Job 14

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	NEW JERUSALEM
1 Man born of woman is short-lived and full of trouble,	1 a human being, born of woman, whose life is short but ful of trouble.
2 Like a flower that springs up and fades, swift as a shadow that does not abide.	2 Like a flower, such a one blossoms and withers, fleeting as a shadow, transient.
3 Upon such a one will you cast your eyes so as to bring him into judgment before you,	3 And this is the creature on whom you fix your gaze, and bring to judgement before you!
4 Can a man be found who is clean of defilement? There is none,	4 But will anyone produce the pure from what is impure? No one can!
5 however short his days. You know the number of his months; you have fixed the limit which he cannot pass.	5 Since his days are measured out, since his tale of months depends on you, since you assign himbounds he cannot pass,
6 Look away from him and let him be, while, like a hireling, he completes his day.	6 turn your eyes from him, leave him alone, like a hired labourer, to finish his day in peace.
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.	7 There is always hope for a tree: when fel ed, it can start its life again; its shoots continue to sprout.
8 Even though its root grow old in the earth, and its stump die in the dust,	8 Its roots may have grown old in the earth, its stump rotting in the ground,
9 Yet at the first whiff of water it may flourish again and put forth branches like a young plant.	9 but let it scent the water, and it buds, and puts out branches like a plant newly set.
10 But when a man dies, all vigor leaves him; when man expires, where then is he?	10 But a human being? He dies, and dead he remains, breathes his last, and then where is he?
11 As when the waters of a lake fail, or a stream grows dry and parches,	11 The waters of the sea wil vanish, the rivers stop flowing and run dry:
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.	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.
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!	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-
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.	14 can the dead come back to life? - day after day of my service, I should be waiting for my relief tocome.
15 You would call, and I would answer you; you would esteem the work of your hands.	15 Then you would cal , and I should answer, you would want to see once more what you have made.
16 Surely then you would count my steps, and not keep watch for sin in me.	16 Whereas now you count every step I take, you would then stop spying on my sin;
17 My misdeeds would be sealed up in a pouch, and you would cover over my guilt.	17 you would seal up my crime in a bag, and put a cover over my fault.
18 But as a mountain falls at last and its rock is moved from its place,	18 Alas! Just as, eventual y, the mountain fal s down, the rock moves from its place,
19 As waters wear away the stones and floods wash away the soil of the land, so you destroy the hope of man.	19 water wears away the stones, the cloudburst erodes the soil; so you destroy whatever hope a personhas.
20 You prevail once for all against him and he passes on; with changed appearance you send him away.	20 You crush him once for al , and he is gone; first you disfigure him, then you dismiss him.
21 If his sons are honored, he is not aware of it; if they are in disgrace, he does not know about them.	21 His children may rise to honours -- he does not know it; they may come down in the world -- he doesnot care.
22 Only his own flesh pains him, and his soul grieves for him.	22 He feels no pangs, except for his own body, makes no lament, except for his own self.