Job 14
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 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 an hireling, his day.
⁷ For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease.
⁸ Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground;
⁹ Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and put forth boughs like a plant.
¹⁰ But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?
¹¹ As the waters fail from the sea, and the river decayeth and drieth up;
¹² So man lieth down and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be roused out of their sleep.
¹³ Oh that thou wouldest hide me in Sheol, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me!
¹⁴ If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my warfare would I wait, till my release should come.
¹⁵ Thou shouldest call, and I would answer thee: thou wouldest have a desire to the work of thine hands.
¹⁶ But now thou numberest my steps: dost thou not watch over my sin?
¹⁷ My transgression is sealed up in a bag, and thou fastenest up mine iniquity.
¹⁸ And surely the mountain falling cometh to nought, and the rock is removed out of its place;
¹⁹ The waters wear the stones; the overflowings thereof wash away the dust of the earth: and thou destroyest the hope of man.
²⁰ Thou prevailest for ever against him, and he passeth; thou changest his countenance, and sendest him away.
²¹ His sons come to honour, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them.
²² But his flesh upon him hath pain, and his soul within him mourneth.