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Job 7
Common English Bible
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.
Job 7
New International Version
Job 7
New International Version
7 “Do not mortals have hard service(A) on earth?(B)
Are not their days like those of hired laborers?(C)
2 Like a slave longing for the evening shadows,(D)
or a hired laborer waiting to be paid,(E)
3 so I have been allotted months of futility,
and nights of misery have been assigned to me.(F)
4 When I lie down I think, ‘How long before I get up?’(G)
The night drags on, and I toss and turn until dawn.(H)
5 My body is clothed with worms(I) and scabs,
my skin is broken and festering.(J)
6 “My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle,(K)
and they come to an end without hope.(L)
7 Remember, O God, that my life is but a breath;(M)
my eyes will never see happiness again.(N)
8 The eye that now sees me will see me no longer;
you will look for me, but I will be no more.(O)
9 As a cloud vanishes(P) and is gone,
so one who goes down to the grave(Q) does not return.(R)
10 He will never come to his house again;
his place(S) will know him no more.(T)
11 “Therefore I will not keep silent;(U)
I will speak out in the anguish(V) of my spirit,
I will complain(W) in the bitterness of my soul.(X)
12 Am I the sea,(Y) or the monster of the deep,(Z)
that you put me under guard?(AA)
13 When I think my bed will comfort me
and my couch will ease my complaint,(AB)
14 even then you frighten me with dreams
and terrify(AC) me with visions,(AD)
15 so that I prefer strangling and death,(AE)
rather than this body of mine.(AF)
16 I despise my life;(AG) I would not live forever.(AH)
Let me alone;(AI) my days have no meaning.(AJ)
17 “What is mankind that you make so much of them,
that you give them so much attention,(AK)
18 that you examine them every morning(AL)
and test them(AM) every moment?(AN)
19 Will you never look away from me,(AO)
or let me alone even for an instant?(AP)
20 If I have sinned, what have I done to you,(AQ)
you who see everything we do?
Why have you made me your target?(AR)
Have I become a burden to you?[a](AS)
21 Why do you not pardon my offenses
and forgive my sins?(AT)
For I will soon lie down in the dust;(AU)
you will search for me, but I will be no more.”(AV)
Footnotes
- Job 7:20 A few manuscripts of the Masoretic Text, an ancient Hebrew scribal tradition and Septuagint; most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text I have become a burden to myself.
Job 7
GOD’S WORD Translation
Job 7
GOD’S WORD Translation
Job Speaks about the Futility of Human Existence
7 “Isn’t a mortal’s stay on earth difficult
like a hired hand’s daily ⌞work⌟?
2 Like a slave, he longs for shade.
Like a hired hand, he eagerly looks for his pay.
3 Likewise, I have been given months that are of no use,
and I have inherited nights filled with misery.
4 When I lie down, I ask,
‘When will I get up?’
But the evening is long,
and I’m exhausted from tossing about until dawn.
5 My body is covered with maggots and scabs.
My skin is crusted over with sores; then they ooze.
6 My days go swifter than a weaver’s shuttle.
They are spent without hope.
7 Remember, my life is only a breath,
and never again will my eyes see anything good.
8 The eye that watches over me will no longer see me.
Your eye will look for me, but I’ll be gone.
9 As a cloud fades away and disappears,
so a person goes into the grave and doesn’t come back again.
10 He doesn’t come back home again,
and his household doesn’t recognize him anymore.
11 So I won’t keep my mouth shut,
but I will speak from the distress that is in my spirit
and complain about the bitterness in my soul.
Job Says to God: Leave Me Alone
12 “Am I the sea or a sea monster
that you have set a guard over me?
13 When I say,
‘My couch may give me comfort.
My bed may help me bear my pain,’
14 then you frighten me with dreams
and terrify me with visions.
15 My throat would rather be choked.
My body [a] would prefer death ⌞to these dreams⌟.
16 I hate my life; I do not want to live forever.
Leave me alone because my days are so brief.
17 “What is a mortal that you should make so much of him,
that you should be concerned about him?
18 ⌞What is he⌟ that you should inspect him every morning
and examine him every moment?
19 Why don’t you stop looking at me
long enough to let me swallow my spit?
20 If I sin, what can I ⌞possibly⌟ do to you
since you insist on spying on people?
Why do you make me your target?
I’ve become a burden even to myself.
21 Why don’t you forgive my disobedience
and take away my sin?
Soon I’ll lie down in the dust.
Then you will search for me, but I’ll be gone!”
Footnotes
- 7:15 Or “bones.”
Job 7
Christian Standard Bible Anglicised
Job 7
Christian Standard Bible Anglicised
7 Isn’t each person consigned to forced labour(A) on earth?
Are not his days like those of a hired worker?
2 Like a slave he longs for shade;
like a hired worker he waits for his pay.
3 So I have been made to inherit months of futility,
and troubled nights have been assigned to me.(B)
4 When I lie down I think,
‘When will I get up? ’
But the evening drags on endlessly,
and I toss and turn until dawn.
5 My flesh is clothed with maggots and encrusted with dirt.[a]
My skin forms scabs[b] and then oozes.(C)
6 My days pass more swiftly than a weaver’s shuttle;
they come to an end without hope.(D)
7 Remember that my life is but a breath.
My eye will never again see anything good.(E)
8 The eye of anyone who looks on me
will no longer see me.
Your eyes will look for me, but I will be gone.(F)
9 As a cloud fades away and vanishes,
so the one who goes down to Sheol(G) will never rise again.
10 He will never return to his house;
his home town will no longer remember[c] him.(H)
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.
12 Am I the sea[d](I) or a sea monster,(J)
that you keep me under guard?
13 When I say, ‘My bed will comfort me,
and my couch will ease my complaint,’
14 then you frighten me with dreams,
and terrify me with visions,(K)
15 so that I prefer strangling[e] –
death rather than life in this body.[f](L)
16 I give up! I will not live for ever.
Leave me alone,(M) for my days are a breath.[g]
17 What is a mere human, that you think so highly of him
and pay so much attention to him?(N)
18 You inspect him every morning,
and put him to the test every moment.(O)
19 Will you ever look away from me,
or leave me alone long enough to swallow?[h]
20 If I have sinned, what have I done to you,
Watcher of humanity?
Why have you made me your target,(P)
so that I have become a burden to you?[i]
21 Why not forgive my sin
and pardon my iniquity?(Q)
For soon I will lie down in the grave.(R)
You will eagerly seek me, but I will be gone.(S)
Common English Bible (CEB)
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)
Copyright © 1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God’s Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
Christian Standard Bible Anglicised (CSBA)
Copyright © 2024 by Holman Bible Publishers.