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Job 7

"Isn't there an appointed struggle for man on earth? Aren't his days like the days of a hired worker? Like a servant longing for the shade, like a worker waiting for his pay, so I've been allotted months of emptiness and nights of misery. When I lie down I wonder, 'When will I get up?' The night drags on, and I toss about until dawn.

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My days are faster than a shuttle

"Isn't there an appointed struggle for man on earth? Aren't his days like the days of a hired worker? Like a servant longing for the shade, like a worker waiting for his pay, so I've been allotted months of emptiness and nights of misery. When I lie down I wonder, 'When will I get up?' The night drags on, and I toss about until dawn. My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; my skin breaks and festers. My days pass faster than a weaver's shuttle and are spent without hope. Remember that my life is only a breath. My eye will never again see good. The eye that has seen me will see me no more. Your eyes will be upon me, but I will be gone. As a cloud is consumed and vanishes away, so the one who goes down to the grave will come up no more. He will return no more to his house, and his place will know him no more. So I won't hold my tongue. I'll speak out of the anguish of my spirit; I'll complain in the bitterness of my soul. Am I the sea, or a whale, that you have to set a watch over me? When I say, 'My bed will comfort me; my couch will ease my complaint,' you frighten me with dreams and terrify me with visions. So my soul would choose strangling and death rather than this body. I loathe my life. I don't want to live forever. Leave me alone, because my days are only a breath. What is man, that you should make so much of him and set your heart on him? Why visit him every morning and test him every moment? How long before you look away from me and give me enough time even to swallow? I've sinned — what have I done to you, O watcher of men? Why have you made me your target, so that I'm a burden even to myself? Why don't you pardon my wrongdoing and take away my wrongdoing? Soon I'll lie down in the dust. You'll look for me in the morning, and I won't be here."

Isn't there a hard service for man on the earth? Aren't his days like the days of a hired man? Like a servant who longs for the shade, and like a hired man who waits for his wages — so I've been given months of emptiness, and hard nights are set out for me. When I lie down I say: When will I get up and the night be gone? And I'm full of tossing to and fro till the dawn. My flesh is dressed in worms and clods of dust. My skin is broken and running. My days are faster than a weaver's shuttle and are spent without hope. Remember that my life is wind. My eye won't see good again. The eye of the one who's seen me won't see me any more. Your eyes are on me, and I'm gone. As the cloud fades and goes, so the one who goes down to the grave won't come up again. He won't come back to his house any more, and his place won't know him again. So I won't hold back my mouth. I'll speak in the trouble of my spirit. I'll complain in the bitterness of my soul. Am I a sea, or a sea monster, that you set a watch over me? When I say, My bed will comfort me, my couch will take away my complaint — then you frighten me with dreams and terrify me with visions. So my soul chooses strangling, and death rather than these bones of mine. I loathe it. I won't live forever. Leave me alone, because my days are a breath. What's man, that you make so much of him, and that you set your heart on him, and that you look at him every morning and test him every moment? How long will you not look away from me? And why won't you leave me alone till I swallow my spit? If I've sinned, what have I done to you, you watcher of men? Why have you set me as a mark against you, so I'm a load to myself? And why won't you forgive what I've done wrong and take away my wrongdoing? Because now I'll sleep in the dust. And you'll look for me in the morning, and I won't be there.

Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth? are not his days also like the days of an hireling? As a servant earnestly desireth the shadow, and as an hireling looketh for the reward of his work: So am I made to possess months of vanity, and wearisome nights are appointed to me. 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. My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; my skin is broken, and become loathsome. My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, and are spent without hope. O remember that my life is wind: mine eye shall no more see good. The eye of him that hath seen me shall see me no more: thine eyes are upon me, and I am not. As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away: so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more. He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him any more. 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. Am I a sea, or a whale, that thou settest a watch over me? When I say, My bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaint; Then thou scarest me with dreams, and terrifiest me through visions: So that my soul chooseth strangling, and death rather than my life. I loathe it; I would not live alway: let me alone; for my days are vanity. What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him? And that thou shouldest visit him every morning, and try him every moment? How long wilt thou not depart from me, nor let me alone till I swallow down my spittle? 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? And why dost thou not pardon my transgression, and take away mine iniquity? for now shall I sleep in the dust; and thou shalt seek me in the morning, but I shall not be.

