Job 14:19
New International Version
as water wears away stones and torrents wash away the soil, so you destroy a person’s hope.

New Living Translation
as water wears away the stones and floods wash away the soil, so you destroy people’s hope.

English Standard Version
the waters wear away the stones; the torrents wash away the soil of the earth; so you destroy the hope of man.

Berean Standard Bible
as water wears away the stones and torrents wash away the soil, so You destroy a man’s hope.

King James Bible
The waters wear the stones: thou washest away the things which grow out of the dust of the earth; and thou destroyest the hope of man.

New King James Version
As water wears away stones, And as torrents wash away the soil of the earth; So You destroy the hope of man.

New American Standard Bible
Water wears away stones, Its torrents wash away the dust of the earth; So You destroy a man’s hope.

NASB 1995
Water wears away stones, Its torrents wash away the dust of the earth; So You destroy man’s hope.

NASB 1977
Water wears away stones, Its torrents wash away the dust of the earth; So Thou dost destroy man’s hope.

Legacy Standard Bible
Water wears away stones; Its torrents wash away the dust of the earth; So You make man’s hope perish.

Amplified Bible
Water wears away the stones, Its floods and torrents wash away the soil of the earth, So You [O Lord] destroy the hope of man.

Christian Standard Bible
as water wears away stones and torrents wash away the soil from the land, so you destroy a man’s hope.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
as water wears away stones and torrents wash away the soil from the land, so You destroy a man’s hope.

American Standard Version
The waters wear the stones; The overflowings thereof wash away the dust of the earth: So thou destroyest the hope of man.

Contemporary English Version
streams wear away stones and wash away soil. And you destroy our hopes!

English Revised Version
The waters wear the stones; the overflowings thereof wash away the dust of the earth: and thou destroyest the hope of man.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
[so] water wears away stone, floods wash away soil from the land, and you destroy a mortal's hope.

Good News Translation
Water will wear down rocks, and heavy rain will wash away the soil; so you destroy our hope for life.

International Standard Version
Water wears away stones; floods wash away topsoil from the land— but you destroy the hope of human beings just like that!

Majority Standard Bible
as water wears away the stones and torrents wash away the soil, so You destroy a man’s hope.

NET Bible
as water wears away stones, and torrents wash away the soil, so you destroy man's hope.

New Heart English Bible
The waters wear the stones. The torrents of it wash away the dust of the earth. So you destroy the hope of man.

Webster's Bible Translation
The waters wear the stones: thou washest away the things which grow out of the dust of the earth; and thou destroyest the hope of man.

World English Bible
The waters wear the stones. The torrents of it wash away the dust of the earth. So you destroy the hope of man.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Waters have worn away stones, "" Their outpourings wash away the dust of earth, "" And You have destroyed the hope of man.

Young's Literal Translation
Stones have waters worn away, Their outpourings wash away the dust of earth, And the hope of man Thou hast destroyed.

Smith's Literal Translation
The waters rubbed the stones: thou wilt overflow the flowings of the dust of the earth; and thou didst destroy the hope of man.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Waters wear away the stones, and with inundation the ground by little and little is washed away: so in like manner thou shalt destroy man.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Waters wear away stones, and with a flood the land is reduced little by little; and similarly, you will destroy man.

New American Bible
And water wears away stone, and floods wash away the soil of the land— so you destroy the hope of mortals!

New Revised Standard Version
the waters wear away the stones; the torrents wash away the soil of the earth; so you destroy the hope of mortals.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
The waters wear away the stones and wash away the soil of the earth; so thou destroyest the hope of man.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
The waters wear away stone or a clod of the dust of the Earth. You have destroyed the hope of man
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
The waters wear the stones; The overflowings thereof wash away the dust of the earth; So Thou destroyest the hope of man.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
The waters wear the stones, and waters falling headlong overflow a heap of the earth: and thou destroyest the hope of man.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Job Laments the Finality of Death
18But as a mountain erodes and crumbles and a rock is dislodged from its place, 19as water wears away the stones and torrents wash away the soil, so You destroy a man’s hope. 20You forever overpower him, and he passes on; You change his countenance and send him away.…

Cross References
Psalm 39:11
You discipline and correct a man for his iniquity, consuming like a moth what he holds dear; surely each man is but a vapor. Selah

Isaiah 40:7-8
The grass withers and the flowers fall when the breath of the LORD blows on them; indeed, the people are grass. / The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.”

James 4:14
You do not even know what will happen tomorrow! What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

Psalm 90:5-6
You sweep them away in their sleep; they are like the new grass of the morning— / in the morning it springs up new, but by evening it fades and withers.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, yet our inner self is being renewed day by day. / For our light and momentary affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory that is far beyond comparison. / So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Isaiah 64:6
Each of us has become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all wither like a leaf, and our iniquities carry us away like the wind.

Matthew 7:24-27
Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. / The rain fell, the torrents raged, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because its foundation was on the rock. / But everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. ...

1 Peter 1:24
For, “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall,

Psalm 103:15-16
As for man, his days are like grass—he blooms like a flower of the field; / when the wind passes over, it vanishes, and its place remembers it no more.

Ecclesiastes 1:4
Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever.

2 Peter 3:10-12
But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar, the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and its works will be laid bare. / Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to conduct yourselves in holiness and godliness / as you anticipate and hasten the coming of the day of God, when the heavens will be destroyed by fire and the elements will melt in the heat.

