Isn’t each person consigned to forced labor(A) on earth?
Are not his days like those of a hired worker?
Like a slave he longs for shade;
like a hired worker he waits for his pay.
So I have been made to inherit months of futility,
and troubled nights have been assigned to me.(B)
When I lie down I think,
“When will I get up?”
But the evening drags on endlessly,
and I toss and turn until dawn.
My flesh is clothed with maggots and encrusted with dirt.[a]
My skin forms scabs[b] and then oozes.(C)

My days pass more swiftly than a weaver’s shuttle;
they come to an end without hope.(D)
Remember that my life is but a breath.
My eye will never again see anything good.(E)
The eye of anyone who looks on me
will no longer see me.
Your eyes will look for me, but I will be gone.(F)
As a cloud fades away and vanishes,
so the one who goes down to Sheol(G) will never rise again.
10 He will never return to his house;
his hometown will no longer remember[c] him.(H)

11 Therefore I will not restrain my mouth.
I will speak in the anguish of my spirit;
I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.
12 Am I the sea[d](I) or a sea monster,(J)
that you keep me under guard?
13 When I say, “My bed will comfort me,
and my couch will ease my complaint,”
14 then you frighten me with dreams,
and terrify me with visions,(K)
15 so that I prefer strangling[e]
death rather than life in this body.[f](L)
16 I give up! I will not live forever.
Leave me alone,(M) for my days are a breath.[g]

17 What is a mere human, that you think so highly of him
and pay so much attention to him?(N)
18 You inspect him every morning,
and put him to the test every moment.(O)
19 Will you ever look away from me,
or leave me alone long enough to swallow?[h]
20 If I have sinned, what have I done to you,
Watcher of humanity?
Why have you made me your target,(P)
so that I have become a burden to you?[i]
21 Why not forgive my sin
and pardon my iniquity?(Q)
For soon I will lie down in the grave.(R)
You will eagerly seek me, but I will be gone.(S)

Footnotes

  1. 7:5 Or and dirty scabs
  2. 7:5 Lit skin hardens
  3. 7:10 Lit know
  4. 7:12 Or the sea god
  5. 7:15 Or suffocation
  6. 7:15 Lit than my bones
  7. 7:16 Or are futile
  8. 7:19 Lit swallow my saliva?
  9. 7:20 Alt Hb tradition, LXX; MT, Vg read myself

Job: My Suffering Is Comfortless

Is there not (A)a time of hard service for man on earth?
Are not his days also like the days of a hired man?
Like a servant who [a]earnestly desires the shade,
And like a hired man who eagerly looks for his wages,
So I have been allotted (B)months of futility,
And wearisome nights have been appointed to me.
(C)When I lie down, I say, ‘When shall I arise,
And the night be ended?’
For I have had my fill of tossing till dawn.
My flesh is (D)caked with worms and dust,
My skin is cracked and breaks out afresh.

“My(E) days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle,
And are spent without hope.
Oh, remember that (F)my life is a breath!
My eye will never again see good.
(G)The eye of him who sees me will see me no more;
While your eyes are upon me, I shall no longer be.
As the cloud disappears and vanishes away,
So (H)he who goes down to the grave does not come up.
10 He shall never return to his house,
(I)Nor shall his place know him anymore.

11 “Therefore I will (J)not restrain my mouth;
I will speak in the anguish of my spirit;
I will (K)complain in the bitterness of my soul.
12 Am I a sea, or a sea serpent,
That You set a guard over me?
13 (L)When I say, ‘My bed will comfort me,
My couch will ease my complaint,’
14 Then You scare me with dreams
And terrify me with visions,
15 So that my soul chooses strangling
And death rather than [b]my body.
16 (M)I loathe my life;
I would not live forever.
(N)Let me alone,
For (O)my days are but [c]a breath.

17 “What(P) is man, that You should exalt him,
That You should set Your heart on him,
18 That You should [d]visit him every morning,
And test him every moment?
19 How long?
Will You not look away from me,
And let me alone till I swallow my saliva?
20 Have I sinned?
What have I done to You, (Q)O watcher of men?
Why (R)have You set me as Your target,
So that I am a burden [e]to myself?
21 Why then do You not pardon my transgression,
And take away my iniquity?
For now I will lie down in the dust,
And You will seek me diligently,
But I will no longer be.

Footnotes

  1. Job 7:2 Lit. pants for
  2. Job 7:15 Lit. my bones
  3. Job 7:16 Without substance, futile
  4. Job 7:18 attend to
  5. Job 7:20 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; LXX, Jewish tradition to You

「人生在世豈不像服勞役嗎?
他有生之年豈不像個雇工嗎?
他像切望陰涼的奴隸,
又如盼望報酬的雇工。
同樣,我註定要度過虛空的歲月,
熬過悲慘的黑夜。
我躺在床上,想著何時起來。
長夜漫漫,我輾轉難眠,直到拂曉。
我身上佈滿蛆蟲、傷疤,
皮膚破裂,流膿不止。
我的年日飛逝,比梭還快,
轉眼結束,毫無盼望。

「上帝啊,別忘了我的生命不過是一口氣,
我再也看不見幸福。
注視我的眼睛將再也看不見我,
你將尋找我,而我已不復存在。
人死後一去不返,
就像煙消雲散;
10 他永不再返回家園,
故土也不再認識他。

11 「因此我不再緘默不語,
我要吐露胸中的悲愁,
傾訴心裡的苦楚。
12 上帝啊,我豈是大海,豈是海怪,
值得你這樣防範我?
13 我以為床鋪是我的安慰,
臥榻可解除我的哀愁,
14 你卻用噩夢驚我,
用異象嚇我,
15 以致我寧願窒息而死,
也不願這樣活著。
16 我厭惡生命,不想永活。
不要管我,因為我的日子都是虛空。

17 「人算什麼,你竟這樣看重他,
這樣關注他?
18 你天天早上察看他,
時時刻刻考驗他。
19 你的視線何時離開我,
給我嚥口唾沫的時間?
20 鑒察世人的主啊,
我若犯了罪,又於你何妨?
為何把我當成你的箭靶?
難道我成了你的重擔?
21 為何不赦免我的過犯,
饒恕我的罪惡?
我很快將歸於塵土,
你將尋找我,
而我已不復存在。」