Job 7

1The life of man upon earth is a warfare, and his days are 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 servant longeth for the shade, as the hireling looketh for the end of his work;

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

3So I also have had empty months, and have numbered to myself wearisome nights.

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

4If I lie down to sleep, I shall say: When shall I rise? and again, I shall look for the evening, and shall be filled with sorrows even till darkness.

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 rottenness and the filth of dust; my skin is withered and drawn together.

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

6My days have passed more swiftly than the web is cut by the weaver, and are consumed without any hope.

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

7Remember that my life is but wind, and my eye shall not return to see good things.

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

8Nor shall the sight of man behold me: thy eyes are upon me, and I shall be no more.

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

9As a cloud is consumed, and passeth away: so he that shall go down to hell shall not come up.

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

10Nor shall he return any more into his house, neither shall his place know him any more

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

11Wherefore, I will not spare my mouth, I will speak in the affliction of my spirit: I will talk with 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 whale, that thou hast enclosed me in a prison?

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

13If I say: My bed shall comfort me, and I shall be relieved, speaking with myself on my couch:

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

14Thou wilt frighten me with dreams, and terrify me with visions.

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

15So that my soul rather chooseth hanging, and my bones death.

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

16I have done with hope, I shall now live no longer: spare me, for my days are nothing.

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

17What is a man, that thou shouldst magnify him or why dost thou set thy heart upon him?

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

18Thou visitest him early in the morning, and thou provest him suddenly.

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

19How long wilt thou not spare me, nor suffer me to swallow down my spittle?

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

20I have sinned: what shall I do to thee, O keeper of men? why hast thou set me opposite to thee. and am I become burdensome 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?

21Why dost thou not remove my sin, and why dost thou not take away my iniquity? Behold now I shall sleep in the dust: and if thou seek me in the morning, 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!