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Is there not a warfare to man on earth? And as the days of an hireling his days?

As a servant desireth the shadow, And as a hireling expecteth his wage,

So I have been caused to inherit months of vanity, And nights of misery they numbered to me.

If I lay down then I said, `When do I rise!' And evening hath been measured, And I have been full of tossings till dawn.

Clothed hath been my flesh [with] worms, And a clod of dust, My skin hath been shrivelled and is loathsome,

My days swifter than a weaving machine, And they are consumed without hope.

Remember Thou that my life [is] a breath, Mine eye turneth not back to see good.

The eye of my beholder beholdeth me not. Thine eyes [are] upon me -- and I am not.

Consumed hath been a cloud, and it goeth, So he who is going down to Sheol cometh not up.

10 He turneth not again to his house, Nor doth his place discern him again.

11 Also I -- I withhold not my mouth -- I speak in the distress of my spirit, I talk in the bitterness of my soul.

12 A sea-[monster] am I, or a dragon, That thou settest over me a guard?

13 When I said, `My bed doth comfort me,' He taketh away in my talking my couch.

14 And thou hast affrighted me with dreams, And from visions thou terrifiest me,

15 And my soul chooseth strangling, Death rather than my bones.

16 I have wasted away -- not to the age do I live. Cease from me, for my days [are] vanity.

17 What [is] man that Thou dost magnify him? And that Thou settest unto him Thy heart?

18 And inspectest him in the mornings, In the evenings dost try him?

19 How long dost Thou not look from me? Thou dost not desist till I swallow my spittle.

20 I have sinned, what do I to Thee, O watcher of man? Why hast Thou set me for a mark to Thee, And I am for a burden to myself -- and what?

21 Thou dost not take away my transgression, And cause to pass away mine iniquity, Because now, for dust I lie down: And Thou hast sought me -- and I am not!

And Bildad the Shuhite answereth and saith: --

Till when dost thou speak these things? And a strong wind -- sayings of thy mouth?

Doth God pervert judgment? And doth the Mighty One pervert justice?

If thy sons have sinned before Him, And He doth send them away, By the hand of their transgression,

If thou dost seek early unto God, And unto the Mighty makest supplication,

If pure and upright thou [art], Surely now He waketh for thee, And hath completed The habitation of thy righteousness.

And thy beginning hath been small, And thy latter end is very great.

For, ask I pray thee of a former generation, And prepare to a search of their fathers,

(For of yesterday we [are], and we know not, For a shadow [are] our days on earth.)

10 Do they not shew thee -- speak to thee, And from their heart bring forth words?

11 `Doth a rush wise without mire? A reed increase without water?

12 While it [is] in its budding -- uncropt, Even before any herb it withereth.

13 So [are] the paths of all forgetting God, And the hope of the profane doth perish,

14 Whose confidence is loathsome, And the house of a spider his trust.

15 He leaneth on his house -- and it standeth not: He taketh hold on it -- and it abideth not.

16 Green he [is] before the sun, And over his garden his branch goeth out.

17 By a heap his roots are wrapped, A house of stones he looketh for.

18 If [one] doth destroy him from his place, Then it hath feigned concerning him, I have not seen thee!

19 Lo, this [is] the joy of his way, And from the dust others spring up.'

20 Lo, God doth not reject the perfect, Nor taketh hold on the hand of evil doers.

21 While he filleth with laughter thy mouth, And thy lips with shouting,

22 Those hating thee do put on shame, And the tent of the wicked is not!

“Do not mortals have hard service(A) on earth?(B)
    Are not their days like those of hired laborers?(C)
Like a slave longing for the evening shadows,(D)
    or a hired laborer waiting to be paid,(E)
so I have been allotted months of futility,
    and nights of misery have been assigned to me.(F)
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)
My body is clothed with worms(I) and scabs,
    my skin is broken and festering.(J)

“My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle,(K)
    and they come to an end without hope.(L)
Remember, O God, that my life is but a breath;(M)
    my eyes will never see happiness again.(N)
The eye that now sees me will see me no longer;
    you will look for me, but I will be no more.(O)
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)

Bildad

Then Bildad the Shuhite(AW) replied:

“How long will you say such things?(AX)
    Your words are a blustering wind.(AY)
Does God pervert justice?(AZ)
    Does the Almighty pervert what is right?(BA)
When your children sinned against him,
    he gave them over to the penalty of their sin.(BB)
But if you will seek God earnestly
    and plead(BC) with the Almighty,(BD)
if you are pure and upright,
    even now he will rouse himself on your behalf(BE)
    and restore you to your prosperous state.(BF)
Your beginnings will seem humble,
    so prosperous(BG) will your future be.(BH)

“Ask the former generation(BI)
    and find out what their ancestors learned,
for we were born only yesterday and know nothing,(BJ)
    and our days on earth are but a shadow.(BK)
10 Will they not instruct(BL) you and tell you?
    Will they not bring forth words from their understanding?(BM)
11 Can papyrus grow tall where there is no marsh?(BN)
    Can reeds(BO) thrive without water?
12 While still growing and uncut,
    they wither more quickly than grass.(BP)
13 Such is the destiny(BQ) of all who forget God;(BR)
    so perishes the hope of the godless.(BS)
14 What they trust in is fragile[b];
    what they rely on is a spider’s web.(BT)
15 They lean on the web,(BU) but it gives way;
    they cling to it, but it does not hold.(BV)
16 They are like a well-watered plant in the sunshine,
    spreading its shoots(BW) over the garden;(BX)
17 it entwines its roots around a pile of rocks
    and looks for a place among the stones.
18 But when it is torn from its spot,
    that place disowns(BY) it and says, ‘I never saw you.’(BZ)
19 Surely its life withers(CA) away,
    and[c] from the soil other plants grow.(CB)

20 “Surely God does not reject one who is blameless(CC)
    or strengthen the hands of evildoers.(CD)
21 He will yet fill your mouth with laughter(CE)
    and your lips with shouts of joy.(CF)
22 Your enemies will be clothed in shame,(CG)
    and the tents(CH) of the wicked will be no more.”(CI)

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.
  2. Job 8:14 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  3. Job 8:19 Or Surely all the joy it has / is that