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Job 7

Job continues to speak

7 People have to work very hard on this earth.
They have to work every day, like servants.
2 A servant waits for the end of the day so that he can rest.
A worker waits for his master to pay him.
3 But there is nothing for me to wait for.
I wait for many months and nothing happens.
Every night, I am always sad.
4 When I lie down at night to sleep,
I think, “How soon will the night end?”
But the night continues and I cannot sleep.
Finally, dawn comes.
5 There are worms all over my body.
All of my skin is painful.
There are dirty sores all over it.
6 My life is passing very fast.
Each day passes too quickly to see it!
The days of my life will finish,
and I cannot hope for anything to get better.
7 Remember, God, that my life is as short as a breath.
I know that I will never be happy again.
8 People who can see me now will not see me any more.
You will look for me, but I will not be there.
9 Clouds disappear and you never see them again.
That is like people who die and go into their graves.
They do not come back again.
10 They do not come back to live in their homes.
People forget about them.

11 So I must continue to speak.
I will tell you how upset I am.
I am angry because of what has happened to me.
So I must complain.
12 Why do you have to watch me, God, like a guard?
Do you think that I am a dangerous monster from the sea?
13 When I lie down to sleep,
I hope that my pain will be less.
14 But even then you give me dreams that frighten me.
I have visions which make me very afraid.
15 I would like someone to stop me breathing!
Death would be better than life.
16 My life is useless.
I do not want to live for ever.
My life is only a short breath.
So let me be alone.

17 Why do you think that people are important?
Why do you watch us so carefully?
18 You never leave us alone.
You test us every moment of every day.
19 You never look the other way.
You never leave me alone, even for a moment.
20 You carefully watch what people do.
Even if I have done something wrong,
it should not cause any trouble for you.
So why do you choose to punish me?
21 You should agree to forgive my sins.
You should say that I am not guilty.
I will soon die and I will go into my grave.
Then you will carefully look for me,
but I will not be there.’

7 “People have a hard struggle on earth.
Their life is like that of a hired worker.
2 They are like a slave looking for cool shade
or a hired worker waiting for payday.
3 Month after frustrating month has gone by.
I have suffered night after night.
4 When I lie down, I think,
‘How long before it’s time to get up?’
The night drags on.
I toss and turn until the sun comes up.
5 My skin is covered with worms and scabs.
It is cracked and covered with sores.

6 “My days pass by faster than a weaver’s shuttle, [ a ]
and my life will end without hope.
7 God, remember, my life is like a breath.
I will not get a second chance to enjoy it.
8 Those who see me now will never see me again.
You watch me for a while, but then I am gone.
9 Just as clouds that come and go,
people are put in the grave, never to rise again.
10 They don’t come back to their old homes.
The people there would not know them.

11 “So I will not be quiet!
I will let my suffering spirit speak!
I will let my bitter soul complain!
12 Am I one of your enemies?
Is that why you put a guard over me? [ b ]
13 My bed should bring me comfort.
My couch should give me rest and relief.
14 But when I lie down, you scare me with dreams;
you frighten me with visions.
15 So I would rather be choked to death
than to live like this.
16 I hate my life—I give up.
I don’t want to live forever.
Leave me alone!
My life means nothing.
17 God, why are people so important to you?
Why do you even notice them?
18 Why do you visit them every morning
and test them at every moment?
19 You never look away from me
or leave me alone for a second.
20 You are always watching us!
If I sinned, would that hurt you?
Why have you made me your target?
Have I become a problem for you?
21 Why don’t you just pardon me for doing wrong?
Why don’t you just forgive me for my sins?
Soon I will die and be in my grave.
You will search for me, but I will be gone.”

Footnotes

  1. Job 7:6 weaver’s shuttle The tool a person who makes cloth uses to pass the thread between the other threads.
  2. Job 7:12 Literally, “Am I Yam or Tannin that you should appoint a guard to watch me?” In ancient Canaanite stories, Yam was the god of the sea, and Tannin was a sea monster.

7 Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth? are not his days also like the days of an hireling?

2 As a servant earnestly desireth the shadow, and as an hireling looketh for the reward of his work:

3 So am I made to possess months of vanity, and wearisome nights are appointed to me.

4 When I lie down, I say, When shall I arise, and the night be gone? and I am full of tossings to and fro unto the dawning of the day.

5 My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; my skin is broken, and become loathsome.

6 My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and are spent without hope.

7 O remember that my life is wind: mine eye shall no more see good.

8 The eye of him that hath seen me shall see me no more: thine eyes are upon me, and I am not.

9 As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away: so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more.

10 He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him any more.

11 Therefore I will not refrain my mouth; 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 whale, that thou settest a watch over me?

13 When I say, My bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaints;

14 Then thou scarest me with dreams, and terrifiest me through visions:

15 So that my soul chooseth strangling, and death rather than my life.

16 I loathe it; I would not live alway: let me alone; for my days are vanity.

17 What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him?

18 And that thou shouldest visit him every morning, and try him every moment?

19 How long wilt thou not depart from me, nor let me alone till I swallow down my spittle?

20 I have sinned; what shall I do unto thee, O thou preserver of men? why hast thou set me as a mark against thee, so that I am a burden to myself?

