Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version I despise my life; I would not live forever. Let me alone; my days have no meaning. New Living Translation I hate my life and don’t want to go on living. Oh, leave me alone for my few remaining days. English Standard Version I loathe my life; I would not live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are a breath. Berean Standard Bible I loathe my life! I would not live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are but a breath. King James Bible I loathe it; I would not live alway: let me alone; for my days are vanity. New King James Version I loathe my life; I would not live forever. Let me alone, For my days are but a breath. New American Standard Bible “I waste away; I will not live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are only a breath. NASB 1995 “I waste away; I will not live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are but a breath. NASB 1977 “I waste away; I will not live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are but a breath. Legacy Standard Bible I have rejected everything; I will not live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are but a breath. Amplified Bible “I waste away and loathe my life; I will not live forever. Let me alone, for my days are but a breath [futile and without substance]. Christian Standard Bible I give up! I will not live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are a breath. Holman Christian Standard Bible I give up! I will not live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are a breath. American Standard Version I loathe my life; I would not live alway: Let me alone; for my days are vanity. Contemporary English Version Leave me alone and let me die; my life has no meaning. English Revised Version I loathe my life; I would not live alway: let me alone; for my days are vanity. GOD'S WORD® Translation I hate my life; I do not want to live forever. Leave me alone because my days are so brief. Good News Translation I give up; I am tired of living. Leave me alone. My life makes no sense. International Standard Version I hate the thought of living forever! Leave me alone, because my days are pointless." Majority Standard Bible I loathe my life! I would not live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are but a breath. NET Bible I loathe it; I do not want to live forever; leave me alone, for my days are a vapor! New Heart English Bible I loathe my life. I do not want to live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are but a breath. Webster's Bible Translation I lothe it; I would not live always: let me alone; for my days are vanity. World English Bible I loathe my life. I don’t want to live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are but a breath. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionI have wasted away—I do not live for all time. Cease from me, for my days [are] vanity. Young's Literal Translation I have wasted away -- not to the age do I live. Cease from me, for my days are vanity. Smith's Literal Translation I melted away; I shall not live forever: desist from me, for my days are vanity. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleI have done with hope, I shall now live no longer: spare me, for my days are nothing. Catholic Public Domain Version I despair; by no means will I live any longer. Spare me, for my days are nothing. New American Bible I waste away: I will not live forever; let me alone, for my days are but a breath. New Revised Standard Version I loathe my life; I would not live forever. Let me alone, for my days are a breath. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleI am despondent; I would not live for ever; leave me alone, for my days are vanity. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated I have lost hope for myself and I am not living to eternity. Depart from me, for my days are empty! OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917I loathe it; I shall not live alway; Let me alone; for my days are vanity. Brenton Septuagint Translation For I shall not live for ever, that I should patiently endure: depart from me, for my life is vain. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Job Continues: Life Seems Futile…15so that I would prefer strangling and death over my life in this body. 16I loathe my life! I would not live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are but a breath. 17What is man that You should exalt him, that You should set Your heart upon him,… Cross References Psalm 39:4-5 “Show me, O LORD, my end and the measure of my days. Let me know how fleeting my life is. / You, indeed, have made my days as handbreadths, and my lifetime as nothing before You. Truly each man at his best exists as but a breath. Selah Ecclesiastes 2:17 So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. For everything is futile and a pursuit of the wind. Psalm 144:4 Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow. 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 102:3 For my days vanish like smoke, and my bones burn like glowing embers. Ecclesiastes 1:14 I have seen all the things that are done under the sun, and have found them all to be futile, a pursuit of the wind. Isaiah 38:12 My dwelling has been picked up and removed from me like a shepherd’s tent. I have rolled up my life like a weaver; He cuts me off from the loom; from day until night You make an end of me. 