Job 7
World English Bible
7 “Isn’t a man forced to labor on earth?
Aren’t his days like the days of a hired hand?
2 As a servant who earnestly desires the shadow,
as a hireling who looks for his wages,
3 so I am made to possess months of misery,
wearisome nights are appointed to me.
4 When I lie down, I say,
‘When will I arise, and the night be gone?’
I toss and turn until the dawning of the day.
5 My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust.
My skin closes up, and breaks out afresh.
6 My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle,
and are spent without hope.
7 Oh remember that my life is a breath.
My eye will no more see good.
8 The eye of him who sees me will see me no more.
Your eyes will be on me, but I will not be.
9 As the cloud is consumed and vanishes away,
so he who goes down to Sheol[a] will come up no more.
10 He will return no more to his house,
neither will his place know him any more.
11 “Therefore I will not keep silent.
I will speak in the anguish of my spirit.
I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.
12 Am I a sea, or a sea monster,
that you put a guard over me?
13 When I say, ‘My bed will comfort me.
My couch will ease my complaint,’
14 then you scare me with dreams
and terrify me through visions,
15 so that my soul chooses strangling,
death rather than my bones.
16 I loathe my life.
I don’t want to live forever.
Leave me alone, for my days are but a breath.
17 What is man, that you should magnify him,
that you should set your mind on him,
18 that you should visit him every morning,
and test him every moment?
19 How long will you not look away from me,
nor leave me alone until I swallow down my spittle?
20 If I have sinned, what do I do to you, you watcher of men?
Why have you set me as a mark for you,
so that I am a burden to myself?
21 Why do you not pardon my disobedience, and take away my iniquity?
For now will I lie down in the dust.
You will seek me diligently, but I will not be.”
Footnotes
- 7:9 Sheol is the place of the dead.
Job 7
Wycliffe Bible
7 Knighthood, that is, continual travail, and fighting against vices, is the life of a man upon (the) earth, and his days be as the days of an hired man.
2 As an hart desireth shadow, and as an hired man abideth the end of his work; (Like a servant desireth the shade, and like a hired man waiteth for the end of his work day;)
3 so I have had void months (so I have had empty months), and I have numbered travailous nights to me.
4 If I shall sleep, I shall say, When shall I rise? and again I shall abide the eventide, and I shall be full-filled with sorrows unto darknesses come (and I shall be filled full with sorrow until the darknesses come).
5 My flesh is clothed with rot, and filths of dust; my skin dried up, and is drawn together (my skin is dried up, and is altogether drawn/and my skin is covered with running sores).
6 My days have passed swifter than a web is cut down from the looms; and those days be wasted without any hope of coming again.
7 God, have thou mind, for my life is wind, and mine eye shall not turn again, that it see goods. (God, remember that my life is but a breath, and I shall no longer see any good days.)
8 Neither the sight of man shall behold me; but thine eyes be in me (but thy eyes be upon me), and I shall not be in deadly life, that is, I shall not abide (alive).
9 As a cloud is wasted, and passeth soon away, so he that goeth down to hell, shall not go up (from) thence; (Like a cloud that fadeth, and soon passeth away, is he who goeth down to the Sheol, or the grave, and shall never come up from there;)
10 neither he shall turn again more into his house, and his place shall no more know him. (nor shall he return to his house, and his place shall know him no more.)
11 Wherefore and I shall not spare my mouth; I shall speak in the tribulation of my spirit, I shall talk (al)together with the bitterness of my soul (I shall speak out of the bitterness of my soul).
12 Whether I am a sea, either a whale, for thou hast (en)compassed me with a prison? (Am I a sea, or a whale, for thou hast surrounded me with a prison?)
13 If I shall say, My bed shall comfort me, and I shall be relieved, or quieted, speaking with me in my bed; (If I shall say, My bed shall comfort me, and I shall be relieved, or quieted, talking to myself in my bed;)
14 thou shalt make me afeared by dreams, and thou shalt shake me with horror, either hideousness, by sights. (then thou shalt make me afraid with dreams, and thou shalt make me shake with visions of horror, or of hideousness.)
15 Wherefore my soul chose hanging, and my bones have chosen death.
16 I despaired, (and) now I shall no more live; Lord, spare thou me, for my days be nought.
17 What is a man, for thou magnifiest him? either what settest thou thine heart toward him? (or why settest thou thy heart toward him?)
18 Thou visitest him early, and suddenly thou provest him. (And then thou punishest him early in the morning, and suddenly thou triest him.)
19 How long sparest thou not me, neither sufferest me, that I swallow my spittle? (How long sparest thou me not, nor allowest me to swallow my own spittle?)
20 I have sinned; O! thou keeper of men, what shall I do to thee? Why hast thou set me contrary to thee, and I am made grievous to myself? (I have sinned; O! thou keeper of men, but what have I done to thee? Why hast thou put me contrary to thee, so that I am even made a burden to thee?)
21 Why doest thou not away my sin, and why takest thou not away my wickedness? Lo! now I shall sleep in dust, and if thou seekest me early, I shall not abide (Lo! now I shall sleep in the dust, and when thou seekest me in the morning, I shall already be dead).
Job 7
New King James Version
Job: My Suffering Is Comfortless
7 “Is there not (A)a time of hard service for man on earth?
Are not his days also like the days of a hired man?
2 Like a servant who [a]earnestly desires the shade,
And like a hired man who eagerly looks for his wages,
3 So I have been allotted (B)months of futility,
And wearisome nights have been appointed to me.
4 (C)When I lie down, I say, ‘When shall I arise,
And the night be ended?’
For I have had my fill of tossing till dawn.
5 My flesh is (D)caked with worms and dust,
My skin is cracked and breaks out afresh.
6 “My(E) days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle,
And are spent without hope.
7 Oh, remember that (F)my life is a breath!
My eye will never again see good.
8 (G)The eye of him who sees me will see me no more;
While your eyes are upon me, I shall no longer be.
9 As the cloud disappears and vanishes away,
So (H)he who goes down to the grave does not come up.
10 He shall never return to his house,
(I)Nor shall his place know him anymore.
11 “Therefore I will (J)not restrain my mouth;
I will speak in the anguish of my spirit;
I will (K)complain in the bitterness of my soul.
12 Am I a sea, or a sea serpent,
That You set a guard over me?
13 (L)When I say, ‘My bed will comfort me,
My couch will ease my complaint,’
14 Then You scare me with dreams
And terrify me with visions,
15 So that my soul chooses strangling
And death rather than [b]my body.
16 (M)I loathe my life;
I would not live forever.
(N)Let me alone,
For (O)my days are but [c]a breath.
17 “What(P) is man, that You should exalt him,
That You should set Your heart on him,
18 That You should [d]visit him every morning,
And test him every moment?
19 How long?
Will You not look away from me,
And let me alone till I swallow my saliva?
20 Have I sinned?
What have I done to You, (Q)O watcher of men?
Why (R)have You set me as Your target,
So that I am a burden [e]to myself?
21 Why then do You not pardon my transgression,
And take away my iniquity?
For now I will lie down in the dust,
And You will seek me diligently,
But I will no longer be.”
by Public Domain. The name "World English Bible" is trademarked.
2001 by Terence P. Noble
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
