Job 14

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 a human being, born of woman, whose life is short but ful of trouble.	1 Man, born of woman, living for a short time, is filled with many miseries.
2 Like a flower, such a one blossoms and withers, fleeting as a shadow, transient.	2 He comes forth like a flower, and is crushed, and he flees, as if a shadow, and never remains in the same state.
3 And this is the creature on whom you fix your gaze, and bring to judgement before you!	3 And do you consider it fitting to look down with your eyes on someone in this way and to lead him into judgment with you?
4 But will anyone produce the pure from what is impure? No one can!	4 Who can make him clean who is conceived of unclean seed? Are you not the only one who can?
5 Since his days are measured out, since his tale of months depends on you, since you assign himbounds he cannot pass,	5 The days of man are short, and the number of his months is with you; you have determined his limits, which cannot be surpassed.
6 turn your eyes from him, leave him alone, like a hired labourer, to finish his day in peace.	6 Withdraw a little from him, so that he may rest, until his awaited day arrives, like that of the hired hand.
7 There is always hope for a tree: when fel ed, it can start its life again; its shoots continue to sprout.	7 A tree has hope: if it has been cut, it turns green again, and its branches spring forth.
8 Its roots may have grown old in the earth, its stump rotting in the ground,	8 If its roots grow old in the earth, and its trunk passes into dust,
9 but let it scent the water, and it buds, and puts out branches like a plant newly set.	9 at the scent of water, it will sprout and bring forth leaves, as when it had first been planted.
10 But a human being? He dies, and dead he remains, breathes his last, and then where is he?	10 Truly, when a man dies, and has been left unprotected, and has decayed, I ask you where is he?
11 The waters of the sea wil vanish, the rivers stop flowing and run dry:	11 It is as if the waters had receded from the sea and an emptied river had dried up;
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 just so, when a man is fallen asleep, he will not rise again, until the heavens are worn away; he will not awaken, nor rise from his 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 Who will grant this to me, that you will protect me in the underworld, and hide me until your fury passes by, and establish a time for me, in which you will 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 Do you suppose that a dead man will live again? On each of the days in which I now battle, I wait until my transformation occurs.
15 Then you would cal , and I should answer, you would want to see once more what you have made.	15 You will call me and I will answer you; to the work of your hands, you will extend your right hand.
16 Whereas now you count every step I take, you would then stop spying on my sin;	16 Indeed, you have numbered my steps, but you have been lenient with my sins.
17 you would seal up my crime in a bag, and put a cover over my fault.	17 You have sealed up my offenses, as if in a purse, but you have cured my iniquity.
18 Alas! Just as, eventual y, the mountain fal s down, the rock moves from its place,	18 A falling mountain flows away, and a stone is transferred from its place.
19 water wears away the stones, the cloudburst erodes the soil; so you destroy whatever hope a personhas.	19 Waters wear away stones, and with a flood the land is reduced little by little; and similarly, you will destroy man.
20 You crush him once for al , and he is gone; first you disfigure him, then you dismiss him.	20 You have strengthened him for a little while, so that he may cross over into eternity. You will change his face and send him forth.
21 His children may rise to honours -- he does not know it; they may come down in the world -- he doesnot care.	21 Whether his sons have been noble or ignoble, he will not understand.
22 He feels no pangs, except for his own body, makes no lament, except for his own self.	22 And in this way his body, while he yet lives, will have grief, and his soul will mourn over himself.