Job 14

Modern

Literal

Job Laments the Finality of Death

¹“Man, who is born of woman,

is short of days and full of trouble.

¹“ Man, born of a woman, is short of days and full of trouble.

²Like a flower, he comes forth, then withers away;

like a fleeting shadow, he does not endure.

²Like a flower he comes forth and withers, and he flees like a shadow, and does not stand.

³Do You open Your eyes to one like this?

Will You bring him into judgment before You?

³And upon this one do You open Your eyes; and bring me into judgment with You?

⁴Who can bring out clean from unclean?

No one!

⁴Who will bring clean from unclean? Not one!

⁵Since his days are determined

and the number of his months is with You,

and since You have set limits

that he cannot exceed,

⁵Since his days are determined, the number of his months is with You; his limits You have made, and he cannot pass over them.

⁶look away from him and let him rest,

so he can enjoy his day as a hired hand.

⁶Look away from him that he may rest, until he can enjoy his day like a hireling.

⁷For there is hope for a tree:

If it is cut down, it will sprout again,

and its tender shoots will not fail.

⁷For there is hope for a tree, if it is cut down, that again it will pass through, and its tender shoots will not cease.

⁸If its roots grow old in the ground

and its stump dies in the soil,

⁸Though its root may grow old in the earth, and its stump may die in the dirt,

⁹at the scent of water it will bud

and put forth twigs like a sapling.

⁹from the scent of water it will sprout, and will make branches like a fresh planting.

¹⁰But a man dies and is laid low;

he breathes his last, and where is he?

¹⁰And a man dies and is laid low; and a man expires, and where is he?

¹¹As water disappears from the sea

and a river becomes parched and dry,

¹¹As waters disappear from the sea, and a river dries up and withers,

¹²so a man lies down

and does not rise.

Until the heavens are no more,

he will not be awakened or roused from sleep.

¹²so a man lies down and does not arise; until the heavens are no more, they will not awaken and they will not be roused from their sleep.

¹³If only You would hide me in Sheol

and conceal me until Your anger has passed!

If only You would appoint a time for me

and then remember me!

¹³Who will give that You would hide me in Sheol, that You would hide me until the turning back of Your anger, that You would set for me a limit, and then remember me!

¹⁴When a man dies, will he live again?

All the days of my hard service I will wait,

until my renewal^a comes.

¹⁴If a man dies, will he live? All the days of my hardship, I will wait, until the coming of my change.

¹⁵You will call, and I will answer;

You will desire the work of Your hands.

¹⁵You will call, and I will answer You; You will desire the work of Your hands.

¹⁶For then You would count my steps,

but would not keep track of my sin.

¹⁶For now, You count my steps; You do not watch over my sin.

¹⁷My transgression would be sealed in a bag,

and You would cover over my iniquity.

¹⁷My transgression is sealed up in a bundle, and You plaster over my iniquity.

¹⁸But as a mountain erodes and crumbles

and a rock is dislodged from its place,

¹⁸But as a falling mountain wastes away, and as a rock moves from its place,

¹⁹as water wears away the stones

and torrents wash away the soil,

so You destroy a man’s hope.

¹⁹as stones by the waters are worn away, and her torrents engulf the dust of the earth, so the hope of man You destroy.

²⁰You forever overpower him, and he passes on;

You change his countenance and send him away.

²⁰You prevail over him forever, and he goes away; You change his face and send him away.

²¹If his sons receive honor, he does not know it;

if they are brought low, he is unaware.

²¹His sons gain honor, and he does not know it; and they are diminished, and he does not perceive it.

²²He feels only the pain of his own body

and mourns only for himself.”

²²Indeed his flesh upon him is in pain, and his soul mourns over him.”