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Job, 7

1. Is not human life on earth just conscript service? Do we not live a hireling's life?

1. [Is there] not an appointed time to man upon earth? [are not] his days also like the days of an hireling?

2. Like a slave, sighing for the shade, or a hireling with no thought but for his wages,

2. As a servant earnestly desireth the shadow, and as an hireling looketh for [the reward of] his work:

3. I have months of futility assigned to me, nights of suffering to be my lot.

3. So am I made to possess months of vanity, and wearisome nights are appointed to me.

4. Lying in bed I wonder, 'When will it be day?' No sooner up than, 'When will evening come?' And crazy thoughts obsess me till twilight falls.

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. Vermin and loathsome scabs cover my body; my skin is cracked and oozes pus.

5. My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; my skin is broken, and become loathsome.

6. Swifter than a weaver's shuttle my days have passed, and vanished, leaving no hope behind.

6. My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and are spent without hope.

7. Remember that my life is but a breath, and that my eyes will never again see joy.

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

8. The eye that once saw me will look on me no more, your eyes will turn my way, and I shall not be there.

8. The eye of him that hath seen me shall see me no [more]: thine eyes [are] upon me, and I [am] not.

9. A cloud dissolves and is gone, so no one who goes down to Sheol ever comes up again,

9. [As] the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away: so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no [more].

10. ever comes home again, and his house knows that person no more.

10. He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him any more.

11. That is why I cannot keep quiet: in my anguish of spirit I shall speak, in my bitterness of soul I shall complain.

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 the Sea, or some sea monster, that you should keep me under guard?

12. [Am] I a sea, or a whale, that thou settest a watch over me?

13. If I say, 'My bed will comfort me, my couch will lighten my complaints,'

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

14. you then frighten me with dreams and terrify me with visions,

14. Then thou scarest me with dreams, and terrifiest me through visions:

15. so that strangling would seem welcome in comparison, yes, death preferable to what I suffer.

15. So that my soul chooseth strangling, [and] death rather than my life.

16. I am wasting away, my life is not unending; leave me then, for my days are but a breath.

16. I loathe [it]; I would not live alway: let me alone; for my days [are] vanity.

17. What are human beings that you should take them so seriously, subjecting them to your scrutiny,

17. What [is] man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him?

18. that morning after morning you should examine them and at every instant test them?

18. And [that] thou shouldest visit him every morning, [and] try him every moment?

19. Will you never take your eyes off me long enough for me to swallow my spittle?

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

20. Suppose I have sinned, what have I done to you, you tireless watcher of humanity? Why do you choose me as your target? Why should I be a burden to you?

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. Can you not tolerate my sin, not overlook my fault? For soon I shall be lying in the dust, you will look for me and I shall be no more.

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].



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Footnotes:

7:1-2 - Job reflects on the nature of life and suffering, comparing his condition to that of a laborer carrying a burden. This metaphor highlights the anguish of human existence and the search for meaning amid pain (see also Ecclesiastes 1:2 and Psalm 90:10).

7:17-19 - Job expresses his bewilderment at God's attention to his pain, questioning the reason for his suffering. This reveals the human struggle with the meaning of suffering and its relationship with the divine (see also Psalm 8:4-5 and 1 Peter 5:7).

7:20-21 - Job's confession of his sinful state illustrates human vulnerability and the need for forgiveness. He seeks divine understanding of his failings, recognizing the need for repentance (see also Romans 3:23 and 1 John 1:9).

7:22-23 - Job questions the justice of God's targeting of humanity, expressing his frustration with the seeming arbitrariness of suffering. This reflects the tension between divine sovereignty and human experience (see also Psalm 139:7-12 and Romans 11:33).

7:28-29 - He concludes that life is fleeting and full of afflictions, highlighting the fragility of human beings. This realization is a call to humility and dependence on God at all times (see also Psalm 39:4-5 and James 4:14).

Verses related to Job, 7:

Job chapter 7 continues Job's lament. Why does he question the purpose of his life? This powerful text compares life to forced labor and expresses Job's desire for relief. The chapter addresses themes such as the brevity of life, the apparent silence of God and existential anguish. Job 7 reveals Job's brutal honesty in his communication with God. Ponder with us five biblical passages that relate to the intense questions in this provocative chapter.

Psalms 39:4-5: "Show me, Lord, the end of my life and the number of my days, so that I may know how fragile I am. You made my days as short as a span; the time of my life is nothing before you. In fact, man is nothing more than a breath." - These verses echo Job's reflections on the brevity of life in Job 7:6-7.

Ecclesiastes 2:23: "All his days are painful, and his tasks are distressing; Even at night he doesn't rest his mind. This is also absurd!" - This verse reflects Job's lament over his nights of agony in Job 7:3-4.

Psalms 8:4: "What is man that you care about him? And the son of man, why should you worry about him?" - This question about the relationship between God and man is similar to that expressed by Job in 7:17-19.

2 Corinthians 5:4: "For while we are in this house, we groan and anguish, because we do not want to be undressed, but clothed, so that what is mortal may be absorbed into life." - Paul expresses a similar sentiment to Job in 7:11, about the weight of mortal existence.

Psalms 90:5-6: "You take them away, and they are like sleep; in the morning they are like grass that sprouts: in the morning it blossoms and sprouts; in the afternoon it is cut and dried." - These verses reflect Job's meditations on the fragility of human life in Job 7:9-10.

FAQ:

What does Job say about the meaning of human life in the midst of suffering?

Job expresses his anguish, saying that human life is full of suffering and without purpose, comparing it to unrewarding labor. (Job 7:1-3)

How does Job feel about God's silence?

Job questions God's silence in the face of his suffering, expressing frustration and a sense of abandonment by God. (Job 7:11-12)

What does Job expect from his relationship with God in suffering?

Job waits for God to listen to him and explain the reason for his suffering, seeking to find a reason for his pain. (Job 7:17-20)

What does Job say about human nature in relation to God?

Job asserts that man is frail, flawed, and doomed to suffering, reflecting a despairing view of human existence. (Job 7:17-20)

What is Job's view of the purpose of suffering?

Job questions the purpose of suffering, finding no clear reason, and expresses a sense of injustice about his affliction. (Job 7:1-20)


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