Job 7

1Hath not man a life of labour upon earth? and are not his days like the days of a hireling?

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

2As a bondman earnestly desireth the shadow, and a hireling expecteth his wages,

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

3So am I made to possess months of vanity, and wearisome nights are appointed to me.

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

4If I lie down, I say, When shall I rise up, and the darkness be gone? and I am full of tossings until the dawn.

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 clothed with worms and clods of dust; my skin is broken, and suppurates.

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

6My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and are spent without hope.

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

7Remember thou that my life is wind; mine eye shall no more see good.

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

8The eye of him that hath seen me shall behold me no [more]: thine eyes are upon me, and I am not.

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

9The cloud consumeth and vanisheth away; so he that goeth down to Sheol shall not come up.

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

10He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him again.

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

11Therefore I will not restrain my mouth: I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.

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-monster, that thou settest a watch over me?

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

13When I say, My bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaint;

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

14Then thou scarest me with dreams, and terrifiest me through visions;

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

15So that my soul chooseth strangling, death, rather than my bones.

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

16I loathe it; I shall not live always: let me alone, for my days are 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 thou makest much of him? and that thou settest thy heart upon him?

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

18And that thou visitest him every morning, triest him every moment?

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

19How long wilt thou not look away from me, nor let me alone till I swallow down my spittle?

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

20Have I sinned, what do I unto thee, thou Observer of men? Why hast thou set me as an object of assault for thee, so that I am become a burden 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 dost not thou forgive my transgression and take away mine iniquity? for now shall I lie down in the dust, and thou shalt seek me early, and I shall not be.

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!