Job 14 New American Standard Bible

Job Speaks of the Finality of Death

14 “^(A)Man, who is born of woman,
Is ^[a]short-lived and ^(B)full of turmoil.
²^(C)Like a flower he comes out and withers.
He also flees like ^(D)a shadow and does not remain.
³You also ^(E)open Your eyes on him
And ^(F)bring ^[b]him into judgment with Yourself.
⁴^(G)Who can make the clean out of the unclean?
No one!
⁵Since his days are determined,
The ^(H)number of his months is with You;
And You have ^[c]set his limits so that he cannot pass.
⁶^(I)Look away from him so that he may ^[d]rest,
Until he ^[e]fulfills his day like a hired worker.

⁷“For there is hope for a tree,
When it is cut down, that it will sprout again,
And its shoots will not ^[f]fail.
⁸Though its roots grow old in the ground,
And its stump dies in the dry soil,
⁹At the scent of water it will flourish
And produce sprigs like a plant.
¹⁰But ^(J)a man dies and lies prostrate.
A person ^(K)passes away, and where is he?
¹¹As ^(L)water ^[g]evaporates from the sea,
And a river becomes parched and dried up,
¹²So ^(M)a man lies down and does not rise.
Until the heavens no longer exist,
^[h]He will not awake nor be woken from ^[i]his sleep.

¹³“Oh that You would hide me in ^[j]Sheol,
That You would conceal me ^(N)until Your wrath returns to You,
That You would set a limit for me and remember me!
¹⁴If a man dies, will he live again?
All the days of my struggle I will wait
Until my relief comes.
¹⁵You will call, and I will answer You;
You will long for ^(O)the work of Your hands.
¹⁶For now You ^(P)number my steps,
You do not ^(Q)observe my sin.
¹⁷My wrongdoing is ^(R)sealed up in a bag,
And You cover over my ^[k]guilt.

¹⁸“But the falling mountain ^[l]crumbles away,
And the rock moves from its place;
¹⁹Water wears away stones,
Its torrents wash away the dust of the earth;
So You ^(S)destroy a man’s hope.
²⁰You forever overpower him and he ^(T)departs;
You change his appearance and send him away.
²¹His sons achieve honor, but ^(U)he does not know it;
Or they become insignificant, and he does not perceive it.
²²However, his ^[m]body pains him,
And his soul mourns for himself.”