Job 14
GOD’S WORD Translation
Job Continues: Consider My Frail Human Nature, God
14 “A person who is born of a woman is short-lived and is full of trouble.
2 He comes up like a flower; then he withers.
He is like a fleeting shadow; he doesn’t stay long.
3 You observe this
and call me to account to you.
4 “If only an unclean person could become clean![a]
It’s not possible.
5 If the number of his days
and the number of his months are determined by you,
and you set his limit,
then he cannot go past it.
6 Look away from him, and he will cease to be.
Meanwhile, he loves life as a laborer loves work.
7 There is hope for a tree when it is cut down.
It will sprout again.
Its shoots will not stop sprouting.
8 If its roots grow old in the ground
and its stump dies in the soil,
9 merely a scent of water will make it sprout
and grow branches like a plant.
10 But a human dies and is powerless.
A person breathes his last breath, and where is he?
11 ⌞As⌟ water drains out of a lake,
or ⌞as⌟ a river dries up completely,
12 so each person lies down
and does not rise until the heavens cease to exist.
He does not wake up.
He is not awakened from his sleep.
13 I wish you would hide me in Sheol
and keep me hidden there until your anger cools.
Set a specific time for me when you will remember me.
14 “If a person dies, will he go on living?
I will wait for my relief to come
as long as my hard labor continues.
15 You will call, and I will answer you.
You will long for the person your hands have made.
16 Though now you count my steps,
you will not keep ⌞a record of⌟ my sins.
17 My disobedience will be closed up in a bag,
and you will cover over my sins.
18 As surely as a mountain falls
and rocks are dislodged,
19 ⌞so⌟ water wears away stone,
floods wash away soil from the land,
and you destroy a mortal’s hope.
20 You overpower him forever, and he passes away.
You change his appearance and send him away.
21 His sons are honored, and he doesn’t know it.
Or they become unimportant, and he doesn’t realize it.
22 He feels only his body’s pain.
He is only worried about himself.”
Footnotes
- 14:4 “Unclean ” refers to anything that Moses’ Teachings say is not presentable to God. “Clean” refers to anything that Moses’ Teachings say is presentable to God.
Job 14
New King James Version
Job Speaks of Life’s Woes
14 “Man who is born of woman
Is of few days and (A)full of [a]trouble.
2 (B)He comes forth like a flower and fades away;
He flees like a shadow and does not continue.
3 And (C)do You open Your eyes on such a one,
And (D)bring [b]me to judgment with Yourself?
4 Who (E)can bring a clean thing out of an unclean?
No one!
5 (F)Since his days are determined,
The number of his months is with You;
You have appointed his limits, so that he cannot pass.
6 (G)Look away from him that he may [c]rest,
Till (H)like a hired man he finishes his day.
7 “For there is hope for a tree,
If it is cut down, that it will sprout again,
And that its tender shoots will not cease.
8 Though its root may grow old in the earth,
And its stump may die in the ground,
9 Yet at the scent of water it will bud
And bring forth branches like a plant.
10 But man dies and [d]is laid away;
Indeed he [e]breathes his last
And where is (I)he?
11 As water disappears from the sea,
And a river becomes parched and dries up,
12 So man lies down and does not rise.
(J)Till the heavens are no more,
They will not awake
Nor be roused from their sleep.
13 “Oh, that You would hide me in the grave,
That You would conceal me until Your wrath is past,
That You would appoint me a set time, and remember me!
14 If a man dies, shall he live again?
All the days of my hard service (K)I will wait,
Till my change comes.
15 (L)You shall call, and I will answer You;
You shall desire the work of Your hands.
16 For now (M)You number my steps,
But do not watch over my sin.
17 (N)My transgression is sealed up in a bag,
And You [f]cover my iniquity.
18 “But as a mountain falls and crumbles away,
And as a rock is moved from its place;
19 As water wears away stones,
And as torrents wash away the soil of the earth;
So You destroy the hope of man.
20 You prevail forever against him, and he passes on;
You change his countenance and send him away.
21 His sons come to honor, and (O)he does not know it;
They are brought low, and he does not perceive it.
22 But his flesh will be in pain over it,
And his soul will mourn over it.”
Job 14
English Standard Version
Job Continues: Death Comes Soon to All
14 “Man who is (A)born of a woman
is (B)few of days and (C)full of trouble.
2 He comes out like (D)a flower and (E)withers;
he flees like (F)a shadow and continues not.
3 And do you (G)open your eyes on such a one
and (H)bring me into judgment with you?
4 Who can bring (I)a clean thing out of an unclean?
There is not one.
5 Since his (J)days are determined,
and (K)the number of his months is with you,
and you have appointed his limits that he cannot pass,
6 (L)look away from him and leave him alone,[a]
that he may enjoy, like (M)a hired hand, his day.
7 “For there is hope for a tree,
if it be cut down, that it will sprout again,
and that its shoots will not cease.
8 Though its root grow old in the earth,
and (N)its stump die in the soil,
9 yet at the scent of water it will bud
and put out (O)branches like a young plant.
10 But a man dies and is laid low;
man breathes his last, and (P)where is he?
11 (Q)As waters fail from a lake
and a river wastes away and dries up,
12 so a man lies down and rises not again;
till (R)the heavens are no more he will not awake
or be (S)roused out of his sleep.
13 Oh that you would (T)hide me in (U)Sheol,
that you would (V)conceal me (W)until your wrath be past,
that you would appoint me a set time, and remember me!
14 If a man dies, shall he live again?
All the days of my (X)service I would (Y)wait,
till my renewal[b] should come.
15 You would (Z)call, and I would answer you;
you would long for the (AA)work of your hands.
16 For then you would (AB)number my steps;
you would not keep (AC)watch over my sin;
17 my transgression would be (AD)sealed up in a bag,
and you would cover over my iniquity.
18 “But the mountain falls and (AE)crumbles away,
and (AF)the rock is removed from its place;
19 the waters wear away the stones;
the torrents wash away the soil of the earth;
so you destroy the hope of man.
20 You prevail forever against him, and he passes;
you change his countenance, and send him away.
21 His sons come to honor, and he (AG)does not know it;
they are brought low, and he perceives it not.
22 He feels only the pain of his own body,
and he mourns only for himself.”
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
