Job 14
International Children’s Bible
14 “All of us born to women
live only a few days and have a lot of trouble.
2 We grow up like flowers and then dry up and go away.
We are like a passing shadow that does not last.
3 Lord, do you need to watch someone like this?
Do you need to bring him before you to be judged?
4 I wish something clean could come from something unclean.
But it never can!
5 Our time is limited.
You have given us only so many months to live.
You have set limits we cannot go beyond.
6 So look away from us and leave us alone.
Leave us alone until we put in our time like a hired man.
7 “There is hope for a tree.
If you cut it down, it will grow again.
It will keep sending out new branches.
8 Its roots may grow old in the ground.
And its stump may die in the dirt.
9 But at the smell of water it will bud.
It will put out new shoots like a plant.
10 But we die, and our bodies are laid in the ground.
We take our last breath and are gone.
11 Water disappears from a lake.
And a river loses its water and dries up.
12 In the same way we lie down and do not rise again.
We will not get up or be awakened
until the heavens disappear.
13 “I wish you would hide me where the dead are.
Hide me until your anger is gone.
I wish you would set a time
and then remember me!
14 Will the dead live again?
I will wait, struggling hard
until things change for me.
15 You will call, and I will answer you.
You will desire the creature your hands have made.
16 Then you will count my steps.
But you will not keep track of my sin.
17 My wrongs will be closed up in a bag.
And you will cover up my sin.
18 “A mountain washes away and crumbles.
And a rock can be moved from its place.
19 Water washes over stones and wears them down.
And rushing waters wash away the dirt.
In the same way, you destroy hope.
20 You defeat man forever, and he is gone.
You change his appearance and send him away.
21 His sons are honored, but he does not know it.
His sons are disgraced, but he does not see it.
22 He only feels the pain of his body.
And he feels sorry only for himself.”
Job 14
New International Version
14 “Mortals, born of woman,(A)
are of few days(B) and full of trouble.(C)
2 They spring up like flowers(D) and wither away;(E)
like fleeting shadows,(F) they do not endure.(G)
3 Do you fix your eye on them?(H)
Will you bring them[a] before you for judgment?(I)
4 Who can bring what is pure(J) from the impure?(K)
No one!(L)
5 A person’s days are determined;(M)
you have decreed the number of his months(N)
and have set limits he cannot exceed.(O)
6 So look away from him and let him alone,(P)
till he has put in his time like a hired laborer.(Q)
7 “At least there is hope for a tree:(R)
If it is cut down, it will sprout again,
and its new shoots(S) will not fail.(T)
8 Its roots may grow old in the ground
and its stump(U) die in the soil,
9 yet at the scent of water(V) it will bud
and put forth shoots like a plant.(W)
10 But a man dies and is laid low;(X)
he breathes his last and is no more.(Y)
11 As the water of a lake dries up
or a riverbed becomes parched and dry,(Z)
12 so he lies down and does not rise;(AA)
till the heavens are no more,(AB) people will not awake
or be roused from their sleep.(AC)
13 “If only you would hide me in the grave(AD)
and conceal me till your anger has passed!(AE)
If only you would set me a time
and then remember(AF) me!(AG)
14 If someone dies, will they live again?
All the days of my hard service(AH)
I will wait for my renewal[b](AI) to come.
15 You will call and I will answer you;(AJ)
you will long for the creature your hands have made.(AK)
16 Surely then you will count my steps(AL)
but not keep track of my sin.(AM)
17 My offenses will be sealed(AN) up in a bag;(AO)
you will cover over my sin.(AP)
18 “But as a mountain erodes and crumbles(AQ)
and as a rock is moved from its place,(AR)
19 as water wears away stones
and torrents(AS) wash away the soil,(AT)
so you destroy a person’s hope.(AU)
20 You overpower them once for all, and they are gone;(AV)
you change their countenance and send them away.(AW)
21 If their children are honored, they do not know it;
if their offspring are brought low, they do not see it.(AX)
22 They feel but the pain of their own bodies(AY)
and mourn only for themselves.(AZ)”
Job 14
Lexham English Bible
Job Continues to Argue His Case with God
14 “A human being born of a woman
is short of days and full of troubles.[a]
2 Like a flower he comes up, and he withers away;
and he flees like a[b] shadow, but[c] he does not last.
3 Even on such a one you fix your eyes,
and you bring me into judgment with you.
4 “Who can bring a clean thing from an unclean thing?
No one![d]
5 If his days are determined, the number of his months is with you;
you have appointed his boundaries, and he cannot cross them.
6 Look away from him, and let him desist
until he enjoys his days like a laborer.
7 “Indeed, there is hope for a tree:
if it is cut down, then[e] it will sprout again,
and its new shoots will not cease;
8 though its root grows old in the earth,
and its stump dies in the dust,
9 at[f] the scent of water it will bud,
and it will put forth branches like a young plant.
10 “But[g] a man dies, and he dwindles away;
thus[h] a human being passes away, and where is he?[i]
11 As water disappears from a lake,
and a river withers away and dries up,[j]
12 so[k] a man lies down, and he does not arise.
Until the heavens are no more,[l] they will not awaken,
and they will not be roused out of their sleep.
13 “O that[m] you would conceal me in Sheol,
that you would hide me until your wrath is past,[n]
that you would appoint a set time for me and remember me.
14 If a man dies, will he live again?
All the days of my compulsory service I will wait,
until the coming of my relief.
15 You would call, and I myself[o] would answer you;
you would long for the work of your hand.
16 For then[p] you would count my steps,
but you would not keep watch over my sin.
17 My transgression would be sealed in a bag,
and you would cover over my guilt.
18 “But[q] a mountain falls; it crumbles away,
and a rock moves away from its place.
