Job, 14
Job declares the shortness of man's days: and professes his belief of a resurrection.
[1] Man born of a woman, living for a short time, is filled with many miseries. •
[2] Who cometh forth like a flower, and is destroyed, and fleeth as a shadow, and never continueth in the same state. •
[3] And dost thou think it meet to open thy eyes upon such an one, and to bring him into judgment with thee? •
[4] Who can make him clean that is conceived of unclean seed? is it not thou who only art? •
[5] The days of man are short, and the number of his months is with thee: thou hast appointed his bounds which cannot be passed. •
[6] Depart a little from him, that he may rest until his wished for day come, as that of the hireling. •
[7] A tree hath hope: if it be cut, it growth green again, and the boughs thereof sprout.
[8] If its roots be old in the earth, and its stock be dead in the dust: •
[9] At the scent of water, it shall spring, and bring forth leaves, as when it was first planted. •
[10] But man when he shall be dead, and stripped and consumed, I pray you where is he? •
[11] As if the waters should depart out of the sea, and an emptied river should be dried up; •
[12] So man when he is fallen asleep shall not rise again; till the heavens be broken, he shall not awake, nor rise up out of his sleep. •
[13] Who will grant me this, that thou mayst protect me in hell 1, and hide me till thy wrath pass, and appoint me a time when thou wilt remember me? •
That thou mayst protect me in hell: That is, in the state of the dead; and in the place where the souls are kept waiting for their Redeemer.
[14] Shall man that is dead, thinkest thou, live again? all the days in which I am now in warfare, I expect until my change come. •
[15] Thou shalt call me, and I will answer thee: to the work of thy hands thou shalt reach out thy right hand.
[16] Thou indeed hast numbered my steps, but spare my sins. •
[17] Thou hast sealed up my offences as it were in a bag, but hast cured my iniquity. •
[18] A mountain falling cometh to nought, and a rock is removed out of its place. •
[19] Waters wear away the stones, and with inundation the ground by little and little is washed away: so in like manner thou shalt destroy man. •
[20] Thou hast strengthened him for a little while, that he may pass away for ever: thou shalt change his face, and shalt send him away. •
[21] Whether his children come to honour or dishonour, he shall not understand. •
[22] But yet his flesh, while he shall live, shall have pain, and his soul shall mourn over him. •