Job 7
1 Does not man have hard labor on earth? Are not his days like the days of a hired man?
The life of man upon earth is a warfare, and his days are like the days of a hireling.
2 Like a slave earnestly desires the shadows of evening, like a hired man looks for his wages—
As a servant longeth for the shade, as the hireling looketh for the end of his work;
3 so I have been made to endure months of misery; I have been given trouble-filled nights.
So I also have had empty months, and have numbered to myself wearisome nights.
4 When I lie down, I say to myself, 'When will I get up and when will the night be gone?' I am full of tossing to and fro until the day's dawning.
If I lie down to sleep, I shall say: When shall arise? and again I shall look for the evening, and shall be filled with sorrows even till darkness.
5 My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; the sores in my skin harden up and then dissolve and run afresh.
My flesh is clothed with rottenness and the filth of dust, my skin is withered and drawn together.
6 My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle; they pass without hope.
My days have passed more swiftly than the web is cut by the weaver, and are consumed without any hope.
7 God, call to mind that my life is only a breath; my eye will no more see good.
Remember that my life is but wind, and my eyes shall not return to see good things.
8 The eye of God, who sees me, will see me no more; God's eyes will be on me, but I will not exist.
Nor shall the sight of man behold me: thy eyes are upon me, and I shall be no more.
9 As a cloud is consumed and vanishes away, so he who goes down to Sheol will come up no more. (Sheol h7585)
As a cloud is consumed, and passeth away: so he that shall go down to hell shall not come up. (Sheol h7585)
10 He will return no more to his house; neither will his place know him again.
Nor shall he return my more into his house, neither shall his place know him any more.
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.
Wherefore I will not spare my month, I will speak in the affliction of my spirit: I will talk with the bitterness of my soul.
12 Am I the sea or a sea monster that you place a guard over me?
Am I a sea, or a whale, that thou hast enclosed me in a prison?
13 When I say, 'My bed will comfort me, and my couch will ease my complaint,'
If I say: My bed shall comfort me, and I shall be relieved speaking with myself on my couch:
14 then you scare me with dreams and terrify me through visions,
Thou wilt frighten me with dreams and terrify me with visions.
15 so that I would choose strangling and death rather than preserving these bones of mine.
So that my soul rather chooseth hanging, and my bones death.
16 I loathe my life; I would not wish to always be alive; let me alone for my days are useless.
I have done with hope, I shall now live no longer: spare me, for my days are nothing.
17 What is man that you should pay attention to him, that you should set your mind on him,
What is a man that thou shouldst magnify him? or why dost thou set thy heart upon him?
18 that you should observe him every morning and test him every moment?
Thou visitest him early in the morning, and thou provest him suddenly.
19 How long will it be before you look away from me, before you let me alone long enough for me to swallow down my own saliva?
How long wilt thou not spare me, nor suffer me to swallow down my spittle?
20 Even if I have sinned, what would that do to you, you who watch men? Why have you made a target of me, so that I am a burden for you?
I have sinned: what shall I do to thee, O keeper of men? why hast thou set me opposite to thee, and I am become burdensome to myself?
21 Why do you not pardon my transgression and take away my iniquity? For now will I lie down in the dust; you will seek me carefully, but I will not exist.”
Why dost thou not remove my sin, and why dost thou not take away my iniquity? Behold now I shall sleep in the dust: and if thou seek me in the morning, I shall not be.
