Job 7 Geneva Bible (1599)
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (1)
- Original 16th-century spelling.
1 Is there not an appointed time to man vpon earth? and are not his dayes as the dayes of an hyreling?
1 “Isn’t a man forced to labor on earth? Aren’t his days like the days of a hired hand?
2 As a seruant longeth for the shadowe, and as an hyreling looketh for the ende of his worke,
2 As a servant who earnestly desires the shadow, as a hireling who looks for his wages,
3 So haue I had as an inheritance the moneths of vanitie, and painefull nights haue bene appointed vnto me.
3 so I am made to possess months of misery, wearisome nights are appointed to me.
4 If I layed me downe, I sayde, When shall I arise? and measuring the euening I am euen full with tossing to and from vnto the dawning of the day.
4 When I lie down, I say, ‘When will I arise, and the night be gone?’ I toss and turn until the dawning of the day.
5 My flesh is clothed with wormes and filthinesse of the dust: my skinne is rent, and become horrible.
5 My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust. My skin closes up, and breaks out afresh.
6 My dayes are swifter then a weauers shittle, and they are spent without hope.
6 My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, and are spent without hope.
7 Remember that my life is but a wind, and that mine eye shall not returne to see pleasure.
7 Oh remember that my life is a breath. My eye will no more see good.
8 The eye that hath seene me, shall see me no more: thine eyes are vpon me, and I shall be no longer.
8 The eye of him who sees me will see me no more. Your eyes will be on me, but I will not be.
9 As the cloude vanisheth and goeth away, so he that goeth downe to the graue, shall come vp no more.
9 As the cloud is consumed and vanishes away, so he who goes down to Sheol will come up no more.
10 He shall returne no more to his house, neither shall his place knowe him any more.
10 He will return no more to his house, neither will his place know him any more.
11 Therefore I will not spare my mouth, but will speake in the trouble of my spirite, and muse in the bitternesse of my minde.
11 “Therefore I will not keep silent. 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 whalefish, that thou keepest me in warde?
12 Am I a sea, or a sea monster, that you put a guard over me?
13 When I say, My couch shall relieue me, and my bed shall bring comfort in my meditation,
13 When I say, ‘My bed will comfort me. My couch will ease my complaint,’
14 Then fearest thou me with dreames, and astonishest me with visions.
14 then you scare me with dreams and terrify me through visions,
15 Therefore my soule chuseth rather to be strangled and to die, then to be in my bones.
15 so that my soul chooses strangling, death rather than my bones.
16 I abhorre it, I shall not liue alway: spare me then, for my dayes are but vanitie.
16 I loathe my life. I don’t want to live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are but a breath.
17 What is man, that thou doest magnifie him, and that thou settest thine heart vpon him?
17 What is man, that you should magnify him, that you should set your mind on him,
18 And doest visite him euery morning, and tryest him euery moment?
18 that you should visit him every morning, and test him every moment?
19 Howe long will it be yer thou depart from me? thou wilt not let me alone whiles I may swallowe my spettle.
19 How long will you not look away from me, nor leave me alone until I swallow down my spittle?
20 I haue sinned, what shall I do vnto thee? O thou preseruer of me, why hast thou set me as a marke against thee, so that I am a burden vnto my selfe?
20 If I have sinned, what do I do to you, you watcher of men? Why have you set me as a mark for you, so that I am a burden to myself?
21 And why doest thou not pardon my trespasse? and take away mine iniquitie? for nowe shall I sleepe in the dust, and if thou seekest me in the morning, I shall not be found.
21 Why do you not pardon my disobedience, and take away my iniquity? For now will I lie down in the dust. You will seek me diligently, but I will not be.”
Cross references (21)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Job 14:5–6; Psalm 39:4; Job 5:7; Job 14:13–14; Leviticus 25:50
- 2 Leviticus 19:13; Deuteronomy 24:15; James 5:4; Malachi 3:5; Jeremiah 6:4
- 3 Psalm 6:6; Ecclesiastes 1:14; Job 16:7; Job 29:2; Psalm 39:5
- 4 Deuteronomy 28:67; Job 7:13–14; Psalm 77:4; Psalm 6:6; Psalm 130:6
- 5 Isaiah 14:11; Job 17:14; Job 2:7–8; Isaiah 1:6; Acts 12:23
- 6 Job 9:25; Job 17:15; Job 17:11; Isaiah 38:12–13; Isaiah 40:6–7
- 7 James 4:14; Psalm 78:39; Jeremiah 15:15; Psalm 89:47; Job 10:21–22
- 8 Job 20:9; Psalm 37:36; Job 8:18; Psalm 90:8–9; Job 13:27
- 9 Job 10:21; 2 Samuel 14:14; Job 30:15; Job 16:22; Job 14:10–14
- 10 Job 8:18; Job 20:9; Psalm 103:16; Job 27:23; Job 27:21
- 11 1 Samuel 1:10; Psalm 40:9; Job 10:1; Isaiah 38:15; Job 21:25
- 12 Job 7:17; Lamentations 3:7; Ezekiel 32:2–3; Job 38:6–11; Job 41:1–34
- 13 Psalm 6:6; Psalm 77:4; Job 7:3–4; Job 9:27–28
- 14 Genesis 41:8; Daniel 2:1; Genesis 40:5–7; Judges 7:13–14; Matthew 27:19
- 15 Matthew 27:5; 2 Samuel 17:23
- 16 1 Kings 19:4; Job 10:1; Job 9:21; Job 14:6; Psalm 62:9
- 17 Hebrews 2:6; Psalm 8:4; Psalm 144:3; Job 34:14–15; Job 7:12
- 18 1 Peter 1:7; Jeremiah 9:7; Isaiah 38:12–13; Job 14:3; Genesis 22:1
- 19 Job 9:18; Psalm 13:1–3; Job 14:6; Psalm 6:3; Psalm 94:3
- 20 Lamentations 3:12; Psalm 36:6; Job 3:24; Job 7:11–12; Psalm 21:12
- 21 Job 10:14; Daniel 12:2; 1 John 1:9; Lamentations 5:20–22; Isaiah 64:9
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
"For I shall not live alway, that I should suffer long." Next, his being conscious to himself of many good works.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)