Job 7
King James Version
7 Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth? are not his days also like the days of an hireling?
2 As a servant earnestly desireth the shadow, and as an hireling looketh for the reward of his work:
3 So am I made to possess months of vanity, and wearisome nights are appointed to me.
4 When I lie down, I say, When shall I arise, and the night be gone? and I am full of tossings to and fro unto the dawning of the day.
5 My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; my skin is broken, and become loathsome.
6 My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and are spent without hope.
7 O remember that my life is wind: mine eye shall no more see good.
8 The eye of him that hath seen me shall see me no more: thine eyes are upon me, and I am not.
9 As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away: so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more.
10 He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him any more.
11 Therefore I will not refrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.
12 Am I a sea, or a whale, that thou settest a watch over me?
13 When I say, My bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaints;
14 Then thou scarest me with dreams, and terrifiest me through visions:
15 So that my soul chooseth strangling, and death rather than my life.
16 I loathe it; I would not live alway: let me alone; for my days are vanity.
17 What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him?
18 And that thou shouldest visit him every morning, and try him every moment?
19 How long wilt thou not depart from me, nor let me alone till I swallow down my spittle?
20 I have sinned; what shall I do unto thee, O thou preserver of men? why hast thou set me as a mark against thee, so that I am a burden to myself?
21 And why dost thou not pardon my transgression, and take away my iniquity? for now shall I sleep in the dust; and thou shalt seek me in the morning, but I shall not be.
Job 7
New King James Version
Job: My Suffering Is Comfortless
7 “Is there not (A)a time of hard service for man on earth?
Are not his days also like the days of a hired man?
2 Like a servant who [a]earnestly desires the shade,
And like a hired man who eagerly looks for his wages,
3 So I have been allotted (B)months of futility,
And wearisome nights have been appointed to me.
4 (C)When I lie down, I say, ‘When shall I arise,
And the night be ended?’
For I have had my fill of tossing till dawn.
5 My flesh is (D)caked with worms and dust,
My skin is cracked and breaks out afresh.
6 “My(E) days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle,
And are spent without hope.
7 Oh, remember that (F)my life is a breath!
My eye will never again see good.
8 (G)The eye of him who sees me will see me no more;
While your eyes are upon me, I shall no longer be.
9 As the cloud disappears and vanishes away,
So (H)he who goes down to the grave does not come up.
10 He shall never return to his house,
(I)Nor shall his place know him anymore.
11 “Therefore I will (J)not restrain my mouth;
I will speak in the anguish of my spirit;
I will (K)complain in the bitterness of my soul.
12 Am I a sea, or a sea serpent,
That You set a guard over me?
13 (L)When I say, ‘My bed will comfort me,
My couch will ease my complaint,’
14 Then You scare me with dreams
And terrify me with visions,
15 So that my soul chooses strangling
And death rather than [b]my body.
16 (M)I loathe my life;
I would not live forever.
(N)Let me alone,
For (O)my days are but [c]a breath.
17 “What(P) is man, that You should exalt him,
That You should set Your heart on him,
18 That You should [d]visit him every morning,
And test him every moment?
19 How long?
Will You not look away from me,
And let me alone till I swallow my saliva?
20 Have I sinned?
What have I done to You, (Q)O watcher of men?
Why (R)have You set me as Your target,
So that I am a burden [e]to myself?
21 Why then do You not pardon my transgression,
And take away my iniquity?
For now I will lie down in the dust,
And You will seek me diligently,
But I will no longer be.”
Job 7
1599 Geneva Bible
7 1 Job showeth the shortness and misery of man’s life.
1 Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth? and are not his days as the days of an [a]hireling?
2 As a servant longeth for the shadow, and as an hireling looketh for the end of his work,
3 So have I had as an inheritance the [b]months of vanity, and painful nights have been appointed unto me.
4 If I laid me down, I said, When shall I arise? and measuring the evening, I am even full with tossing to and fro unto the dawning of the day.
5 My flesh is [c]clothed with worms and filthiness of the dust: my skin is rent, and become horrible.
6 My days are swifter than [d]a weaver’s shuttle, and they are spent without hope.
7 Remember that my life is but a wind, and that mine eye shall not return to see pleasure.
8 The eye that hath seen me, shall see me no more: thine eyes are upon me, and I shall be no longer.
9 [e]As the cloud vanisheth and goeth away, so he that goeth down to the grave, shall [f]come up no more.
10 He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him anymore.
11 Therefore I will not [g]spare my mouth, but will speak in the trouble of my spirit, and muse in the bitterness of my mind.
12 Am I a sea [h]or a whalefish, that thou keepest me in ward?
13 When I say, My couch shall relieve me, and my bed shall bring comfort in my meditation,
14 Then fearest thou me [i]with dreams, and astonishest me with visions.
15 Therefore my soul [j]chooseth rather to be strangled and to die, than to be in my bones.
16 I abhor it: I shall not live always: [k]spare me then, for my days are but vanity.
17 What is man, that thou [l]dost magnify him, and that thou settest thine heart upon him?
18 And dost visit him every morning, and triest him every moment?
19 How long will it be ere thou depart from me? thou wilt not let me alone while I may swallow my spittle.
20 I have [m]sinned, what shall I do unto thee? O thou preserver of men, why hast thou set me as a mark against thee, so that I am a burden unto myself?
21 And why dost thou not pardon my trespass? and take away mine iniquity? for now shall I sleep in the dust, and if thou seek me in the morning, I shall [n]not be found.
Footnotes
- Job 7:1 Hath not an hired servant some rest and ease? then in this my continual torment I am worse than an hireling.
- Job 7:3 My sorrow hath continued from month to month, and I have looked for hope in vain.
- Job 7:5 This signifieth that his disease was rare and most horrible.
- Job 7:6 Thus he speaketh in respect of the brevity of man’s life, which passeth without hope of returning: in consideration whereof he desireth God to have compassion on him.
- Job 7:9 If thou behold me in thine anger, I shall not be able to stand in thy presence.
- Job 7:9 Shall no more enjoy this mortal life.
- Job 7:11 Seeing I can by none other means comfort myself, I will declare my grief by words, and thus he speaketh as one overcome with grief of mind.
- Job 7:12 Am not I a poor wretch? what needest thou then to lay so much pain on me?
- Job 7:14 So that I can have no rest, night nor day.
- Job 7:15 He speaketh as one overcome with sorrow, and not of judgment, or of the examination of his faith.
- Job 7:16 Seeing my term of life is so short, let me have some rest and ease.
- Job 7:17 Seeing that man of himself is so vile, why dost thou give him that honor to contend against him? Job useth all kinds of persuasion with God, that he might stay his hand.
- Job 7:20 After all tentations faith bursteth forth and leadeth Job to repentance: yet it was not in such perfection, that he could bridle himself from reasoning with God, because that he still tried his faith.
- Job 7:21 That is, I shall be dead.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
