Job 14

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

1Man, that is born of a woman, Is of few days, and full of trouble.

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

2He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: He fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.

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

3And dost thou open thine eyes upon such a one, And bringest me into judgment with thee?

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

4Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.

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;

5Seeing his days are determined, The number of his months is with thee, And thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass;

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.

6Look away from him, that he may rest, Till he shall accomplish, as a hireling, his day.

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.

7For there is hope of a tree, If it be cut down, that it will sprout again, And that the tender branch thereof will not cease.

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

8Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, And the stock thereof die in the ground;

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

9Yet through the scent of water it will bud, And put forth boughs like a plant.

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

10But man dieth, and is laid low: Yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?

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

11Asthe waters fail from the sea, And the river wasteth and drieth 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 lieth down and riseth not: Till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, Nor be roused out of their 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!

13Oh that thou wouldest hide me in Sheol, That thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, That thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and 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.

14If a man die, shall he liveagain? All the days of my warfare would I wait, Till my release should 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 wouldest call, and I would answer thee: Thou wouldest have a desire to the work of thy hands.

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

16But now thou numberest my steps: Dost thou not watch over my sin?

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

17My transgression is sealed up in a bag, And thou fastenest up mine iniquity.

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

18But the mountain falling cometh to nought; And the 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.

19The waters wear the stones; The overflowings thereof wash away the dust of the earth: So thou destroyest the hope of man.

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

20Thou prevailest for ever against him, and he passeth; Thou changest his countenance, and sendest 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.

21His sons come to honor, and he knoweth it not; And they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them.

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

22But his flesh upon him hath pain, And his soul within him mourneth.