Job 7

1Has not man his ordered time of trouble on the earth? and are not his days like the days of a servant working for payment?

1Is there not a warfare to man on earth? And as the days of an hireling his days?

2As a servant desiring the shades of evening, and a workman looking for his payment:

2As a servant desireth the shadow, And as a hireling expecteth his wage,

3So I have for my heritage months of pain to no purpose, and nights of weariness are given to me.

3So I have been caused to inherit months of vanity, And nights of misery they numbered to me.

4When I go to my bed, I say, When will it be time to get up? but the night is long, and I am turning from side to side till morning light.

4If I lay down then I said, `When do I rise!' And evening hath been measured, And I have been full of tossings till dawn.

5My flesh is covered with worms and dust; my skin gets hard and then is cracked again.

5Clothed hath been my flesh <FI>with<Fi> worms, And a clod of dust, My skin hath been shrivelled and is loathsome,

6My days go quicker than the cloth-worker's thread, and come to an end without hope.

6My days swifter than a weaving machine, And they are consumed without hope.

7O, keep in mind that my life is wind: my eye will never again see good.

7Remember Thou that my life <FI>is<Fi> a breath, Mine eye turneth not back to see good.

8The eye of him who sees me will see me no longer: your eyes will be looking for me, but I will be gone.

8The eye of my beholder beholdeth me not. Thine eyes <FI>are<Fi> upon me--and I am not.

9A cloud comes to an end and is gone; so he who goes down into the underworld comes not up again.

9Consumed hath been a cloud, and it goeth, So he who is going down to Sheol cometh not up.

10He will not come back to his house, and his place will have no more knowledge of him.

10He turneth not again to his house, Nor doth his place discern him again.

11So I will not keep my mouth shut; I will let the words come from it in the pain of my spirit, my soul will make a bitter outcry.

11Also I--I withhold not my mouth--I speak in the distress of my spirit, I talk in the bitterness of my soul.

12Am I a sea, or a sea-beast, that you put a watch over me?

12A sea-<FI> monster<Fi> am I, or a dragon, That thou settest over me a guard?

13When I say, In my bed I will have comfort, there I will get rest from my disease;

13When I said, `My bed doth comfort me,' He taketh away in my talking my couch.

14Then you send dreams to me, and visions of fear;

14And thou hast affrighted me with dreams, And from visions thou terrifiest me,

15So that a hard death seems better to my soul than my pains.

15And my soul chooseth strangling, Death rather than my bones.

16I have no desire for life, I would not be living for ever! Keep away from me, for my days are as a breath.

16I have wasted away--not to the age do I live. Cease from me, for my days <FI>are<Fi> vanity.

17What is man, that you have made him great, and that your attention is fixed on him,

17What <FI>is<Fi> man that Thou dost magnify him? And that Thou settest unto him Thy heart?

18And that your hand is on him every morning, and that you are testing him every minute?

18And inspectest him in the mornings, In the evenings dost try him?

19How long will it be before your eyes are turned away from me, so that I may have a minute's breathing-space?

19How long dost Thou not look from me? Thou dost not desist till I swallow my spittle.

20If I have done wrong, what have I done to you, O keeper of men? why have you made me a mark for your blows, so that I am a weariness to myself?

20I have sinned, what do I to Thee, O watcher of man? Why hast Thou set me for a mark to Thee, And I am for a burden to myself--and what?

21And why do you not take away my sin, and let my wrongdoing be ended? for now I go down to the dust, and you will be searching for me with care, but I will be gone.

21Thou dost not take away my transgression, And cause to pass away mine iniquity, Because now, for dust I lie down: And Thou hast sought me--and I am not!