Job 7
New American Standard Bible
Job’s Life Seems Futile
7 “[a]Is a person not (A)forced to labor on earth,
And are his days not like the days of (B)a hired worker?
2 As a slave pants for the shade,
And as a hired worker who eagerly waits for his wages,
3 So I am allotted worthless months,
And (C)nights of trouble are apportioned to me.
4 When I (D)lie down, I say,
‘When shall I arise?’
But the night continues,
And I am continually tossing until dawn.
5 My (E)flesh is clothed with maggots and a crust of dirt,
My skin hardens and [b]oozes.
6 My days are (F)swifter than a weaver’s shuttle,
And they come to an end (G)without hope.
7 “Remember that my life (H)is a mere breath;
My eye will (I)not see goodness again.
8 The (J)eye of him who sees me will no longer look at me;
Your eyes will be on me, but (K)I will not exist.
9 When a (L)cloud vanishes, it is gone;
In the same way (M)one who goes down to [c](N)Sheol does not come up.
10 He will not return to his house again,
Nor will (O)his place know about him anymore.
11 “Therefore (P)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, or (Q)the sea monster,
That You set a guard over me?
13 If I say, ‘(R)My couch will comfort me,
My bed will [d]ease my complaint,’
14 Then You frighten me with dreams,
And terrify me by visions,
15 So that my soul would choose suffocation,
Death rather than my [e]pains.
16 I [f](S)waste away; I will not live forever.
Leave me alone, (T)for my days are only a breath.
17 (U)What is man that You exalt him,
And that You [g]are concerned about him,
18 That (V)You examine him every morning
And put him to the test every moment?
19 [h](W)Will You never turn Your gaze away from me,
Nor leave me alone until I swallow my spittle?
20 (X)Have I sinned? What have I done to You,
(Y)Watcher of mankind?
Why have You made me Your target,
So that I am a burden to myself?
21 Why then (Z)do You not forgive my wrongdoing
And take away my [i]guilt?
For now I will (AA)lie down in the dust;
And You will search for me, (AB)but I will no longer exist.”
Job 7
Common English Bible
The human condition
7 Isn’t slavery everyone’s condition on earth,
our days like those of a hired worker?
2 Like a slave we pant for a shadow,
await our task like a hired worker.
3 So I have inherited months of emptiness;
nights of toil have been measured out for me.
4 If I lie down and think—When will I get up?—
night drags on,[a] and restless thoughts fill me until dawn.
5 My flesh is covered with worms and crusted earth;
my skin hardens and oozes.
6 My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle;
they reach their end without hope.[b]
7 Remember that my life is wind;
my eyes won’t see pleasure again.
8 The eye that sees me now will no longer look on me;
your eyes will be on me, and I won’t exist.
9 A cloud breaks apart and moves on—
like the one who descends to the grave[c] and won’t rise,
10 won’t return home again,
won’t be recognized in town anymore.
Job wants to be left alone
11 But I won’t keep quiet;
I will speak in the adversity of my spirit,
groan in the bitterness of my life.
12 Am I Sea[d] or the Sea Monster[e]
that you place me under guard?
13 If I say, “My couch will comfort me,”
my bed will diminish my murmuring.
14 You scare me with dreams,
frighten me with visions.
15 I would choose strangling
and death instead of my bones.
16 I reject life;[f] I don’t want to live long;
leave me alone, for my days are empty.
A parody of Psalm 8
17 What are human beings, that you exalt them,
that you take note of them,
18 visit them each morning,
test them every moment?
19 Why not look away from me;
let me alone until I swallow my spit?
20 If I sinned, what did I do to you,
guardian of people?
Why have you made me your target
so that I’m a burden to myself?
21 Why not forgive my sin,
overlook my iniquity?
Then I would lie down in the dust;
you would search hard for me,
and I would not exist.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible