Job 13:28–14:6

28 “So man wastes away like something rotten,

like a garment eaten by moths.

1 “Mortals, born of woman,

are of few days and full of trouble.

2 They spring up like flowers and wither away;

like fleeting shadows, they do not endure.

3 Do you fix your eye on them?

Will you bring them before you for judgment?

4 Who can bring what is pure from the impure?

No one!

5 A person’s days are determined;

you have decreed the number of his months

and have set limits he cannot exceed.

6 So look away from him and let him alone,

till he has put in his time like a hired laborer.

28 Man wastes away like a rotten thing,

like a garment that is moth-eaten.

1 “Man who is born of a woman

is few of days and full of trouble.

2 He comes out like a flower and withers;

he flees like a shadow and continues not.

3 And do you open your eyes on such a one

and bring me into judgment with you?

4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean?

There is not one.

5 Since his days are determined,

and the number of his months is with you,

and you have appointed his limits that he cannot pass,

6 look away from him and leave him alone,

that he may enjoy, like a hired hand, his day.

28 And he, as a rotten thing, consumeth,

As a garment that is moth eaten.

1 Man that is born of a woman

Is of few days, and full of trouble.

2 He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down:

He fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.

3 And dost thou open thine eyes upon such an one,

And bringest me into judgment with thee?

4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean?

Not one.

5 Seeing his days are determined,

The number of his months are with thee,

Thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass;

6 Turn from him, that he may rest,

Till he shall accomplish, as an hireling, his day.

28 I waste away like rotting wood,

like a moth-eaten coat.

1 “How frail is humanity!

How short is life, how full of trouble!

2 We blossom like a flower and then wither.

Like a passing shadow, we quickly disappear.

3 Must you keep an eye on such a frail creature

and demand an accounting from me?

4 Who can bring purity out of an impure person?

No one!

5 You have decided the length of our lives.

You know how many months we will live,

and we are not given a minute longer.

6 So leave us alone and let us rest!

We are like hired hands, so let us finish our work in peace.

28 “Man decays like a rotten thing,

Like a garment that is moth-eaten.

1 “Man who is born of woman

Is of few days and full of trouble.

2 He comes forth like a flower and fades away;

He flees like a shadow and does not continue.

3 And do You open Your eyes on such a one,

And bring me to judgment with Yourself?

4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean?

No one!

5 Since his days are determined,

The number of his months is with You;

You have appointed his limits, so that he cannot pass.

6 Look away from him that he may rest,

Till like a hired man he finishes his day.

28 “Everyone wears out like something rotten,

like clothing eaten by moths.

1 “All of us born to women

live only a few days and have lots of trouble.

2 We grow up like flowers and then dry up and die.

We are like a passing shadow that does not last.

3 Lord, do you need to watch me like this?

Must you bring me before you to be judged?

4 No one can bring something clean from something dirty.

5 Our time is limited.

You have given us only so many months to live

and have set limits we cannot go beyond.

6 So look away from us and leave us alone

until we put in our time like a laborer.

28 Though I am like a rotten thing that consumeth,

Like a garment that is moth-eaten.

1 Man, that is born of a woman,

Is of few days, and full of trouble.

2 He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down:

He fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.

3 And dost thou open thine eyes upon such a one,

And bringest me into judgment with thee?

4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.

5 Seeing his days are determined,

The number of his months is with thee,

And thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass;

6 Look away from him, that he may rest,

Till he shall accomplish, as a hireling, his day.

28 One who, as a rotten thing consumeth, as a garment that the moth eateth.

1 Man, born of woman, is of few days, and full of trouble. 2 He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down; and he fleeth as a shadow, and continueth not. 3 Yet dost thou open thine eyes upon such a one, and bringest me into judgment with thee? 4 Who can bring a clean man out of the unclean? Not one! 5 If his days are determined, if the number of his months is with thee, and thou hast appointed his bounds which he must not pass, 6 Look away from him; and let him rest, till he accomplish, as a hireling, his day.

28 I am like worn-out wineskins, 

like moth-eaten clothes. 

1 “A person who is born of a woman is short-lived 

and is full of trouble. 

2 He comes up like a flower; then he withers. 

He is like a fleeting shadow; he doesn’t stay long. 

3 You observe this 

and call me to account to you. 

4 “If only an unclean person could become clean!

It’s not possible. 

5 If the number of his days 

and the number of his months are determined by you, 

and you set his limit, 

then he cannot go past it. 

6 Look away from him, and he will cease to be. 

Meanwhile, he loves life as a laborer loves work. 

28 Man wears out like something rotten,

like a moth-eaten garment.

1 Man born of woman

is short of days and full of trouble.

2 He blossoms like a flower, then withers;

he flees like a shadow and does not last.

3 Do You really take notice of one like this?

Will You bring me into judgment against You?

4 Who can produce something pure from what is impure?

No one!

5 Since man’s days are determined

and the number of his months depends on You,

and since You have set limits he cannot pass,

6 look away from him and let him rest

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

28 One wastes away like a rotten thing,

like a garment that is moth-eaten.

1 “A mortal, born of woman, few of days and full of trouble,

2 comes up like a flower and withers,

flees like a shadow and does not last.

3 Do you fix your eyes on such a one?

Do you bring me into judgment with you?

4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean?

No one can.

5 Since their days are determined,

and the number of their months is known to you,

and you have appointed the bounds that they cannot pass,

6 look away from them and desist,

that they may enjoy, like laborers, their days.

28 “People waste away like something that is rotten.

They are like clothes that are eaten by moths.

1 They have only a few days to live.

Their lives are full of trouble.

2 They grow like flowers, and then they dry up.

They are like shadows that quickly disappear.

3 “God, why do you keep looking at someone like me?

Are you planning to take me to court?

4 Who can bring what is pure from something that isn’t pure?

No one!

5 You decide how long anyone will live.

You have established the number of his months.

You have set a limit to the number of his days.

6 So look away from him. Leave him alone.

Let him put in his time like a hired worker.

28 While I am decaying like a rotten thing,

Like a garment that is moth-eaten.

1 “Man, who is born of woman,

Is short-lived and full of turmoil.

2 “Like a flower he comes forth and withers.

He also flees like a shadow and does not remain.

3 “You also open Your eyes on him

And bring him into judgment with Yourself.

4 “Who can make the clean out of the unclean?

No one!

5 “Since his days are determined,

The number of his months is with You;

And his limits You have set so that he cannot pass.

6 “Turn Your gaze from him that he may rest,

Until he fulfills his day like a hired man.