< Job 14 >

1 Man, born of woman, is of few days, and full of trouble.
婦女所生的人,壽命不長,且飽嘗煩惱。
2 He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down; and he fleeth as a shadow, and continueth not.
他生出像花,瞬息凋謝;急馳如影,不得停留。
3 Yet dost thou open thine eyes upon such a one, and bringest me into judgment with thee?
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 bring a clean [man] out of the unclean? Not one!
誰能使潔淨出於不潔﹖沒有一人!
5 If his days are determined, if the number of his months is with thee, [and] thou hast appointed his bounds which he must not pass,
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 Look away from him; and let him rest, till he accomplish, as a hireling, his day.
請你別看他,讓他安息,好像傭工度過自己的日期。
7 For there is hope for a tree: if it be cut down, it will sprout again, and its tender branch will not cease;
若是一棵樹被砍伐了,仍有希望生出新芽,嫩枝叢出不窮。
8 Though its root grow old in the earth, and its stock die in the ground,
它的根雖老於地下,枝幹縱枯死地上,
9 Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and put forth boughs like a young plant.
但一有水氣,立即生芽,好似幼苗發出枝葉。
10 But a man dieth, and is prostrate; yea, man expireth, and where is he?
但是人一死,立即僵臥;人一斷氣,他究竟在何處﹖
11 The waters recede from the lake, and the river wasteth and drieth up:
海水能乾涸,江河能枯竭;
12 So man lieth down, and riseth not again; till the heavens be no more, they do not awake, nor are raised out of their 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 Oh that thou wouldest hide me in Sheol, that thou wouldest keep me secret until thine anger be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and 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 (If a man die, shall he live [again]?) all the days of my time of toil would I wait, till my change should come:
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 Thou wouldest call, and I would answer thee; thou wouldest have a desire after the work of thy hands.
你若呼喚我,我必回答你:你對你手所造的,必有一種懷念。
16 For now thou numberest my steps: dost thou not watch over my sin?
你現今既數了我的腳步,不必再監察我的罪過。
17 My transgression is sealed up in a bag, and thou heapest up mine iniquity.
請把我的罪過封閉在囊中,滌淨我的一切過犯。
18 And indeed a mountain falling cometh to nought, and the rock is removed out of its place;
但是,山能崩裂離析,盤石能由原處挪移,
19 The waters wear the stones, the floods thereof wash away the dust of the earth; and thou destroyest the hope of 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 Thou prevailest for ever against him, and he passeth away; thou changest his countenance, and dismissest him.
你時常攻擊他,使他消逝;改變他的容貌,遣他離去。
21 His sons come to honour, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, and he perceiveth it not.
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 But his flesh hath pain for himself alone, and his soul mourneth for himself.
他只覺自己肉身的痛苦,他的心靈只為自己悲哀。

< Job 14 >