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 do you open your eyes upon him, and bring me into judgment with you?

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 you, you have 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 bring 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 flood decayeth and drieth up:

¹² So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.

¹³ O that you would hide me in the grave, that you would keep me secret, until your wrath be past, that you would appoint me a set time, and remember me!

¹⁴ If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.

¹⁵ You shall call, and I will answer you: you shall have a desire to the work of your hands.

¹⁶ For now you number my steps: do you not watch over my sin?

¹⁷ My transgression is sealed up in a bag, and you cover over my iniquity.

¹⁸ But as a mountain falleth, and is removed, and as a rock is moved out of its place,

¹⁹ So you destroy the hope of man.

²⁰ You prevail forever against him, and he passeth: you change his countenance, and send him away.

²¹ His sons come to honour, and he knoweth it not; they are brought low, and he perceiveth it not of them.

²² But his flesh upon him shall have pain, and his soul within him shall mourn.