Job 7

1 Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth? are not his days also like the days of an hireling?s2 As a servant earnestly desireth the shadow, and as an hireling looketh for the reward of his work:s3 So am I made to possess months of vanity, and wearisome nights are appointed to me.4 When I lie down, I say, When shall I arise, and the night be gone? and I am full of tossings to and fro unto the dawning of the day.s5 My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; my skin is broken, and become loathsome.6 My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and are spent without hope.

7 O remember that my life is wind: mine eye shall no more see good.ss8 The eye of him that hath seen me shall see me no more: thine eyes are upon me, and I am not.s9 As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away: so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more.10 He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him any more.11 Therefore I will not refrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.12 Am I a sea, or a whale, that thou settest a watch over me?13 When I say, My bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaint;14 Then thou scarest me with dreams, and terrifiest me through visions:15 So that my soul chooseth strangling, and death rather than my life.s16 I loathe it; I would not live alway: let me alone; for my days are vanity.

17 What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him?18 And that thou shouldest visit him every morning, and try him every moment?19 How long wilt thou not depart from me, nor let me alone till I swallow down my spittle?20 I have sinned; what shall I do unto thee, O thou preserver of men? why hast thou set me as a mark against thee, so that I am a burden to myself?21 And why dost thou not pardon my transgression, and take away mine iniquity? for now shall I sleep in the dust; and thou shalt seek me in the morning, but I shall not be.

Job 7

There's Nothing to My Life

1-6 "Human life is a struggle, isn't it? It's a life sentence to hard labor. Like field hands longing for quitting time and working stiffs with nothing to hope for but payday, I'm given a life that meanders and goes nowhere— months of aimlessness, nights of misery! I go to bed and think, 'How long till I can get up?' I toss and turn as the night drags on—and I'm fed up! I'm covered with maggots and scabs. My skin gets scaly and hard, then oozes with pus. My days come and go swifter than the click of knitting needles, and then the yarn runs out—an unfinished life!
7-10 "God, don't forget that I'm only a puff of air! These eyes have had their last look at goodness. And your eyes have seen the last of me; even while you're looking, there'll be nothing left to look at. When a cloud evaporates, it's gone for good; those who go to the grave never come back. They don't return to visit their families; never again will friends drop in for coffee.
11-16 "And so I'm not keeping one bit of this quiet, I'm laying it all out on the table; my complaining to high heaven is bitter, but honest. Are you going to put a muzzle on me, the way you quiet the sea and still the storm? If I say, 'I'm going to bed, then I'll feel better. A little nap will lift my spirits,' You come and so scare me with nightmares and frighten me with ghosts That I'd rather strangle in the bedclothes than face this kind of life any longer. I hate this life! Who needs any more of this? Let me alone! There's nothing to my life—it's nothing but smoke.
17-21 "What are mortals anyway, that you bother with them, that you even give them the time of day? That you check up on them every morning, looking in on them to see how they're doing? Let up on me, will you? Can't you even let me spit in peace? Even suppose I'd sinned—how would that hurt you? You're responsible for every human being. Don't you have better things to do than pick on me? Why make a federal case out of me? Why don't you just forgive my sins and start me off with a clean slate? The way things are going, I'll soon be dead. You'll look high and low, but I won't be around."