Job, 14

¹ “Man,^*1 born of woman, Is short-lived and glutted with agitation.

² Like a blossom he has come forth and is cut off, And he runs away like the shadow and does not keep existing.^*1

³ Yes, upon this one you have opened your eye, And me^*1 you bring into judgment with you.

⁴ Who can produce someone clean out of someone unclean? There is not one.^*1

⁵ If his days are decided, The number of his months is with you; A decree for him you have made that he may not go beyond.

⁶ Turn your gaze from upon him that he may have rest,^*1 Until he finds pleasure as a hired laborer does in his day.

⁷ For there exists hope for even a tree. If it gets cut down, it will even sprout again,^*1 And its own twig will not cease to be.

⁸ If its root grows old in the earth And in the dust its stump dies,

⁹ At the scent of water it will sprout And it will certainly produce a bough like a new plant.

¹⁰ But an able-bodied man^*1 dies and lies vanquished; And an earthling man^*2 expires, and where is he?^*3

¹¹ Waters do disappear from a sea, And a river itself drains off and dries up.

¹² Man^*1 also has to lie down and does not get up. Until heaven is no more they will not wake up, Nor will they be aroused from their sleep.^*2

¹³ O that in Sheʹol^*1 you would conceal me, That you would keep me secret until your anger turns back, That you would set a time limit for me and remember me!

¹⁴ If an able-bodied man^*1 dies can he live again? All the days of my compulsory service I shall wait, Until my relief comes.

¹⁵ You will call, and I myself shall answer you. For the work of your hands you will have a yearning.

¹⁶ For now you keep counting my very steps; You watch for nothing but my sin.

¹⁷ Sealed up in a bag is my revolt, And you apply glue over my error.

¹⁸ However, a mountain itself, falling, will fade away, And even a rock will be moved away from its place.

¹⁹ Water certainly rubs away even stones; Its outpouring washes off earth’s dust. So you have destroyed the very hope of mortal man.^*1

²⁰ You overpower him forever so that he goes away; You are disfiguring his face so that you send him away.

²² Only his own flesh while upon him will keep aching, And his own soul while within him will keep mourning.”^*1