Job 14

Chapter 14

Job Speaks of the Finality of Death

¹“^aMan, who is born of woman,

Is ¹short-lived and ^bfull of turmoil.

²“^aLike a flower he comes forth and withers.

He also flees like ^ba shadow and does not remain.

³“You also ^aopen Your eyes on him

And ^bbring ¹him into judgment with Yourself.

⁴“^aWho can make the clean out of the unclean?

No one!

⁵“Since his days are determined,

The ^anumber of his months is with You;

And his limits You have ¹set so that he cannot pass.

⁶“^aTurn Your gaze from him that he may ¹rest,

Until he ²fulfills his day like a hired man.

⁷“For there is hope for a tree,

When it is cut down, that it will sprout again,

And its shoots will not ¹fail.

⁸“Though its roots grow old in the ground

And its stump dies in the dry soil,

⁹At the scent of water it will flourish

And put forth sprigs like a plant.

¹⁰“But ^aman dies and lies prostrate.

Man ^bexpires, and where is he?

¹¹“As ^awater ¹evaporates from the sea,

And a river becomes parched and dried up,

¹²So ^aman lies down and does not rise.

Until the heavens are no longer,

¹He will not awake nor be aroused out of ²his sleep.

¹³“Oh that You would hide me in ¹Sheol,

That You would conceal me ^auntil Your wrath returns to You,

That You would set a limit for me and remember me!

¹⁴“If a man dies, will he live again?

All the days of my struggle I will wait

Until my change comes.

¹⁵“You will call, and I will answer You;

You will long for ^athe work of Your hands.

¹⁶“For now You ^anumber my steps,

You do not ^bobserve my sin.

¹⁷“My transgression is ^asealed up in a bag,

And You ¹wrap up my iniquity.

¹⁸“But the falling mountain ¹crumbles away,

And the rock moves from its place;

¹⁹Water wears away stones,

Its torrents wash away the dust of the earth;

So You ^adestroy man’s hope.

²⁰“You forever overpower him and he ^adeparts;

You change his appearance and send him away.

²¹“His sons achieve honor, but ^ahe does not know it;

Or they become insignificant, but he does not perceive it.

²²“But his ¹body pains him,

And he mourns only for himself.”