Isaiah 51:6
Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look at the earth below; for the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment, and its people will die like gnats. But My salvation will last forever, and My righteousness will never fail.

Hebrews 1:10-12
And: “In the beginning, O Lord, You laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. / They will perish, but You remain; they will all wear out like a garment. / You will roll them up like a robe; like a garment they will be changed; but You remain the same, and Your years will never end.”

Psalm 102:25-27
In the beginning You laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. / They will perish, but You remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing You will change them, and they will be passed on. / But You remain the same, and Your years will never end.

1 Corinthians 7:31
and those who use the things of this world, as if not dependent on them. For this world in its present form is passing away.


Treasury of Scripture

The waters wear the stones: you wash away the things which grow out of the dust of the earth; and you destroy the hope of man.

washest.

Genesis 6:17
And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die.

Genesis 7:21-23
And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man: …

destroyest

Job 19:10
He hath destroyed me on every side, and I am gone: and mine hope hath he removed like a tree.

Job 27:8
For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul?

Psalm 30:6,7
And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved…

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Crushed Destroy Destroyed Destroyest Dust Earth End Floods Force Grow Hope Overflowing Overflowings Small Soil Stones Thereof Torrents Wash Washed Washest Water Waters Wear Wears Worn
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Crushed Destroy Destroyed Destroyest Dust Earth End Floods Force Grow Hope Overflowing Overflowings Small Soil Stones Thereof Torrents Wash Washed Washest Water Waters Wear Wears Worn
Job 14
1. Job entreats God for favor, by the shortness of life, and certainty of death
7. He waits for his change
16. By sin the creature is subject to corruption














as water wears away stones
The imagery of water wearing away stones is a powerful metaphor for the relentless passage of time and the inevitable erosion of even the most seemingly permanent things. In Hebrew, the word for "water" is "מַיִם" (mayim), which often symbolizes chaos and change in the Bible. Stones, or "אֶבֶן" (even), represent strength and stability. This phrase suggests that just as water persistently erodes stone, life's trials and tribulations gradually wear down human resilience and fortitude. Historically, this reflects the ancient understanding of natural processes, where water's persistent flow can carve through rock, symbolizing the slow but certain impact of suffering and time on human life.

and torrents wash away the soil
The word "torrents" refers to powerful, rushing streams of water, which in Hebrew is "שֶׁטֶף" (sheteph). This conveys a sense of sudden and overwhelming force. The "soil," or "עָפָר" (afar), represents the foundation and sustenance of life, as soil is essential for growth and nourishment. The imagery here is of a sudden, destructive force that strips away the very ground beneath one's feet, leaving nothing stable to stand on. This can be seen as a metaphor for unexpected calamities that uproot and destabilize a person's life, echoing the unpredictability and severity of trials that Job himself experiences.

so You destroy a man's hope
The phrase "You destroy" is directed towards God, acknowledging His sovereignty and ultimate control over human affairs. The Hebrew root for "destroy" is "שָׁחַת" (shachat), which implies corruption or ruin. "Hope," or "תִּקְוָה" (tikvah), is a central theme in the Book of Job, representing the expectation of future good. In this context, Job is expressing a deep sense of despair, feeling that just as natural forces erode and wash away, so too does God allow or even cause the erosion of human hope. This reflects Job's struggle to reconcile his understanding of God's justice with his own suffering. From a conservative Christian perspective, this verse challenges believers to trust in God's ultimate plan, even when hope seems lost, reminding them of the New Testament promise that hope in Christ is never in vain.

Verse 19. - The waters wear the stones. The power of the soft element of water, by continual washing or dripping, to wear away the hardest stone, has often been noticed, and is a frequent topic in poetry. Deep ravines have been worn in course of time, through broad and lofty mountain ranges by rivers, the stone yielding little by little to the action of the water, until at last a broad chasm is made. So the continual wearing action of calamity often lays low the prosperous. Thou washest away the things which grow out of the dust of the earth; rather, as in the Revised Version, the overflowings thereof wash away the dust of the earth; i.e. "overflows of water, inundations, floods, not only make a way through rocks, but often carry off great tracts of rich soil, hurrying the alluvium down to the sea, and leaving in its place a marsh or a waste." And thou destroyest the hope of man. Even thus from time to time does God ruin and destroy the hopes of a prosperous man.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
as water
מַ֗יִם (ma·yim)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4325: Water, juice, urine, semen

wears away
שָׁ֥חֲקוּ (šā·ḥă·qū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 7833: To rub away, beat fine, pulverize

stones
אֲבָנִ֤ים ׀ (’ă·ḇā·nîm)
Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 68: A stone

and torrents
סְפִיחֶ֥יהָ (sə·p̄î·ḥe·hā)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 5599: Something, falling off, a self-sown crop, a freshet

wash away
תִּשְׁטֹֽף־ (tiš·ṭōp̄-)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 7857: To gush, to inundate, cleanse, to gallop, conquer

the soil,
עֲפַר־ (‘ă·p̄ar-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6083: Dust, clay, earth, mud

so You destroy
הֶאֱבַֽדְתָּ׃ (he·’ĕ·ḇaḏ·tā)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 6: To wander away, lose oneself, to perish

a man’s
אֱנ֣וֹשׁ (’ĕ·nō·wōš)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 582: Man, mankind

hope.
וְתִקְוַ֖ת (wə·ṯiq·waṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 8615: A cord, expectancy


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OT Poetry: Job 14:19 The waters wear the stones (Jb)
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