1

"Isn't there an appointed struggle for man on earth? Aren't his days like the days of a hired worker?

Plain English

Isn't there a hard service for man on the earth? Aren't his days like the days of a hired man?

King James Version, 1611

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

2

Like a servant longing for the shade, like a worker waiting for his pay,

Plain English

Like a servant who longs for the shade, and like a hired man who waits for his wages —

King James Version, 1611

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

3

so I've been allotted months of emptiness and nights of misery.

Plain English

so I've been given months of emptiness, and hard nights are set out for me.

King James Version, 1611

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

4

When I lie down I wonder, 'When will I get up?' The night drags on, and I toss about until dawn.

Plain English

When I lie down I say: When will I get up and the night be gone? And I'm full of tossing to and fro till the dawn.

King James Version, 1611

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 breaks and festers.

Plain English

My flesh is dressed in worms and clods of dust. My skin is broken and running.

King James Version, 1611

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

6

My days pass faster than a weaver's shuttle and are spent without hope.

Plain English

My days are faster than a weaver's shuttle and are spent without hope.

King James Version, 1611

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

7

Remember that my life is only a breath. My eye will never again see good.

Plain English

Remember that my life is wind. My eye won't see good again.

King James Version, 1611

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

8

The eye that has seen me will see me no more. Your eyes will be upon me, but I will be gone.

Plain English

The eye of the one who's seen me won't see me any more. Your eyes are on me, and I'm gone.

King James Version, 1611

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

9

As a cloud is consumed and vanishes away, so the one who goes down to the grave will come up no more.

Plain English

As the cloud fades and goes, so the one who goes down to the grave won't come up again.

King James Version, 1611

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

10

He will return no more to his house, and his place will know him no more.

Plain English

He won't come back to his house any more, and his place won't know him again.

King James Version, 1611

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

11

So I won't hold my tongue. I'll speak out of the anguish of my spirit; I'll complain in the bitterness of my soul.

Plain English

So I won't hold back my mouth. I'll speak in the trouble of my spirit. I'll complain in the bitterness of my soul.

King James Version, 1611

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 the sea, or a whale, that you have to set a watch over me?

Plain English

Am I a sea, or a sea monster, that you set a watch over me?

King James Version, 1611

Am I a sea, or a whale, that thou settest a watch over me?

13

When I say, 'My bed will comfort me; my couch will ease my complaint,'

Plain English

When I say, My bed will comfort me, my couch will take away my complaint —

King James Version, 1611

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

14

you frighten me with dreams and terrify me with visions.

Plain English

then you frighten me with dreams and terrify me with visions.

King James Version, 1611

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

15

So my soul would choose strangling and death rather than this body.

Plain English

So my soul chooses strangling, and death rather than these bones of mine.

King James Version, 1611

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

16

I loathe my life. I don't want to live forever. Leave me alone, because my days are only a breath.

Plain English

I loathe it. I won't live forever. Leave me alone, because my days are a breath.

King James Version, 1611

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

17

What is man, that you should make so much of him and set your heart on him?

Plain English

What's man, that you make so much of him, and that you set your heart on him,

King James Version, 1611

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

18

Why visit him every morning and test him every moment?

Plain English

and that you look at him every morning and test him every moment?

King James Version, 1611

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

19

How long before you look away from me and give me enough time even to swallow?

Plain English

How long will you not look away from me? And why won't you leave me alone till I swallow my spit?

King James Version, 1611

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

20

I've sinned — what have I done to you, O watcher of men? Why have you made me your target, so that I'm a burden even to myself?

Plain English

If I've sinned, what have I done to you, you watcher of men? Why have you set me as a mark against you, so I'm a load to myself?

King James Version, 1611

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

Why don't you pardon my wrongdoing and take away my wrongdoing? Soon I'll lie down in the dust. You'll look for me in the morning, and I won't be here."

Plain English

And why won't you forgive what I've done wrong and take away my wrongdoing? Because now I'll sleep in the dust. And you'll look for me in the morning, and I won't be there.

King James Version, 1611

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