Job 14
1 Man, born of woman, living for a short time, is filled with many miseries.
婦女所生的人，壽命不長，且飽嘗煩惱。
2 He comes forth like a flower, and is crushed, and he flees, as if a shadow, and never remains in the same state.
他生出像花，瞬息凋謝；急馳如影，不得停留。
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?
這樣的人，豈配你睜眼注視一下﹖或傳他到你面前聽審﹖
4 Who can make him clean who is conceived of unclean seed? Are you not the only one who can?
誰能使潔淨出於不潔﹖沒有一人!
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.
他的時日既已注定，他的歲數既由你掌管，他決不能越過你定下的期限：
6 Withdraw a little from him, so that he may rest, until his awaited day arrives, like that of the hired hand.
請你別看他，讓他安息，好像傭工度過自己的日期。
7 A tree has hope: if it has been cut, it turns green again, and its branches spring forth.
若是一棵樹被砍伐了，仍有希望生出新芽，嫩枝叢出不窮。
8 If its roots grow old in the earth, and its trunk passes into dust,
它的根雖老於地下，枝幹縱枯死地上，
9 at the scent of water, it will sprout and bring forth leaves, as when it had first been planted.
但一有水氣，立即生芽，好似幼苗發出枝葉。
10 Truly, when a man dies, and has been left unprotected, and has decayed, I ask you where is he?
但是人一死，立即僵臥；人一斷氣，他究竟在何處﹖
11 It is as if the waters had receded from the sea and an emptied river had dried up;
海水能乾涸，江河能枯竭；
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.
同樣，人一僵臥，即不能起立，直到天不存在，仍不能醒起，仍不能由永眠中起來。
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? (Sheol h7585)
唯願你將我藏於陰府，將我隱藏，直到挽回你的憤怒；願你給我定一期限，好記念我。 (Sheol h7585)
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.
人若死了，豈能再生﹖我在整個從軍之日，要堅持到底，直到換班的時期到來。
15 You will call me and I will answer you; to the work of your hands, you will extend your right hand.
你若呼喚我，我必回答你：你對你手所造的，必有一種懷念。
16 Indeed, you have numbered my steps, but you have been lenient with my sins.
你現今既數了我的腳步，不必再監察我的罪過。
17 You have sealed up my offenses, as if in a purse, but you have cured my iniquity.
請把我的罪過封閉在囊中，滌淨我的一切過犯。
18 A falling mountain flows away, and a stone is transferred from its place.
但是，山能崩裂離析，盤石能由原處挪移，
19 Waters wear away stones, and with a flood the land is reduced little by little; and similarly, you will destroy man.
流水能穿過石頭，驟雨能沖出泥沙：你也照樣消滅了人的希望。
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.
你時常攻擊他，使他消逝；改變他的容貌，遣他離去。
21 Whether his sons have been noble or ignoble, he will not understand.
此後，他的兒子受尊榮與否，他也不知；他們受輕賤與否，他也不覺。
22 And in this way his body, while he yet lives, will have grief, and his soul will mourn over himself.
他只覺自己肉身的痛苦，他的心靈只為自己悲哀。