19 Water wears away stones;
its torrents wash away the soil of the earth;
so[r] you destroy the hope of human beings.
20 You overpower him forever, and he passes away;
you change his countenance,[s] then[t] you send him away.
21 His children may come to honor, but[u] he does not know it;
or[v] they may become lowly, but[w] he does not realize it.[x]
22 He feels only the pain of his own body,[y]
and his inner self[z] mourns for him.”[aa]
Footnotes
- Job 14:1 Literally “trouble”
- Job 14:2 Or “the”
- Job 14:2 Hebrew “and”
- Job 14:4 Or “Not one”
- Job 14:7 Hebrew “and”
- Job 14:9 Hebrew “from”
- Job 14:10 Hebrew “And”
- Job 14:10 Hebrew “And”
- Job 14:10 Or “where is he then?”
- Job 14:11 Or “it dries up”
- Job 14:12 Literally “and”
- Job 14:12 Literally “Until not heavens”
- Job 14:13 Literally “Who shall give”
- Job 14:13 Literally “until the return of your nose”
- Job 14:15 Emphatic personal pronoun
- Job 14:16 Hebrew “now”
- Job 14:18 Or “And but”
- Job 14:19 Hebrew “and”
- Job 14:20 Literally “his faces”
- Job 14:20 Hebrew “and”
- Job 14:21 Hebrew “and”
- Job 14:21 Hebrew “and”
- Job 14:21 Hebrew “and”
- Job 14:21 Or “them”
- Job 14:22 Hebrew “his body on him”
- Job 14:22 Or “soul”
- Job 14:22 Or “for himself”
Job 14
New King James Version
Job Speaks of Life’s Woes
14 “Man who is born of woman
Is of few days and (A)full of [a]trouble.
2 (B)He comes forth like a flower and fades away;
He flees like a shadow and does not continue.
3 And (C)do You open Your eyes on such a one,
And (D)bring [b]me to judgment with Yourself?
4 Who (E)can bring a clean thing out of an unclean?
No one!
5 (F)Since his days are determined,
The number of his months is with You;
You have appointed his limits, so that he cannot pass.
6 (G)Look away from him that he may [c]rest,
Till (H)like a hired man he finishes his day.
7 “For there is hope for a tree,
If it is cut down, that it will sprout again,
And that its tender shoots will not cease.
8 Though its root may grow old in the earth,
And its stump may die in the ground,
9 Yet at the scent of water it will bud
And bring forth branches like a plant.
10 But man dies and [d]is laid away;
Indeed he [e]breathes his last
And where is (I)he?
11 As water disappears from the sea,
And a river becomes parched and dries up,
12 So man lies down and does not rise.
(J)Till the heavens are no more,
They will not awake
Nor be roused from their sleep.
13 “Oh, that You would hide me in the grave,
That You would conceal me until Your wrath is 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 hard service (K)I will wait,
Till my change comes.
15 (L)You shall call, and I will answer You;
You shall desire the work of Your hands.
16 For now (M)You number my steps,
But do not watch over my sin.
17 (N)My transgression is sealed up in a bag,
And You [f]cover my iniquity.
18 “But as a mountain falls and crumbles away,
And as a rock is moved from its place;
19 As water wears away stones,
And as torrents wash away the soil of the earth;
So You destroy the hope of man.
20 You prevail forever against him, and he passes on;
You change his countenance and send him away.
21 His sons come to honor, and (O)he does not know it;
They are brought low, and he does not perceive it.
22 But his flesh will be in pain over it,
And his soul will mourn over it.”
Job 14
GOD’S WORD Translation
Job Continues: Consider My Frail Human Nature, God
14 “A person who is born of a woman is short-lived and is full of trouble.
2 He comes up like a flower; then he withers.
He is like a fleeting shadow; he doesn’t stay long.
3 You observe this
and call me to account to you.
4 “If only an unclean person could become clean![a]
It’s not possible.
5 If the number of his days
and the number of his months are determined by you,
and you set his limit,
then he cannot go past it.
6 Look away from him, and he will cease to be.
Meanwhile, he loves life as a laborer loves work.
7 There is hope for a tree when it is cut down.
It will sprout again.
Its shoots will not stop sprouting.
8 If its roots grow old in the ground
and its stump dies in the soil,
9 merely a scent of water will make it sprout
and grow branches like a plant.
10 But a human dies and is powerless.
A person breathes his last breath, and where is he?
11 ⌞As⌟ water drains out of a lake,
or ⌞as⌟ a river dries up completely,
12 so each person lies down
and does not rise until the heavens cease to exist.
He does not wake up.
He is not awakened from his sleep.
13 I wish you would hide me in Sheol
and keep me hidden there until your anger cools.
Set a specific time for me when you will remember me.
14 “If a person dies, will he go on living?
I will wait for my relief to come
as long as my hard labor continues.
15 You will call, and I will answer you.
You will long for the person your hands have made.
16 Though now you count my steps,
you will not keep ⌞a record of⌟ my sins.
17 My disobedience will be closed up in a bag,
and you will cover over my sins.
18 As surely as a mountain falls
and rocks are dislodged,
19 ⌞so⌟ water wears away stone,
floods wash away soil from the land,
and you destroy a mortal’s hope.
20 You overpower him forever, and he passes away.
You change his appearance and send him away.
21 His sons are honored, and he doesn’t know it.
Or they become unimportant, and he doesn’t realize it.
22 He feels only his body’s pain.
He is only worried about himself.”
Footnotes
- 14:4 “Unclean ” refers to anything that Moses’ Teachings say is not presentable to God. “Clean” refers to anything that Moses’ Teachings say is presentable to God.
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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