7 1 Job showeth the shortness and misery of man’s life.
1 Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth? and are not his days as the days of an [a]hireling?
2 As a servant longeth for the shadow, and as an hireling looketh for the end of his work,
3 So have I had as an inheritance the [b]months of vanity, and painful nights have been appointed unto me.
4 If I laid me down, I said, When shall I arise? and measuring the evening, I am even full with tossing to and fro unto the dawning of the day.
5 My flesh is [c]clothed with worms and filthiness of the dust: my skin is rent, and become horrible.
6 My days are swifter than [d]a weaver’s shuttle, and they are spent without hope.
7 Remember that my life is but a wind, and that mine eye shall not return to see pleasure.
8 The eye that hath seen me, shall see me no more: thine eyes are upon me, and I shall be no longer.
9 [e]As the cloud vanisheth and goeth away, so he that goeth down to the grave, shall [f]come up no more.
10 He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him anymore.
11 Therefore I will not [g]spare my mouth, but will speak in the trouble of my spirit, and muse in the bitterness of my mind.
12 Am I a sea [h]or a whalefish, that thou keepest me in ward?
13 When I say, My couch shall relieve me, and my bed shall bring comfort in my meditation,
14 Then fearest thou me [i]with dreams, and astonishest me with visions.
15 Therefore my soul [j]chooseth rather to be strangled and to die, than to be in my bones.
16 I abhor it: I shall not live always: [k]spare me then, for my days are but vanity.
17 What is man, that thou [l]dost magnify him, and that thou settest thine heart upon him?
18 And dost visit him every morning, and triest him every moment?
19 How long will it be ere thou depart from me? thou wilt not let me alone while I may swallow my spittle.
20 I have [m]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 unto myself?
21 And why dost thou not pardon my trespass? and take away mine iniquity? for now shall I sleep in the dust, and if thou seek me in the morning, I shall [n]not be found.
Footnotes
- Job 7:1 Hath not an hired servant some rest and ease? then in this my continual torment I am worse than an hireling.
- Job 7:3 My sorrow hath continued from month to month, and I have looked for hope in vain.
- Job 7:5 This signifieth that his disease was rare and most horrible.
- Job 7:6 Thus he speaketh in respect of the brevity of man’s life, which passeth without hope of returning: in consideration whereof he desireth God to have compassion on him.
- Job 7:9 If thou behold me in thine anger, I shall not be able to stand in thy presence.
- Job 7:9 Shall no more enjoy this mortal life.
- Job 7:11 Seeing I can by none other means comfort myself, I will declare my grief by words, and thus he speaketh as one overcome with grief of mind.
- Job 7:12 Am not I a poor wretch? what needest thou then to lay so much pain on me?
- Job 7:14 So that I can have no rest, night nor day.
- Job 7:15 He speaketh as one overcome with sorrow, and not of judgment, or of the examination of his faith.
- Job 7:16 Seeing my term of life is so short, let me have some rest and ease.
- Job 7:17 Seeing that man of himself is so vile, why dost thou give him that honor to contend against him? Job useth all kinds of persuasion with God, that he might stay his hand.
- Job 7:20 After all tentations faith bursteth forth and leadeth Job to repentance: yet it was not in such perfection, that he could bridle himself from reasoning with God, because that he still tried his faith.
- Job 7:21 That is, I shall be dead.