21 And why dost thou not pardon my transgression, and take away my iniquity? for now shall I sleep in the dust; and thou shalt seek me in the morning, but I shall not be.

Job’s Life Seems Futile

7 “ [ a ] Is a person not ( A ) forced to labor on earth,
And are his days not like the days of ( B ) a hired worker?
2 As a slave pants for the shade,
And as a hired worker who eagerly waits for his wages,
3 So I am allotted worthless months,
And ( C ) nights of trouble are apportioned to me.
4 When I ( D ) lie down, I say,
‘When shall I arise?’
But the night continues,
And I am continually tossing until dawn.
5 My ( E ) flesh is clothed with maggots and a crust of dirt,
My skin hardens and [ b ] oozes.
6 My days are ( F ) swifter than a weaver’s shuttle,
And they come to an end ( G ) without hope.

7 “Remember that my life ( H ) is a mere breath;
My eye will ( I ) not see goodness again.
8 The ( J ) eye of him who sees me will no longer look at me;
Your eyes will be on me, but ( K ) I will not exist.
9 When a ( L ) cloud vanishes, it is gone;
In the same way ( M ) one who goes down to [ c ] ( N ) Sheol does not come up.
10 He will not return to his house again,
Nor will ( O ) his place know about him anymore.

11 “Therefore ( P ) I will not restrain my mouth;
I will speak in the anguish of my spirit,
I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.
12 Am I the sea, or ( Q ) the sea monster,
That You set a guard over me?
13 If I say, ‘ ( R ) My couch will comfort me,
My bed will [ d ] ease my complaint,’
14 Then You frighten me with dreams,
And terrify me by visions,
15 So that my soul would choose suffocation,
Death rather than my [ e ] pains.
16 I [ f ] ( S ) waste away; I will not live forever.
Leave me alone, ( T ) for my days are only a breath.
17 ( U ) What is man that You exalt him,
And that You [ g ] are concerned about him,
18 That ( V ) You examine him every morning
And put him to the test every moment?
19 [ h ] ( W ) Will You never turn Your gaze away from me,
Nor leave me alone until I swallow my spittle?
20 ( X ) Have I sinned? What have I done to You,
( Y ) Watcher of mankind?
Why have You made me Your target,
So that I am a burden to myself?
21 Why then ( Z ) do You not forgive my wrongdoing
And take away my [ i ] guilt?
For now I will ( AA ) lie down in the dust;
And You will search for me, ( AB ) but I will no longer exist.”

Footnotes

  1. Job 7:1 Lit Has not man compulsory labor
  2. Job 7:5 Lit melts
  3. Job 7:9 I.e., the netherworld
  4. Job 7:13 Lit bear
  5. Job 7:15 Lit bones
  6. Job 7:16 Or loathe
  7. Job 7:17 Lit set Your heart on
  8. Job 7:19 Lit How long will You not
  9. Job 7:21 Or unjust deed

7 “Do not mortals have hard service ( A ) on earth? ( B )
Are not their days like those of hired laborers? ( C )
2 Like a slave longing for the evening shadows, ( D )
or a hired laborer waiting to be paid, ( E )
3 so I have been allotted months of futility,
and nights of misery have been assigned to me. ( F )
4 When I lie down I think, ‘How long before I get up?’ ( G )
The night drags on, and I toss and turn until dawn. ( H )
5 My body is clothed with worms ( I ) and scabs,
my skin is broken and festering. ( J )

6 “My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, ( K )
and they come to an end without hope. ( L )
7 Remember, O God, that my life is but a breath; ( M )
my eyes will never see happiness again. ( N )
8 The eye that now sees me will see me no longer;
you will look for me, but I will be no more. ( O )
9 As a cloud vanishes ( P ) and is gone,
so one who goes down to the grave ( Q ) does not return. ( R )
10 He will never come to his house again;
his place ( S ) will know him no more. ( T )

11 “Therefore I will not keep silent; ( U )
I will speak out in the anguish ( V ) of my spirit,
I will complain ( W ) in the bitterness of my soul. ( X )
12 Am I the sea, ( Y ) or the monster of the deep, ( Z )
that you put me under guard? ( AA )
13 When I think my bed will comfort me
and my couch will ease my complaint, ( AB )
14 even then you frighten me with dreams
and terrify ( AC ) me with visions, ( AD )
15 so that I prefer strangling and death, ( AE )
rather than this body of mine. ( AF )
16 I despise my life; ( AG ) I would not live forever. ( AH )
Let me alone; ( AI ) my days have no meaning. ( AJ )

17 “What is mankind that you make so much of them,
that you give them so much attention, ( AK )
18 that you examine them every morning ( AL )
and test them ( AM ) every moment? ( AN )
19 Will you never look away from me, ( AO )
or let me alone even for an instant? ( AP )
20 If I have sinned, what have I done to you, ( AQ )
you who see everything we do?
Why have you made me your target? ( AR )
Have I become a burden to you? [ a ] ( AS )
21 Why do you not pardon my offenses
and forgive my sins? ( AT )
For I will soon lie down in the dust; ( AU )
you will search for me, but I will be no more.” ( AV )

Footnotes

  1. Job 7:20 A few manuscripts of the Masoretic Text, an ancient Hebrew scribal tradition and Septuagint; most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text I have become a burden to myself.
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