Job 14

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 a human being, born of woman, whose life is short but ful of trouble.	1 Man born of woman is short-lived and full of trouble,
2 Like a flower, such a one blossoms and withers, fleeting as a shadow, transient.	2 Like a flower that springs up and fades, swift as a shadow that does not abide.
3 And this is the creature on whom you fix your gaze, and bring to judgement before you!	3 Upon such a one will you cast your eyes so as to bring him into judgment before you,
4 But will anyone produce the pure from what is impure? No one can!	4 Can a man be found who is clean of defilement? There is none,
5 Since his days are measured out, since his tale of months depends on you, since you assign himbounds he cannot pass,	5 however short his days. You know the number of his months; you have fixed the limit which he cannot pass.
6 turn your eyes from him, leave him alone, like a hired labourer, to finish his day in peace.	6 Look away from him and let him be, while, like a hireling, he completes his day.
7 There is always hope for a tree: when fel ed, it can start its life again; its shoots continue to sprout.	7 For a tree there is hope, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again and that its tender shoots will not cease.
8 Its roots may have grown old in the earth, its stump rotting in the ground,	8 Even though its root grow old in the earth, and its stump die in the dust,
9 but let it scent the water, and it buds, and puts out branches like a plant newly set.	9 Yet at the first whiff of water it may flourish again and put forth branches like a young plant.
10 But a human being? He dies, and dead he remains, breathes his last, and then where is he?	10 But when a man dies, all vigor leaves him; when man expires, where then is he?
11 The waters of the sea wil vanish, the rivers stop flowing and run dry:	11 As when the waters of a lake fail, or a stream grows dry and parches,
12 a human being, once laid to rest, will never rise again, the heavens wil wear out before he wakes up,or before he is roused from his sleep.	12 So men lie down and rise not again. Till the heavens are no more, they shall not awake, nor be roused out of their sleep.
13 Will no one hide me in Sheol, and shelter me there til your anger is past, fixing a certain day forcal ing me to mind-	13 Oh, that you would hide me in the nether world and keep me sheltered till your wrath is past; would fix a time for me, and then remember me!
14 can the dead come back to life? - day after day of my service, I should be waiting for my relief tocome.	14 When a man has died, were he to live again, all the days of my drudgery I would wait, until my relief should come.
15 Then you would cal , and I should answer, you would want to see once more what you have made.	15 You would call, and I would answer you; you would esteem the work of your hands.
16 Whereas now you count every step I take, you would then stop spying on my sin;	16 Surely then you would count my steps, and not keep watch for sin in me.
17 you would seal up my crime in a bag, and put a cover over my fault.	17 My misdeeds would be sealed up in a pouch, and you would cover over my guilt.
18 Alas! Just as, eventual y, the mountain fal s down, the rock moves from its place,	18 But as a mountain falls at last and its rock is moved from its place,
19 water wears away the stones, the cloudburst erodes the soil; so you destroy whatever hope a personhas.	19 As waters wear away the stones and floods wash away the soil of the land, so you destroy the hope of man.
20 You crush him once for al , and he is gone; first you disfigure him, then you dismiss him.	20 You prevail once for all against him and he passes on; with changed appearance you send him away.
21 His children may rise to honours -- he does not know it; they may come down in the world -- he doesnot care.	21 If his sons are honored, he is not aware of it; if they are in disgrace, he does not know about them.
22 He feels no pangs, except for his own body, makes no lament, except for his own self.	22 Only his own flesh pains him, and his soul grieves for him.