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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.
        He comes up like a flower; then he withers.
        He is like a fleeting shadow; he doesn’t stay long.
You observe this
    and call me to account to you.

“If only an unclean person could become clean![a]
    It’s not possible.
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.
Look away from him, and he will cease to be.[b]
    Meanwhile, he loves life as a laborer loves work.
There is hope for a tree when it is cut down.
    It will sprout again.
    Its shoots will not stop sprouting.
If its roots grow old in the ground
    and its stump dies in the soil,
        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

  1. Job 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.
  2. Job 14:6 Hebrew meaning uncertain.

14 Man born of woman
is short of days and full of trouble.(A)
He blossoms like a flower, then withers;(B)
he flees like a shadow and does not last.
Do You really take notice of one like this?
Will You bring me into judgment against You?[a](C)
Who can produce something pure from what is impure?
No one!
Since man’s days are determined
and the number of his months depends on You,
and since You have set[b] limits he cannot pass,(D)
look away from him and let him rest
so that he can enjoy his day like a hired hand.(E)

There is hope for a tree:
If it is cut down, it will sprout again,
and its shoots will not die.
If its roots grow old in the ground
and its stump starts to die in the soil,
the smell of water makes it thrive
and produce twigs like a sapling.(F)
10 But a man dies and fades away;
he breathes his last—where is he?
11 As water disappears from the sea
and a river becomes parched and dry,
12 so man lies down never to rise again.
They will not wake up until the heavens are no more;(G)
they will not stir from their sleep.

13 If only You would hide me in Sheol(H)
and conceal me until Your anger(I) passes.
If only You would appoint a time for me
and then remember me.
14 When a man dies, will he come back to life?
If so, I would wait(J) all the days of my struggle(K)
until my relief comes.
15 You would call, and I would answer You.
You would long for the work of Your hands.(L)
16 For then You would count my steps(M)
but would not take note(N) of my sin.
17 My rebellion would be sealed up in a bag,
and You would cover over my iniquity.

18 But as a mountain collapses and crumbles
and a rock is dislodged from its place,
19 as water wears away stones
and torrents wash away the soil from the land,
so You destroy a man’s hope.(O)
20 You completely overpower him, and he passes on;
You change his appearance and send him away.
21 If his sons receive honor, he does not know it;
if they become insignificant, he is unaware of it.(P)
22 He feels only the pain of his own body
and mourns only for himself.

Footnotes

  1. Job 14:3 LXX, Syr, Vg read him
  2. Job 14:5 Lit set his

14 “Mortals, born of woman,(A)
    are of few days(B) and full of trouble.(C)
They spring up like flowers(D) and wither away;(E)
    like fleeting shadows,(F) they do not endure.(G)
Do you fix your eye on them?(H)
    Will you bring them[a] before you for judgment?(I)
Who can bring what is pure(J) from the impure?(K)
    No one!(L)
A person’s days are determined;(M)
    you have decreed the number of his months(N)
    and have set limits he cannot exceed.(O)
So look away from him and let him alone,(P)
    till he has put in his time like a hired laborer.(Q)

“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)
Its roots may grow old in the ground
    and its stump(U) die in the soil,
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)

Footnotes

  1. Job 14:3 Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac; Hebrew me
  2. Job 14:14 Or release