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 78:39 He remembered that they were but flesh, a passing breeze that does not return. Ecclesiastes 6:12 For who knows what is good for a man during the few days in which he passes through his fleeting life like a shadow? Who can tell a man what will come after him under the sun? 2 Corinthians 5:2-4 For in this tent we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, / because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. / For while we are in this tent, we groan under our burdens, because we do not wish to be unclothed but clothed, so that our mortality may be swallowed up by life. Psalm 89:47 Remember the briefness of my lifespan! For what futility You have created all men! Philippians 1:23 I am torn between the two. I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better indeed. Psalm 90:9-10 For all our days decline in Your fury; we finish our years with a sigh. / The length of our days is seventy years—or eighty if we are strong—yet their pride is but labor and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away. 1 Corinthians 15:19 If our hope in Christ is for this life alone, we are to be pitied more than all men. Treasury of Scripture I loathe it; I would not live always: let me alone; for my days are vanity. I loathe it. Job 3:20-22 Job 6:9 Job 10:1 let me alone. Job 10:20 Job 14:6 Psalm 39:10,13 my days. Psalm 62:9 Psalm 78:33 Psalm 144:4 Jump to Previous Age Alone Alway Always Breath Cease Desire Despise Forever Leave Loathe Meaning Vanity Want Waste WastedJump to Next Age Alone Alway Always Breath Cease Desire Despise Forever Leave Loathe Meaning Vanity Want Waste WastedJob 7 1. Job excuses his desire of death.12. He complains of his own restlessness, and reasons with God. I loathe my life! Job's expression of loathing for his life reflects the depth of his suffering and despair. This sentiment is echoed in other parts of the Bible, such as in the laments of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 20:14-18) and the Psalms (Psalm 88). Job's intense emotional state is a response to his immense physical pain, loss, and the perceived absence of God's justice. In the ancient Near Eastern context, life was often seen as a gift from God, and to loathe it was to express profound anguish and a sense of abandonment. This phrase highlights the human struggle with suffering and the search for meaning in the midst of trials. I would not live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are but a breath. Persons / Places / Events 1. JobA man described as blameless and upright, who feared God and shunned evil. He is the central figure in the Book of Job, experiencing intense suffering and questioning the reasons behind it. 2. Uz The land where Job lived. It is often associated with the region east of Israel, though its exact location is uncertain. 3. Job's Suffering The context of this verse is Job's lament over his intense suffering, which includes the loss of his children, wealth, and health. Teaching Points The Brevity of LifeJob's statement, "my days are but a breath," reminds us of the transient nature of our earthly existence. We should live with an eternal perspective, focusing on what truly matters. The Reality of Suffering Job's lament is a raw expression of human suffering. It teaches us that it is okay to bring our honest emotions before God, trusting that He understands our pain. The Desire for Relief Job's plea to be left alone reflects a deep desire for relief from his suffering. This can encourage us to seek God's comfort and presence in our own times of distress. The Importance of Hope While Job expresses despair, the broader account of Scripture encourages us to hold onto hope, knowing that God is sovereign and has a purpose even in our suffering. Trust in God's Sovereignty Despite Job's anguish, the book ultimately points to God's sovereignty and wisdom, reminding us to trust Him even when we do not understand our circumstances.(16) I loathe it--i.e., the thought of self-destruction; or, I loathe my life; or, according to others (see the margin), I waste away: this, however, is perhaps less probable. Then the thought comes with a ray of comfort, "I shall not live for ever;" for this seems more in accordance with the context than the Authorised Version: "I would not live always."Verse 16. - I loathe it; rather, I am wasted away - "ulceratus tabesco" (Schultens). I would not live alway; rather, I shall not live alway. Let me alone; for my days are vanity; literally, cease from me; i.e. "cease to trouble me" - with, perhaps, the further meaning. "cease to trouble thyself about me;" for I am sufficiently reduced to nothingness - my life is mere vanity. Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew I loathe [my life]!מָ֭אַסְתִּי (mā·’as·tî) Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular Strong's 3988: To spurn, to disappear I would not לֹא־ (lō-) Adverb - Negative particle Strong's 3808: Not, no live אֶֽחְיֶ֑ה (’eḥ·yeh) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular Strong's 2421: To live, to revive forever. לְעֹלָ֣ם (lə·‘ō·lām) Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 5769: Concealed, eternity, frequentatively, always Leave me alone, חֲדַ֥ל (ḥă·ḏal) Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular Strong's 2308: To be flabby, desist, be lacking, idle for כִּי־ (kî-) Conjunction Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction my days [are] יָמָֽי׃ (yā·māy) Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular Strong's 3117: A day [but] a breath. הֶ֥בֶל (he·ḇel) Noun - masculine singular Strong's 1892: Emptiness, vanity, transitory, unsatisfactory Links Job 7:16 NIVJob 7:16 NLT Job 7:16 ESV Job 7:16 NASB Job 7:16 KJV Job 7:16 BibleApps.com Job 7:16 Biblia Paralela Job 7:16 Chinese Bible Job 7:16 French Bible Job 7:16 Catholic Bible OT Poetry: Job 7:16 I loathe my life (Jb) |