Job 14
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Man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble.
2 He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.
3 And doth thou open thine eyes upon such an one, and bringest me into judgment with thee?
4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.
5 Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass;
6 Turn from him, that he may rest, till he shall accomplish, as an hireling, his day.
7 For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease.
8 Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground;
9 Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant.
10 But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?
11 As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up:
12 So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.
13 O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me!
14 If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.
15 Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands.
16 For now thou numberest my steps: dost thou not watch over my sin?
17 My transgression is sealed up in a bag, and thou sewest up mine iniquity.
18 And surely the mountains falling cometh to nought, and the rock is removed out of his place.
19 The waters wear the stones: thou washest away the things which grow out of the dust of the earth; and thou destroyest the hope of man.
20 Thou prevailest for ever against him, and he passeth: thou changest his countenance, and sendest him away.
21 His sons come to honour, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them.
22 But his flesh upon him shall have pain, and his soul within him shall mourn.
Public Domain KJV text from Wordproject.org
Job 14:1-22
Job Continues: Death Comes Soon to All
1“Man who is born of a woman
is few of days and full of trouble.
2He comes out like a flower and withers;
he flees like a shadow and continues not.
3And do you open your eyes on such a one
and bring me into judgment with you?
4Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean?
There is not one.
5Since his days are determined,
and the number of his months is with you,
and you have appointed his limits that he cannot pass,
6look away from him and leave him alone,
that he may enjoy, like a hired hand, his day.
7“For there is hope for a tree,
if it be cut down, that it will sprout again,
and that its shoots will not cease.
8Though its root grow old in the earth,
and its stump die in the soil,
9yet at the scent of water it will bud
and put out branches like a young plant.
10But a man dies and is laid low;
man breathes his last, and where is he?
11As waters fail from a lake
and a river wastes away and dries up,
12so a man lies down and rises not again;
till the heavens are no more he will not awake
or be roused out of his sleep.
13Oh that you would hide me in Sheol,
that you would conceal me until your wrath be past,
that you would appoint me a set time, and remember me!
14If a man dies, shall he live again?
All the days of my service I would wait,
till my renewal should come.
15You would call, and I would answer you;
you would long for the work of your hands.
16For then you would number my steps;
you would not keep watch over my sin;
17my transgression would be sealed up in a bag,
and you would cover over my iniquity.
18“But the mountain falls and crumbles away,
and the rock is removed from its place;
19the waters wear away the stones;
the torrents wash away the soil of the earth;
so you destroy the hope of man.
20You prevail forever against him, and he passes;
you change his countenance, and send him away.
21His sons come to honor, and he does not know it;
they are brought low, and he perceives it not.
22He feels only the pain of his own body,
and he mourns only for himself.”
ESV Bible text displayed through the American Bible Society's Global Bible Widget
Job 14:1-22
1“Mortals, born of woman,
are of few days and full of trouble.
2They spring up like flowers and wither away;
like fleeting shadows, they do not endure.
3Do you fix your eye on them?
Will you bring them before you for judgment?
4Who can bring what is pure from the impure?
No one!
5A person’s days are determined;
you have decreed the number of his months
and have set limits he cannot exceed.
6So look away from him and let him alone,
till he has put in his time like a hired laborer.
7“At least there is hope for a tree:
If it is cut down, it will sprout again,
and its new shoots will not fail.
8Its roots may grow old in the ground
and its stump die in the soil,
9yet at the scent of water it will bud
and put forth shoots like a plant.
10But a man dies and is laid low;
he breathes his last and is no more.
11As the water of a lake dries up
or a riverbed becomes parched and dry,
12so he lies down and does not rise;
till the heavens are no more, people will not awake
or be roused from their sleep.
13“If only you would hide me in the grave
and conceal me till your anger has passed!
If only you would set me a time
and then remember me!
14If someone dies, will they live again?
All the days of my hard service
I will wait for my renewal to come.
15You will call and I will answer you;
you will long for the creature your hands have made.
16Surely then you will count my steps
but not keep track of my sin.
17My offenses will be sealed up in a bag;
you will cover over my sin.
18“But as a mountain erodes and crumbles
and as a rock is moved from its place,
19as water wears away stones
and torrents wash away the soil,
so you destroy a person’s hope.
20You overpower them once for all, and they are gone;
you change their countenance and send them away.
21If their children are honored, they do not know it;
if their offspring are brought low, they do not see it.
22They feel but the pain of their own bodies
and mourn only for themselves.”
NIV Bible text displayed through the American Bible Society's Global Bible Widget
Commentary
Waves of futility have swept over Job. Life is limited, overflowing with trouble. He feels nothing but the pain of his own body and mourns only for himself. Like water wearing down stones, God has destroyed his hope.
If wisely experienced, suffering can be soul-curative. But it can also be corrosive to the heart. Multiple losses and long term suffering often blind people to realities beyond their own hell of suffering. One can become bitterly myopic when life is focused solely on survival.
This world-narrowing tendency can be especially dangerous for those who live alone and are home bound, subsisting on disability payments, each day a struggle for physical, financial, and emotional survival. When one’s energy is consumed trying to find ways of coping with physical pain, it is easy to forget about the lives of others, which leads to emotional disconnection. Consumed by stress and suffering, sufferers can forget to invest in the lives of others, if only through a phone call or a letter.
No matter the variety of soul-crushing suffering, it is vital that sufferers find ways to invest in realities outside their pain. Focusing on the hearts of others helps to keep one’s own suffering in perspective.
Lori Engel
Chaplain (currently disabled), Eugene, Oregon USA
