14 1 Job describeth the shortness and misery of the life of man. 14 Hope sustaineth the godly. 21 The condition of man’s life.

Man [a]that is born of woman, is of short continuance and full of trouble.

He shooteth forth as a flower, and is cut down: he vanisheth also as a (A)shadow, and continueth not.

And yet thou openest thine eyes upon such [b]one, and causest me to enter into judgment with thee.

(B)Who can bring a clean thing out of filthiness? there is not one.

Are not his days determined? the number of his months are with thee: thou hast appointed his bound, which he cannot pass.

Turn from him that he may cease until his desired day, [c]as an hireling.

For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will yet sprout, and the branches thereof will not cease.

Though the root of it wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof be dead in the ground,

Yet by the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant.

10 [d]But man is sick, and dieth, and man perisheth, and where is he?

11 As the waters pass from the sea, and as the flood decayeth and drieth up,

12 So man sleepeth and riseth not: for he shall not wake again, nor be raised from his sleep till the heaven be no more.

13 Oh that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, and keep me secret, until thy [e]wrath were past, and wouldest give me term, and [f]remember me!

14 If a man die, shall he live again? All the days of mine appointed time will I wait, till [g]my changing shall come.

15 Thou shalt call me, and I will [h]answer thee: thou lovest the work of thine own hands.

16 But now thou (C)numberest my steps, and doest not delay my sins.

17 Mine iniquity is sealed up, as in a [i]bag, and thou addest unto my wickedness.

18 And surely as the mountain that falleth, cometh to nought, and the [j]rock that is removed from his place:

19 As the water breaketh the stones, when thou overflowest the things which grow in the dust of the earth: so thou destroyest the hope of man.

20 Thou prevailest always against him, so that he passeth away: he changeth his face when thou castest him away.

21 And he knoweth not if his sons shall be honorable, neither shall he understand concerning them, whether they shall be of low degree,

22 But while his [k]flesh is upon him, he shall be sorrowful, and while his soul is in him, it shall mourn.

Footnotes

  1. Job 14:1 Taking occasion of his adversary’s words, he describeth the state of man’s life from his birth to his death.
  2. Job 14:3 His meaning is, that seeing that man is so frail a creature, God should not handle him so extremely, wherein Job showeth the wickedness of the flesh, when it is not subject to the Spirit.
  3. Job 14:6 Until the time that thou hast appointed for him to die, which he desireth as the hireling waiteth for the end of his labor to receive his wages.
  4. Job 14:10 He speaketh not here as though he had not hope of the immortality, but as a man in extreme pain, when reason is overcome by affections and torments.
  5. Job 14:13 Hereby he declareth that the fear of God’s judgment was the cause why he desired to die.
  6. Job 14:13 That is, release my pains and take me to mercy.
  7. Job 14:14 Meaning, unto the day of the resurrection when he should be changed, and renewed.
  8. Job 14:15 Though I be afflicted in this life, yet in the resurrection I shall feel thy mercies and answer when thou callest me.
  9. Job 14:17 Thou layest them all together, and sufferest none of my sins unpunished.
  10. Job 14:18 He murmureth through the impatience of the flesh against God, as though he used as great severity against him as against the hard rocks, or waters that overflow, so that hereby all the occasion of his hope is taken away.
  11. Job 14:22 Yet while he shall be in pain, and misery.

14 “Mortals, born of woman,(A)
    are of few days(B) and full of trouble.(C)
They spring up like flowers(D) and wither away;(E)
    like fleeting shadows,(F) they do not endure.(G)
Do you fix your eye on them?(H)
    Will you bring them[a] before you for judgment?(I)
Who can bring what is pure(J) from the impure?(K)
    No one!(L)
A person’s days are determined;(M)
    you have decreed the number of his months(N)
    and have set limits he cannot exceed.(O)
So look away from him and let him alone,(P)
    till he has put in his time like a hired laborer.(Q)

“At least there is hope for a tree:(R)
    If it is cut down, it will sprout again,
    and its new shoots(S) will not fail.(T)
Its roots may grow old in the ground
    and its stump(U) die in the soil,
yet at the scent of water(V) it will bud
    and put forth shoots like a plant.(W)
10 But a man dies and is laid low;(X)
    he breathes his last and is no more.(Y)
11 As the water of a lake dries up
    or a riverbed becomes parched and dry,(Z)
12 so he lies down and does not rise;(AA)
    till the heavens are no more,(AB) people will not awake
    or be roused from their sleep.(AC)

13 “If only you would hide me in the grave(AD)
    and conceal me till your anger has passed!(AE)
If only you would set me a time
    and then remember(AF) me!(AG)
14 If someone dies, will they live again?
    All the days of my hard service(AH)
    I will wait for my renewal[b](AI) to come.
15 You will call and I will answer you;(AJ)
    you will long for the creature your hands have made.(AK)
16 Surely then you will count my steps(AL)
    but not keep track of my sin.(AM)
17 My offenses will be sealed(AN) up in a bag;(AO)
    you will cover over my sin.(AP)

18 “But as a mountain erodes and crumbles(AQ)
    and as a rock is moved from its place,(AR)
19 as water wears away stones
    and torrents(AS) wash away the soil,(AT)
    so you destroy a person’s hope.(AU)
20 You overpower them once for all, and they are gone;(AV)
    you change their countenance and send them away.(AW)
21 If their children are honored, they do not know it;
    if their offspring are brought low, they do not see it.(AX)
22 They feel but the pain of their own bodies(AY)
    and mourn only for themselves.(AZ)

Footnotes

  1. Job 14:3 Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac; Hebrew me
  2. Job 14:14 Or release