Job 7

1Is there not a warfare to man upon earth? And are not his days like the days of a hireling?

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?

1The life of man upon earth is a warfare, and his days are like the days of a hireling.

2As a servant that earnestly desireth the shadow, And as a hireling that looketh for his wages:

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

2As a servant longeth for the shade, as the hireling looketh for the end of his work;

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

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

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

4When I lie down, I say, When shall I arise, and the night be gone? And I am full of tossings to and fro unto the dawning of the day.

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 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.

5My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; My skin closeth up, and breaketh out afresh.

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

5My flesh is clothed with rottenness and the filth of dust; my skin is withered and drawn together.

6My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, And are spent without hope.

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

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

7Oh remember that my life is a breath: Mine eye shall no more see good.

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

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

8The eye of him that seeth me shall behold me no more; Thine eyes shall be upon me, but I shall not be.

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

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

9As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away, So he that goeth down to Sheol shall come up no more.

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

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

10He shall return no more to his house, Neither shall his place know him any more.

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

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

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

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.

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.

12Am I a sea, or a sea-monster, That thou settest a watch over me?

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

12Am I a sea, or a whale, that thou hast enclosed me in a prison?

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

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

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

14Then thou scarest me with dreams, And terrifiest me through visions:

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

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

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

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

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

16I loathe my life; I would not live alway: Let me alone; for my days are vanity.

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

17What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him, And that thou shouldest set thy mind upon him,

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

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

18And that thou shouldest visit him every morning, And try him every moment?

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

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

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

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

20If I have sinned, what do I unto thee, O thou watcher of men? Why hast thou set me as a mark for thee, So that I am a burden to myself?

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 shall I do to thee, O keeper of men? why hast thou set me opposite to thee. and am I become burdensome to myself?

21And why dost thou not pardon my transgression, and take away mine iniquity? For now shall I lie down in the dust; And thou wilt seek me diligently, but I shall not be.

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.

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.