Job 14

14Man born of woman

is short of days and full of trouble. ^d

²He blossoms like a flower, then withers; ^e

he flees like a shadow and does not last.

³Do You really take notice of one like this?

Will You bring me into judgment against You? ^fg

⁴Who can produce something pure from what is impure?

No one!

⁵Since man’s days are determined

and the number of his months depends on You,

and since You have set ^hlimits he cannot pass, ⁱ

⁶look away from him and let him rest

so that he can enjoy his day like a hired hand. ^j

⁷There is hope for a tree:

If it is cut down, it will sprout again,

and its shoots will not die.

⁸If its roots grow old in the ground

and its stump starts to die in the soil,

⁹the smell of water makes it thrive

and produce twigs like a sapling. ^k

¹⁰But a man dies and fades away;

he breathes his last—where is he?

¹¹As water disappears from the sea

and a river becomes parched and dry,

¹²so man lies down never to rise again.

They will not wake up until the heavens are no more; ^l

they will not stir from their sleep.

¹³If only You would hide me in Sheol ^m

and conceal me until Your anger ⁿpasses.

If only You would appoint a time for me

and then remember me.

¹⁴When a man dies, will he come back to life?

If so, I would wait ^oall the days of my struggle ^p

until my relief comes.

¹⁵You would call, and I would answer You.

You would long for the work of Your hands. ^q

¹⁶For then You would count my steps ^r

but would not take note ^sof my sin.

¹⁷My rebellion would be sealed up in a bag,

and You would cover over my iniquity.

¹⁸But as a mountain collapses and crumbles

and a rock is dislodged from its place,

¹⁹as water wears away stones

and torrents wash away the soil from the land,

so You destroy a man’s hope. ^t

²⁰You completely overpower him, and he passes on;

You change his appearance and send him away.

²¹If his sons receive honor, he does not know it;

if they become insignificant, he is unaware of it. ^u

²²He feels only the pain of his own body

and mourns only for himself.