Job 14

Job Continues: Death Comes Soon to All

1  "Man who is born of a woman
is few of days and full of trouble.
2  He comes out like a flower and withers;
he flees like a shadow and continues not.
3  And do you open your eyes on such a one
and bring me into judgment with you?
4  Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean?
There is not one.
5  Since his days are determined,
and the number of his months is with you,
and you have appointed his limits that he cannot pass,
6  look away from him and leave him alone,t
that he may enjoy, like a hired hand, his day.

7  "For there is hope for a tree,
if it be cut down, that it will sprout again,
and that its shoots will not cease.
8  Though its root grow old in the earth,
and its stump die in the soil,
9  yet at the scent of water it will bud
and put out branches like a young plant.
10  But a man dies and is laid low;
man breathes his last, and where is he?
11  As waters fail from a lake
and a river wastes away and dries up,
12  so a man lies down and rises not again;
till the heavens are no more he will not awake
or be roused out of his sleep.
13  Oh that you would hide me in Sheol,
that you would conceal me until your wrath be past,
that you would appoint me a set time, and remember me!
14  If a man dies, shall he live again?
All the days of my service I would wait,
till my renewalt should come.
15  You would call, and I would answer you;
you would long for the work of your hands.
16  For then you would number my steps;
you would not keep watch over my sin;
17  my transgression would be sealed up in a bag,
and you would cover over my iniquity.

18  "But the mountain falls and crumbles away,
and the rock is removed from its place;
19  the waters wear away the stones;
the torrents wash away the soil of the earth;
so you destroy the hope of man.
20  You prevail forever against him, and he passes;
you change his countenance, and send him away.
21  His sons come to honor, and he does not know it;
they are brought low, and he perceives it not.
22  He feels only the pain of his own body,
and he mourns only for himself."

Job 14

The Brevity of Life

1 “Man, born of woman,t
lives but a few days,t and they are full of trouble.t

2 He grows upt like a flower and then withers away;t
he flees like a shadow, and does not remain.t

3 Do you fix your eyet on such a one?t
And do you bring met before you for judgment?

4 Who can maket a clean thing come from an unclean?s
No one!

5 Since man’s dayst are determined,t
the number of his months is under your control;t
you have set his limitts and he cannot pass it.

6 Look away from him and let him desist,t
until he fulfillst his time like a hired man.

The Inevitability of Death

7 “But there is hope fort a tree:s
If it is cut down, it will sprout again,
and its new shoots will not fail.

8 Although its roots may grow oldt in the ground
and its stump begins to diet in the soil,ts

9 at the scentt of water it will flourisht
and put fortht shoots like a new plant.

10 But mant dies and is powerless;t
he expires – and where is he?t

11 Ast water disappears from the sea,t
or a river drains away and dries up,

12 so man lies down and does not rise;
until the heavens are no more,s
theyt will not awake
nor arise from their sleep.

The Possibility of Another Life

13 “O thatts you would hide me in Sheol,s
and conceal me till your anger has passed!t
O that you would set me a timet
and then remember me!t

14 If a man dies, will he live again?s
All the days of my hard servicet I will waitt
until my release comes.t

15 You will calls and It – I will answer you;
you will long fort the creature you have made.t

The Present Condition

16 “Surely now you count my steps;t
then you would not marks my sin.t

17 My offenses would be sealed upt in a bag;t
you would cover overt my sin.

18 But ast a mountain falls away and crumbles,t
and as a rock will be removed from its place,

19 as water wears away stones,
and torrentst wash away the soil,t
so you destroy man’s hope.s

20 You overpower him once for all,t
and he departs;
you changet his appearance
and send him away.

21 Ift his sons are honored,t
he does not know it;s
if they are brought low,
he does not seet it.

22 Only his flesh has pain for himself,t
and he mourns for himself.”s