Job 7
Holman Christian Standard Bible
7 Isn’t mankind consigned to forced labor(A) on earth?
Are not his days like those of a hired hand?
2 Like a slave he longs for shade;
like a hired man 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 hometown 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 forever.
Leave me alone,(M) for my days are a breath.[g]
17 What is man, 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 mankind?
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 transgression?(Q)
For soon I will lie down in the grave.(R)
You will eagerly seek me, but I will be gone.(S)
约伯记 7
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Simplified)
7 “人生在世岂不像服劳役吗？
他有生之年岂不像个雇工吗？
2 他像切望阴凉的奴隶，
又如盼望报酬的雇工。
3 同样，我注定要度过虚空的岁月，
熬过悲惨的黑夜。
4 我躺在床上，想着何时起来。
长夜漫漫，我辗转难眠，直到拂晓。
5 我身上布满蛆虫、伤疤，
皮肤破裂，流脓不止。
6 我的年日飞逝，比梭还快，
转眼结束，毫无盼望。
7 “上帝啊，别忘了我的生命不过是一口气，
我再也看不见幸福。
8 注视我的眼睛将再也看不见我，
你将寻找我，而我已不复存在。
9 人死后一去不返，
就像烟消云散；
10 他永不再返回家园，
故土也不再认识他。
11 “因此我不再缄默不语，
我要吐露胸中的悲愁，
倾诉心里的苦楚。
12 上帝啊，我岂是大海，岂是海怪，
值得你这样防范我？
13 我以为床铺是我的安慰，
卧榻可解除我的哀愁，
14 你却用噩梦惊我，
用异象吓我，
15 以致我宁愿窒息而死，
也不愿这样活着。
16 我厌恶生命，不想永活。
不要管我，因为我的日子都是虚空。
17 “人算什么，你竟这样看重他，
这样关注他？
18 你天天早上察看他，
时时刻刻考验他。
19 你的视线何时离开我，
给我咽口唾沫的时间？
20 鉴察世人的主啊，
我若犯了罪，又于你何妨？
为何把我当成你的箭靶？
难道我成了你的重担？
21 为何不赦免我的过犯，
饶恕我的罪恶？
我很快将归于尘土，
你将寻找我，
而我已不复存在。”
Job 7
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 7
1 (A)Is not life on earth a drudgery,[a]
its days like those of a hireling?
2 Like a slave who longs for the shade,
a hireling who waits for wages,
3 So I have been assigned months of futility,
and troubled nights have been counted off for me.
4 When I lie down I say, “When shall I arise?”
then the night drags on;
I am filled with restlessness until the dawn.
5 My flesh is clothed with worms and scabs;(B)
my skin cracks and festers;
6 My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle;
they come to an end without hope.
7 Remember that my life is like the wind;(C)
my eye will not see happiness again.
8 The eye that now sees me shall no more behold me;
when your eye is on me, I shall be gone.
9 As a cloud dissolves and vanishes,(D)
so whoever goes down to Sheol shall not come up.
10 They shall not return home again;
their place shall know them no more.
11 My own utterance I will not restrain;
I will speak in the anguish of my spirit;
I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.
12 [b]Am I the Sea, or the dragon,
that you place a watch over me?[c]
13 When I say, “My bed shall comfort me,
my couch shall ease my complaint,”
14 Then you frighten me with dreams
and terrify me with visions,
15 So that I should prefer strangulation
and death rather than my existence.[d]
16 I waste away: I will not live forever;(E)
let me alone, for my days are but a breath.
17 [e]What are human beings, that you make much of them,
or pay them any heed?
18 You observe them every morning(F)
and try them at every moment!
19 How long before you look away from me,
and let me alone till I swallow my spit?
20 If I sin, what do I do to you,
O watcher of mortals?
Why have you made me your target?
Why should I be a burden for you?
21 Why do you not pardon my offense,
or take away my guilt?
For soon I shall lie down in the dust;
and should you seek me I shall be gone.
Footnotes
- 7:1 Drudgery: taken by some to refer to military service; cf. also 14:14.
- 7:12–21 Job now speaks not to his friends (who never speak to God), but to God. He does this frequently; cf. 9:28; 10:2–22; 13:20–28; 14:13–22.
- 7:12 An allusion to the personification of primeval chaos as a monstrous ocean vanquished by God; see note on 3:8.
- 7:15 Existence: lit., bones; the Hebrew is unclear.
- 7:17–18 An ironic allusion to Ps 8:5.
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