Job 14
English Standard Version
Job Continues: Death Comes Soon to All
14 “Man who is (A)born of a woman
is (B)few of days and (C)full of trouble.
2 He comes out like (D)a flower and (E)withers;
he flees like (F)a shadow and continues not.
3 And do you (G)open your eyes on such a one
and (H)bring me into judgment with you?
4 Who can bring (I)a clean thing out of an unclean?
There is not one.
5 Since his (J)days are determined,
and (K)the number of his months is with you,
and you have appointed his limits that he cannot pass,
6 (L)look away from him and leave him alone,[a]
that he may enjoy, like (M)a hired hand, his day.
7 “For there is hope for a tree,
if it be cut down, that it will sprout again,
and that its shoots will not cease.
8 Though its root grow old in the earth,
and (N)its stump die in the soil,
9 yet at the scent of water it will bud
and put out (O)branches like a young plant.
10 But a man dies and is laid low;
man breathes his last, and (P)where is he?
11 (Q)As waters fail from a lake
and a river wastes away and dries up,
12 so a man lies down and rises not again;
till (R)the heavens are no more he will not awake
or be (S)roused out of his sleep.
13 Oh that you would (T)hide me in (U)Sheol,
that you would (V)conceal me (W)until your wrath be past,
that you would appoint me a set time, and remember me!
14 If a man dies, shall he live again?
All the days of my (X)service I would (Y)wait,
till my renewal[b] should come.
15 You would (Z)call, and I would answer you;
you would long for the (AA)work of your hands.
16 For then you would (AB)number my steps;
you would not keep (AC)watch over my sin;
17 my transgression would be (AD)sealed up in a bag,
and you would cover over my iniquity.
18 “But the mountain falls and (AE)crumbles away,
and (AF)the rock is removed from its place;
19 the waters wear away the stones;
the torrents wash away the soil of the earth;
so you destroy the hope of man.
20 You prevail forever against him, and he passes;
you change his countenance, and send him away.
21 His sons come to honor, and he (AG)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.”
Job 14
International Standard Version
Human Beings Live and Die
14 Human beings born by women
are short-lived[a] and full of trouble.
2 He springs up[b] like a flower and then withers.[c]
Like a shadow, he disappears[d] and doesn’t last.
3 Indeed, have you opened your eyes on one like this—
to bring me into a legal fight with you?
4 Who can produce a clean thing from an unclean thing?
No one!
5 Since his days have been determined,
the number of his months is known to you.
You’ve set his limit
and he cannot exceed it.
6 Look away from him and leave him alone,
so he can enjoy his time, like a hired worker.”
Death is Certain
7 “There is hope for the tree, if it is cut down,
that it will sprout again,
and that its shoots won’t stop growing.
8 Even if its roots have grown ancient in the earth,
and its stump begins to rot[e] in the ground,
9 the presence[f] of water will make it to bud
so that it sprouts new branches like a young plant.
10 “But when a person[g] dies and wastes away,
when a person[h] breathes his last, where will he be?
11 As water disappears from the sea,
or water evaporates from a river,
12 so also a person[i] lies down and does not get up;
they won’t awaken until the heavens are no more,
nor will they arise from their sleep.”
There is Life after Death
13 “Won’t you keep me safe in the afterlife?[j]
Conceal me until your anger subsides.
Set an appointment for me,
then remember me.
14 If a human being[k] dies, will he live again?
I will endure the entire time of my assigned service,
until I am changed.[l]
15 You’ll call and I’ll answer you;
you’ll long for your creatures that your hands have made.[m]
16 Then you’ll certainly count every step I took,
but you won’t keep an inventory of my sin.
17 My transgressions would be sealed up in a bag;
you would cover over my sins.
18 “Mountains fall and crumble;
rocks are dislodged from their places.
19 Water wears away stones;
floods wash away topsoil from the land—
but you destroy the hope of human beings just like that!
20 You overpower him once and for all, and then he departs;
you change his appearance and then send him away.
21 “If his children are honored, he doesn’t know it;
if they become insignificant, he never perceives it.
22 He feels only his own pain,[n]
and grieves only for himself.”
Footnotes
- Job 14:1 Lit. is of short days
- Job 14:2 Lit. goes out
- Job 14:2 Lit. is cut off
- Job 14:2 Lit. flees
- Job 14:8 Lit. die
- Job 14:9 Lit. scent
- Job 14:10 Lit. man
- Job 14:10 Lit. the valiant man
- Job 14:12 Lit. man
- Job 14:13 Lit. in Sheol; i.e. the realm of the dead
- Job 14:14 Lit. strong man
- Job 14:14 Lit. until my change comes; i.e. change in bodily state at the resurrection; cf. 1 Cor 15:51
- Job 14:15 Lit. for the work of your hands
- Job 14:22 Lit. flesh
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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