Job 7:8-18

8 L'œil qui me voit, ne m'apercevra plus; tes yeux me chercheront, et je ne serai plus.
9 La nuée se dissipe et s'en va, ainsi celui qui descend aux enfers n'en remontera pas.
10 Il ne reviendra plus dans sa maison, et son lieu ne le reconnaîtra plus.
11 C'est pourquoi, je ne retiendrai point ma bouche, je parlerai dans la détresse de mon esprit, je me plaindrai dans l'amertume de mon âme.
12 Suis-je une mer? Suis-je un monstre marin, pour que tu poses autour de moi une garde?
13 Quand je dis: Mon lit me consolera; ma couche me soulagera de ma peine;
14 Alors, tu me terrifies par des songes, et tu m'épouvantes par des visions.
15 Ainsi j'aime mieux étouffer, j'aime mieux mourir que conserver mes os.
16 Je suis ennuyé de la vie. Je ne vivrai pas toujours. Retire-toi de moi, car mes jours sont un souffle.
17 Qu'est-ce que l'homme pour que tu en fasses un si grand cas, pour que tu prennes garde à lui?
18 Pour que tu l'inspectes tous les matins, pour que tu le scrutes à chaque instant?

Job 7:8-18 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JOB 7

In this chapter Job goes on to defend himself in an address to God; as that he had reason to complain of his extraordinary afflictions, and wish for death; by observing the common case of mankind, which he illustrates by that of an hireling, Job 7:1; and justifies his eager desire of death by the servant and hireling; the one earnestly desiring the shadow, and the other the reward of his work, Job 7:2; by representing his present state as exceeding deplorable, even worse than that of the servant and hireling, since they had rest at night, when he had none, and were free from pain, whereas he was not, Job 7:3-5; by taking notice of the swiftness and shortness of his days, in which he had no hope of enjoying any good, Job 7:6,7; and so thought his case hard; and the rather, since after death he could enjoy no temporal good: and therefore to be deprived of it while living gave him just reason of complaint, Job 7:8-11; and then he expostulates with God for setting such a strict watch upon him; giving him no ease night nor day, but terrifying him with dreams and visions, which made life disagreeable to him, and death more eligible than that, Job 7:12-16; and represents man as unworthy of the divine regard, and below his notice to bestow favours on him, or to chastise him for doing amiss, Job 7:17,18; and admitting that he himself had sinned, yet he should forgive his iniquity, and not bear so hard upon him, and follow him with one affliction after another without intermission, and make him the butt of his arrows; but should spare him and let him alone, or however take him out of the world, Job 7:19-21.

The Ostervald translation is in the public domain.