continually tossing until dawn.
5 “My ^gflesh is clothed with worms and a crust of dirt,
My skin hardens and runs.
6 “My days are ^hswifter than a weaver’s shuttle,
And come to an end ⁱwithout hope.

7 “Remember that my life ^jis but breath;
My eye will ^knot again see good.
8 “The ^leye of him who sees me will behold me no longer;
Your eyes will be on me, but ^mI will not be.
9 “When a ⁿcloud vanishes, it is gone,
So ^ohe who goes down to ^pSheol does not come up.
10 “He will not return again to his house,
Nor will ^qhis place know him anymore.

11 “Therefore ^rI 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 the sea, or ^sthe sea monster,
That You set a guard over me?
13 “If I say, ‘ ^tMy bed will comfort me,
My couch will ^{▼▼ Lit bear}ease my complaint,’
14 Then You frighten me with dreams
And terrify me by visions;
15 So that my soul would choose suffocation,
Death rather than my ^{▼▼ Lit bones}pains.
16 “I ^{▼▼ Or loathe
,} ^xwaste away; I will not live forever.
Leave me alone, ^yfor my days are but a breath.
17 ^z“What is man that You magnify him,
And that You ^{▼▼ Lit set Your heart on}are concerned about him,
18 That ^abYou examine him every morning
And try him every moment?
19 ^{▼▼ Lit How long will You not
,} ^ad“Will You never turn Your gaze away from me,
Nor let me alone until I swallow my spittle?
20 ^ae“Have I sinned? What have I done to You,
O ^afwatcher of men?
Why have You set me as Your target,
So that I am a burden to myself?
21 “Why then ^agdo You not pardon my transgression
And take away my iniquity?
For now I will ^ahlie down in the dust;
And You will seek me, ^aibut I will not be.”