Job 7
Tree of Life Version
Futility of Days
7 “Does not man have hard labor on earth?
Are not his days like those of a hired laborer?
2 Like a slave longing for the shadow,
or a hired man waiting for his pay,
3 so I have inherited months of futility,
and nights of distress have been appointed to me.
4 When I lay down I say, “When will I rise?”
The night drags on, and I toss until the day dawns.
5 My flesh is clothed with maggots and clods of dirt;
My skin is broken and festering.
6 My days fly faster than a weaver’s shuttle
and come to an end without hope.
7 Remember, my life is but a breath;
my eyes will not see goodness again!
8 The eye that sees me now will see me no more;
your eyes will be on me, but I will be no more.
9 As a cloud vanishes and is gone,
so one descending into Sheol does not come up;
10 he will never return to his house,
his place does not know him.
11 “So I will not keep silent;
I will speak in the distress of my spirit,
I will complain in bitterness of soul.
12 Am I a sea, or a monster of the deep
that You have set a watch over me?
13 When I say, ‘My bed will comfort me,
my couch will ease my complaint,’
14 then You frighten me with dreams,
and terrify me with visions,
15 so that my soul prefers strangulation,
and my bones death.
16 I despise it; I would not live forever.
Leave me alone, for my days are a vapor.
17 “What is mankind,
that You magnify him,
that You set Your heart on him,
18 that You visit him every morning,
and test him in every moment?
19 Will You never look away from me,
or let me alone until I swallow my spittle?
20 Have I sinned—
what have I done to You,
O watcher of men?
Why have You set me as Your target?
Have I become a burden to You?
21 Why do You not pardon my transgression,
and take away my iniquity?
For now I will lie down in the dust,
and You will search for me,
but I will be gone.”
Job 7
Names of God Bible
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?[b]
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!”
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.