The Book of Job

Man born of a woman, living for a short time, is filled with many miseries.

Who cometh forth like a flower, and is destroyed, and fleeth as a shadow, and never continueth in the same state.

And dost thou think it meet to open thy eyes upon such an one, and to bring him into judgment with thee?

Who can make him clean that is conceived of unclean seed? is it not thou who only art?

The days of man are short, and the number of his months is with thee: thou hast appointed his bounds which cannot be passed.

Depart a little from him, that he may rest, until his wished for day come, as that of the hireling.

A tree hath hope: if it be cut, it groweth green again, and the boughs thereof sprout.

If its root be old in the earth, and its stock be dead in the dust:

At the scent of water, it shall spring, and bring forth leaves, as when it was first planted.

But man when he shall be dead, and stripped and consumed, I pray you where is he?

As if the waters should depart out of the sea, and an emptied river should be dried up:

So man when he is fallen asleep shall not rise again; till the heavens be broken, he shall not awake, nor rise up out of his sleep.

Who will grant me this, that thou mayst protect me in hell, and hide me till thy wrath pass, and appoint me a. time when thou wilt remember me?

Shall man that is dead, thinkest thou, live again? all the days in which I am now in warfare, I expect until my change come.

Thou shalt call me, and I will answer thee: to the work of thy hands thou shalt reach out thy right hand.

Thou indeed hast numbered my steps, but spare my sins.

Thou hast sealed up my offences as it were in a bag, but hast cured my iniquity.

A mountain falling cometh to nought, and a rock is removed out of its place.

Waters wear away the stones, and with inundation the ground by little and little is washed away: so in like manner thou shalt destroy man.

Thou hast strengthened him for a little while, that he may pass away for ever: thou shalt change his face, and shalt send him away.

Whether his children come to honour or dishonour, he shall not understand.

But yet his flesh, while he shall live, shall have pain, and his soul shall mourn over him.

“Man, who is born of a woman, is of few days, and full of trouble.

He grows up like a flower, and is cut down. He also flees like a shadow, and doesn’t continue.

Do you open your eyes on such a one, and bring me into judgment with you?

Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one.

Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months is with you, and you have appointed his bounds that he can’t pass.

Look away from him, that he may rest, until he accomplishes, as a hireling, his day.

“For there is hope for a tree if it is cut down, that it will sprout again, that the tender branch of it will not cease.

Though its root grows old in the earth, and its stock dies in the ground,

yet through the scent of water it will bud, and sprout boughs like a plant.

But man dies, and is laid low. Yes, man gives up the spirit, and where is he?

As the waters fail from the sea, and the river wastes and dries up,

so man lies down and doesn’t rise. Until the heavens are no more, they will not awake, nor be roused out of their sleep.

“Oh that you would hide me in Sheol,(a) that you would keep me secret until your wrath is past, that you would appoint me a set time and remember me!

If a man dies, will he live again? I would wait all the days of my warfare, until my release should come.

You would call, and I would answer you. You would have a desire for the work of your hands.

But now you count my steps. Don’t you watch over my sin?

My disobedience is sealed up in a bag. You fasten up my iniquity.

“But the mountain falling comes to nothing. The rock is removed out of its place.

The waters wear the stones. The torrents of it wash away the dust of the earth. So you destroy the hope of man.

You forever prevail against him, and he departs. You change his face, and send him away.

His sons come to honor, and he doesn’t know it. They are brought low, but he doesn’t perceive it of them.

But his flesh on him has pain, and his soul within him mourns.”

(a)14:13 Sheol is the place of the dead.