Job 7
World English Bible
7 “Isn’t a man forced to labor on earth?
Aren’t his days like the days of a hired hand?
2 As a servant who earnestly desires the shadow,
as a hireling who looks for his wages,
3 so I am made to possess months of misery,
wearisome nights are appointed to me.
4 When I lie down, I say,
‘When will I arise, and the night be gone?’
I toss and turn until the dawning of the day.
5 My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust.
My skin closes up, and breaks out afresh.
6 My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle,
and are spent without hope.
7 Oh remember that my life is a breath.
My eye will no more see good.
8 The eye of him who sees me will see me no more.
Your eyes will be on me, but I will not be.
9 As the cloud is consumed and vanishes away,
so he who goes down to Sheol[a] will come up no more.
10 He will return no more to his house,
neither will his place know him any more.
11 “Therefore I will not keep silent.
I will speak in the anguish of my spirit.
I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.
12 Am I a sea, or a sea monster,
that you put a guard over me?
13 When I say, ‘My bed will comfort me.
My couch will ease my complaint;’
14 then you scare me with dreams,
and terrify me through visions:
15 so that my soul chooses strangling,
death rather than my bones.
16 I loathe my life.
I don’t want to live forever.
Leave me alone, for my days are but a breath.
17 What is man, that you should magnify him,
that you should set your mind on him,
18 that you should visit him every morning,
and test him every moment?
19 How long will you not look away from me,
nor leave me alone until I swallow down my spittle?
20 If I have sinned, what do I do to you, you watcher of men?
Why have you set me as a mark for you,
so that I am a burden to myself?
21 Why do you not pardon my disobedience, and take away my iniquity?
For now will I lie down in the dust.
You will seek me diligently, but I will not be.”
Footnotes
- 7:9 Sheol is the place of the dead.
Job 7
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Job: My Suffering Is without End
7 “Do not human beings have a hard service on earth,
and are not their days like the days of a laborer?(A)
2 Like a slave who longs for the shadow,
and like laborers who look for their wages,(B)
3 so I am allotted months of emptiness,
and nights of misery are apportioned to me.(C)
4 When I lie down I say, ‘When shall I rise?’
But the night is long,
and I am full of tossing until dawn.(D)
5 My flesh is clothed with worms and dirt;
my skin hardens, then breaks out again.
6 My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle
and come to their end without hope.[a](E)
7 “Remember that my life is a breath;
my eye will never again see good.(F)
8 The eye that beholds me will see me no more;
while your eyes are upon me, I shall be gone.(G)
9 As the cloud fades and vanishes,
so those who go down to Sheol do not come up;(H)
10 they return no more to their houses,
nor do their places know them any more.(I)
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.(J)
12 Am I the Sea or the Dragon
that you set a guard over me?(K)
13 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,(L)
15 so that I would choose strangling
and death rather than this body.
16 I loathe my life; I would not live forever.
Let me alone, for my days are a breath.(M)
17 What are humans, that you make so much of them,
that you set your mind on them,(N)
18 visit them every morning,
test them every moment?
19 Will you not look away from me for a while,
let me alone until I swallow my spittle?
20 If I sin, what do I do to you, you watcher of humanity?
Why have you made me your target?
Why have I become a burden to you?(O)
21 Why do you not pardon my transgression
and take away my iniquity?
For now I shall lie in the earth;
you will seek me, but I shall not be.”(P)
Footnotes
- 7.6 Or as the thread runs out
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