Job 14

1As for man, the son of woman, his days are short and full of trouble.

1Man born of a woman, living for a short time, is filled with many miseries.

2He comes out like a flower, and is cut down: he goes in flight like a shade, and is never seen again.

2Who cometh forth like a flower, and is destroyed, and fleeth as a shadow, and never continueth in the same state.

3Is it on such a one as this that your eyes are fixed, with the purpose of judging him?

3And dost thou think it meet to open thy eyes upon such an one, and to bring him into judgment with thee?

4If only a clean thing might come out of an unclean! But it is not possible.

4Who can make him clean that is conceived of unclean seed? is it not thou who only art?

5If his days are ordered, and you have knowledge of the number of his months, having given him a fixed limit past which he may not go;

5The days of man are short, and the number of his months is with thee: thou hast appointed his bounds which cannot be passed.

6Let your eyes be turned away from him, and take your hand from him, so that he may have pleasure at the end of his day, like a servant working for payment.

6Depart a little from him, that he may rest until his wished for day come, as that of the hireling.

7For there is hope of a tree; if it is cut down, it will come to life again, and its branches will not come to an end.

7A tree hath hope: if it be cut, it growth green again, and the boughs thereof sprout.

8Though its root may be old in the earth, and its cut-off end may be dead in the dust;

8If its roots be old in the earth, and its stock be dead in the dust:

9Still, at the smell of water, it will make buds, and put out branches like a young plant.

9At the scent of water, it shall spring, and bring forth leaves, as when it was first planted.

10But man comes to his death and is gone: he gives up his spirit, and where is he?

10But man when he shall be dead, and stripped and consumed, I pray you where is he?

11The waters go from a pool, and a river becomes waste and dry;

11As if the waters should depart out of the sea, and an emptied river should be dried up;

12So man goes down to his last resting-place and comes not again: till the heavens come to an end, they will not be awake or come out of their sleep.

12So man when he is fallen asleep shall not rise again; till the heavens be broken, he shall not awake, nor rise up out of his sleep.

13If only you would keep me safe in the underworld, putting me in a secret place till your wrath is past, giving me a fixed time when I might come to your memory again!

13Who will grant me this, that thou mayst protect me in hell, and hide me till thy wrath pass, and appoint me a time when thou wilt remember me?

14If death takes a man, will he come to life again? All the days of my trouble I would be waiting, till the time came for me to be free.

14Shall man that is dead, thinkest thou, live again? all the days in which I am now in warfare, I expect until my change come.

15At the sound of your voice I would give an answer, and you would have a desire for the work of your hands.

15Thou shalt call me, and I will answer thee: to the work of thy hands thou shalt reach out thy right hand.

16For now my steps are numbered by you, and my sin is not overlooked.

16Thou indeed hast numbered my steps, but spare my sins.

17My wrongdoing is corded up in a bag, and my sin is shut up safe.

17Thou hast sealed up my offences as it were in a bag, but hast cured my iniquity.

18But truly a mountain falling comes to dust, and a rock is moved from its place;

18A mountain falling cometh to nought, and a rock is removed out of its place.

19The stones are crushed small by the force of the waters; the dust of the earth is washed away by their overflowing: and so you put an end to the hope of man.

19Waters wear away the stones, and with inundation the ground by little and little is washed away: so in like manner thou shalt destroy man.

20You overcome him for ever, and he is gone; his face is changed in death, and you send him away.

20Thou hast strengthened him for a little while, that he may pass away for ever: thou shalt change his face, and shalt send him away.

21His sons come to honour, and he has no knowledge of it; they are made low, but he is not conscious of it.

21Whether his children come to honour or dishonour, he shall not understand.

22Only his flesh still has pain, and his soul is sad.

22But yet his flesh, while he shall live, shall have pain, and his soul shall mourn over him.