1 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 complaint;
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 mine iniquity? for now shall I sleep in the dust; and thou shalt seek me in the morning, but I shall not be.

1Is there not an appointed time to man vpon earth? are not his dayes also like the dayes of an hireling?

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

3So am I made to possesse moneths of vanitie, and wearisome nights are appointed to me.

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

5My flesh is cloathed with wormes and clods of dust, my skinne is broken, and become loathsome.

6My dayes are swifter then a weauers shuttle, and are spent without hope.

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

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

9As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away: so he that goeth downe to the graue, shall come vp no more.

10Hee shall returne no more to his house: neither shall his place know him any more.

11Therefore I will not refraine my mouth, I wil speake in the anguish of my spirit, I will complaine in the bitternesse of my soule.

12Am I a sea, or a whale, that thou settest a watch ouer me?

13When I say, My bed shal comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaint:

14Then thou skarest mee with dreames, and terrifiest me through visions.

15So that my soule chooseth strangling: and death rather then my life.

16I loath it, I would not liue alway: let me alone, for my dayes are vanitie.

17What is man, that thou shouldest magnifie him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart vpon him?

18And that thou shouldest visite him euery morning, and trie him euery moment?

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

20I haue sinned, what shall I doe vnto thee, O thou preseruer of men? why hast thou set me as a mark against thee, so that I am a burden to my selfe?

21And why doest thou not pardon my transgression, and take away mine iniquitie? for now shall I sleepe in the dust, and thou shalt seeke me in the morning, but I shall not be.

I == Job 14:5 , 13-14 ; Ps 39:4

III Job 29:2

 

 

 

IV == Deut 28:67 ; Job 17:12

 

V == Isa 14:11

 

VI == Job 9:25 16:22 ; 17:11 ; Ps 90:6 ; 102:11 ; 103:15 ; 144:4 ; Isa 38:12 ; 40:6 ; James 4:14

VII == Ps 78:39 ; 89:47

VIII == Job 20:9

IX == 2nd Sam 12:23

 

 

XI == Ps 39:1 , 9 ; 40:9

 

 

XIII == Job 9:27

 

 

 

 

XVI == Job 10:1 , 20 ; 14:6 ; Ps 39:13 ; 62:9

XVII == Ps 8:4 ; 144:3 ; Heb 2:6

 

 

 

XX ==Job 16:12 ; Ps 21:12 ; 36:6 ; Lam 3:12

 

1 Is not man's life on earth a drudgery? Are not his days those of a hireling?

2 He is a slave who longs for the shade, a hireling who waits for his wages.

3 So I have been assigned months of misery, and troubled nights have been told off for me.

4 If in bed I say, "When shall I arise?" then the night drags on; I am filled with restlessness until the dawn.

5 My flesh is clothed with worms and scabs; my skin cracks and festers;

6 My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle; they come to an end without hope.

7 Remember that my life is like the wind; I shall not see happiness again.

8 The eye that now sees me shall no more behold me; as you look at me, I shall be gone.

9 As a cloud dissolves and vanishes, so he who goes down to the nether world shall come up no more.

10 He shall not again return to his house; his place shall know him no more.

11 My own utterance I will not restrain; 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 monster of the deep, that you place a watch over me? Why have you set me up as an object of attack; or why should I be a target for you?

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

14 Then you affright me with dreams and with visions terrify me,

15 So that I should prefer choking and death rather than my pains.

16 I waste away: I cannot live forever; let me alone, for my days are but a breath.

17 What is man, that you make much of him, or pay him any heed?

18 You observe him with each new day and try him at every moment!

19 How long will it be before you look away from me, and let me alone long enough to swallow my spittle?

20 Though I have sinned, what can I do to you, O watcher of men?

21 Why do you not pardon my offense, or take away my guilt? For soon I shall lie down in the dust; and should you seek me I shall then be gone.

v 1-5. Job says mortal man is like a soldier doing his time, a hired man in hard labor, a slave working in heat of day, or a hired man waiting to be paid. But his pain goes on for months, and his nights are unbearable as he lays in filth, wormy cracked sores which scab over and break open again.

 

 

 

v 6-10. Job speaks of the brevity of his life, and though he had wished to die, 3:17, when he does, he will not see his home or past earthly happiness again.

 

 

 

 

 

v 11,15. In his anguish, Job knowingly speaks without constraint, protesting that God is guarding him as if he were a sea monster. He cannot escape even in sleep, for God is terrifying him through his dreams, 4:12-21; 33;7 (another result of his disease). Again he feels death would be better than the way he is living.

 

 

 

 

v 16-19. Job feels his days are futile now anyway, so why is God giving him so much attention. God is trying him every moment, and it would be a relief just to be let alone, even long enough to swallow his saliva. David used about the same words, Ps. 144:3, “What is man that thou take account of him?” to show God’s constant care.

 

 

v 20,21. Job asks God how he has sinned that he cannot get forgiveness instead of tantalizing. He wants pardon now, because he may die in the night and in the morning it will be too late on this earth. (This doesn’t discount his belief in resurrection)