1 "Man, who is born of a woman, is of few days, and full of trouble. 2 He comes forth like a flower, and is cut down. He also flees like a shadow, and doesn't continue. 3 Do you open your eyes on such a one, and bring me into judgment with you? 4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one. 5 Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months is with you, and you have appointed his bounds that he can't pass; 6 Look away from him, that he may rest, until he shall accomplish, as a hireling, his day. 7 "For there is hope for a tree, If it is cut down, that it will sprout again, that the tender branch of it will not cease. 8 Though its root grows old in the earth, and its stock dies in the ground, 9 yet through the scent of water it will bud, and put forth boughs like a plant. 10 But man dies, and is laid low. Yes, man gives up the spirit, and where is he? 11 As the waters fail from the sea, and the river wastes and dries up, 12 so man lies down and doesn't rise. Until the heavens are no more, they shall not awake, nor be roused out of their sleep. 13 "Oh that you would hide me in Sheol, that you would keep me secret, until your wrath is past, that you would appoint me a set time, and remember me! 14 If a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my warfare would I wait, until my release should come. 15 You would call, and I would answer you. You would have a desire to the work of your hands. 16 But now you number my steps. Don't you watch over my sin? 17 My disobedience is sealed up in a bag. You fasten up my iniquity. 18 "But the mountain falling comes to nothing. The rock is removed out of its place; 19 The waters wear the stones. The torrents of it wash away the dust of the earth. So you destroy the hope of man. 20 You forever prevail against him, and he departs. You change his face, and send him away. 21 His sons come to honor, and he doesn't know it. They are brought low, but he doesn't perceive it of them. 22 But his flesh on him has pain, and his soul within him mourns."
INTRODUCTION TO JOB 14
Job, having turned himself from his friends to God, continues his address to him in this chapter; wherein he discourses of the frailty of man, the shortness of his life, the troubles that are in it, the sinfulness of it, and its limited duration, beyond which it cannot continue; all which he makes use of with God, that he would not therefore deal rigorously with him, but have pity on him, and cease from severely afflicting him, till he came to the end of his days, which could not be long, Job 14:1; he observes of a tree, when it is cut down to the root, yea, when the root is become old, and the stock dies, it will, by means of being watered, bud and sprout again, and produce boughs and branches; but man, like the failing waters of the sea, and the decayed and dried up flood, when he dies, rises not, till the heavens be no more, Job 14:7; and then he wishes to be hid in the grave till that time, and expresses hope and belief of the resurrection of the dead, Job 14:13; and goes on to complain of the strict notice God took of his sins, of his severe dealings with men, destroying their hope in life, and removing them by death; so that they see and know not the case and circumstances of their children they leave behind, and while they live have continual pain and sorrow, Job 14:16.
*More commentary available by clicking individual verses.