Job · Chapter 14 · 22 verses
Job 14
About this chapter
Job 14 — Age of the Patriarchs
Unknown — Ancient wisdom writer, possibly contemporary with Abraham. Set in The ash heap outside Job's city. Job reflects on human mortality with haunting poetry, comparing people to flowers that wither and shadows that fade away. He observes that even a cut tree has hope of sprouting again, but when humans die, they're gone forever, leading him to wonder if there might be life after death where God would remember him with longing.
“Job 14:14” — 14:14
The profound sadness of contemplating mortality while clinging to hope for something beyond death.
Read when: Read this when you're wrestling with questions about death, meaning, and whether there's hope beyond this life.
1"Man, who is born of a woman, is of few days, and full of trouble. 2He comes forth like a flower, and is cut down. He also flees like a shadow, and doesn't continue. 3Do 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? Not one. 5Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months is with you, and you have appointed his bounds that he can't pass; 6Look 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. 8Though its root grows old in the earth, and its stock dies in the ground, 9yet through the scent of water it will bud, and put forth boughs like a plant. 10But man dies, and is laid low. Yes, man gives up the spirit, and where is he? 11As the waters fail from the sea, and the river wastes and dries up, 12so 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! 14If a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my warfare would I wait, until my release should come. 15You would call, and I would answer you. You would have a desire to the work of your hands. 16But now you number my steps. Don't you watch over my sin? 17My 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; 19The waters wear the stones. The torrents of it wash away the dust of the earth. So you destroy the hope of man. 20You forever prevail against him, and he departs. You change his face, and send him away. 21His sons come to honor, and he doesn't know it. They are brought low, but he doesn't perceive it of them. 22But his flesh on him has pain, and his soul within him mourns."