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14 Anyone born of woman
is short of days and full of trouble.(A)
He blossoms like a flower, then withers;(B)
he flees like a shadow and does not last.
Do you really take notice of one like this?
Will you bring me into judgement against you?[a],(C)
Who can produce something pure from what is impure?
No one!
Since a person’s days are determined
and the number of his months depends on you,
and since you have set[b] limits he cannot pass,(D)
look away from him and let him rest
so that he can enjoy his day like a hired worker.(E)

There is hope for a tree:
If it is cut down, it will sprout again,
and its shoots will not die.
If its roots grow old in the ground
and its stump starts to die in the soil,
the scent of water makes it thrive
and produce twigs like a sapling.(F)
10 But a person dies and fades away;
he breathes his last – where is he?
11 As water disappears from a lake
and a river becomes parched and dry,
12 so people lie down never to rise again.
They will not wake up until the heavens are no more;(G)
they will not stir from their sleep.

13 If only you would hide me in Sheol(H)
and conceal me until your anger(I) passes.
If only you would appoint a time for me
and then remember me.
14 When a person dies, will he come back to life?
If so, I would wait(J) all the days of my struggle(K)
until my relief comes.
15 You would call, and I would answer you.
You would long for the work of your hands.(L)
16 For then you would count my steps(M)
but would not take note(N) of my sin.
17 My rebellion would be sealed up in a bag,
and you would cover over my iniquity.

18 But as a mountain collapses and crumbles
and a rock is dislodged from its place,
19 as water wears away stones
and torrents wash away the soil from the land,
so you destroy a man’s hope.(O)
20 You completely overpower him, and he passes away;
you change his appearance and send him away.
21 If his sons receive honour, he does not know it;
if they become insignificant, he is unaware of it.(P)
22 He feels only the pain of his own body
and mourns only for himself.

Footnotes

  1. 14:3 LXX, Syr, Vg read him
  2. 14:5 Lit set his

14 “Man that is born of a woman
    is of few days, and full of trouble.
He comes forth like a flower, and withers;
    he flees like a shadow, and continues not.
And dost thou open thy eyes upon such a one
    and bring him[a] into judgment with thee?
Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean?
    There is not one.
Since his days are determined,
    and the number of his months is with thee,
    and thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass,
look away from him, and desist,[b]
    that he may enjoy, like a hireling, his day.

“For there is hope for a tree,
    if it be cut down, that it will sprout again,
    and that its shoots will not cease.
Though its root grow old in the earth,
    and its stump die in the ground,
yet at the scent of water it will bud
    and put forth branches like a young plant.
10 But man dies, and is laid low;
    man breathes his last, and where is he?
11 As waters fail from a lake,
    and a river wastes away and dries up,
12 so man lies down and rises not again;
    till the heavens are no more he will not awake,
    or be roused out of his sleep.
13 Oh that thou wouldest hide me in Sheol,
    that thou wouldest conceal me until thy wrath be past,
    that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me!
14 If a man die, shall he live again?
    All the days of my service I would wait,
    till my release should come.
15 Thou wouldest call, and I would answer thee;
    thou wouldest long for the work of thy hands.
16 For then thou wouldest number my steps,
    thou wouldest not keep watch over my sin;
17 my transgression would be sealed up in a bag,
    and thou wouldest cover over my iniquity.

18 “But the mountain falls and crumbles away,
    and the rock is removed from its place;
19 the waters wear away the stones;
    the torrents wash away the soil of the earth;
    so thou destroyest the hope of man.
20 Thou prevailest for ever against him, and he passes;
    thou changest his countenance, and sendest him away.
21 His sons come to honor, and he does not know it;
    they are brought low, and he perceives it not.
22 He feels only the pain of his own body,
    and he mourns only for himself.”

Footnotes

  1. Job 14:3 Gk Syr Vg: Heb me
  2. Job 14:6 Cn: Heb that he may desist