Job 14

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

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

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

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

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

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

4Who can bring a clean [man] out of the unclean? Not one!

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

5If his days are determined, if the number of his months is with thee, [and] thou hast appointed his bounds which he must not pass,

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;

6Look away from him; and let him rest, till he accomplish, as a hireling, his day.

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.

7For there is hope for a tree: if it be cut down, it will sprout again, and its tender branch will not cease;

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.

8Though its root grow old in the earth, and its stock die in the ground,

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

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

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

10But a man dieth, and is prostrate; yea, man expireth, and where is he?

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

11The waters recede from the lake, and the river wasteth and drieth up:

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

12So man lieth down, and riseth not again; till the heavens be no more, they do not awake, nor are raised out of their sleep.

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.

13Oh that thou wouldest hide me in Sheol, that thou wouldest keep me secret until thine anger be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me, —

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!

14(If a man die, shall he live [again]?) all the days of my time of toil would I wait, till my change should come:

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.

15Thou wouldest call, and I would answer thee; thou wouldest have a desire after the work of thy hands.

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

16For now thou numberest my steps: dost thou not watch over my sin?

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

17My transgression is sealed up in a bag, and thou heapest up mine iniquity.

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

18And indeed a mountain falling cometh to nought, and the rock is removed out of its place;

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

19The waters wear the stones, the floods thereof wash away the dust of the earth; and thou destroyest the hope of man.

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.

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

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

21His sons come to honour, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, and he perceiveth it not.

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

22But his flesh hath pain for himself alone, and his soul mourneth for himself.

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