Job 7 (ASV) · Opened

1Is there not a warfare to man upon earth? And are not his days like the days of a hireling?“Is not man consigned to labor on earth? Are not his days like those of a hired hand?

2As a servant that earnestly desireth the shadow, And as a hireling that looketh for his wages:Like a slave he longs for shade; like a hireling he waits for his wages.

3So am I made to possess months of misery, And wearisome nights are appointed to me.So I am allotted months of futility, and nights of misery are appointed to me.

4When 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.When I lie down I think: ‘When will I get up?’ But the night drags on, and I toss and turn until dawn.

5My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; My skin closeth up, and breaketh out afresh.My flesh is clothed with worms and encrusted with dirt; my skin is cracked and festering.

6My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, And are spent without hope.My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle; they come to an end without hope.

7Oh remember that my life is a breath: Mine eye shall no more see good.Remember that my life is but a breath. My eyes will never again see happiness.

8The eye of him that seeth me shall behold me no more; Thine eyes shall be upon me, but I shall not be.The eye that beholds me will no longer see me. You will look for me, but I will be no more.

9As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away, So he that goeth down to Sheol shall come up no more.As a cloud vanishes and is gone, so he who goes down to Sheol does not come back up.

10He shall return no more to his house, Neither shall his place know him any more.He never returns to his house; his place remembers him no more.

11Therefore I will not refrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.Therefore I will not restrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.

12Am I a sea, or a sea-monster, That thou settest a watch over me?Am I the sea, or the monster of the deep, that You must keep me under guard?

13When I say, My bed shall comfort me, My couch shall ease my complaint;When I think my bed will comfort me and my couch will ease my complaint,

14Then thou scarest me with dreams, And terrifiest me through visions:then You frighten me with dreams and terrify me with visions,

15So that my soul chooseth strangling, And death rather than these my bones.so that I would prefer strangling and death over my life in this body.

16I loathe my life; I would not live alway: Let me alone; for my days are vanity.I loathe my life! I would not live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are but a breath.

17What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him, And that thou shouldest set thy mind upon him,What is man that You should exalt him, that You should set Your heart upon him,

18And that thou shouldest visit him every morning, And try him every moment?that You attend to him every morning, and test him every moment?

19How long wilt thou not look away from me, Nor let me alone till I swallow down my spittle?Will You never look away from me, or leave me alone to swallow my spittle?

20If I have sinned, what do I unto thee, O thou watcher of men? Why hast thou set me as a mark for thee, So that I am a burden to myself?If I have sinned, what have I done to You, O watcher of mankind? Why have You made me Your target, so that I am a burden to You?

21And why dost thou not pardon my transgression, and take away mine iniquity? For now shall I lie down in the dust; And thou wilt seek me diligently, but I shall not be.Why do You not pardon my transgression and take away my iniquity? For soon I will lie down in the dust; You will seek me, but I will be no more.”

Job 7

Job Continues: Life Seems Futile