Ἰώβ 14
1 βροτὸς γὰρ γεννητὸς γυναικὸς ὀλιγόβιος καὶ πλήρης ὀργῆς
“Man, who is born of woman, is short of days and full of trouble.
2 ἢ ὥσπερ ἄνθος ἀνθῆσαν ἐξέπεσεν ἀπέδρα δὲ ὥσπερ σκιὰ καὶ οὐ μὴ στῇ
Like a flower, he comes forth, then withers away; like a fleeting shadow, he does not endure.
3 οὐχὶ καὶ τούτου λόγον ἐποιήσω καὶ τοῦτον ἐποίησας εἰσελθεῖν ἐν κρίματι ἐνώπιόν σου
Do You open Your eyes to one like this? Will You bring him into judgment before You?
4 τίς γὰρ καθαρὸς ἔσται ἀπὸ ῥύπου ἀλλ’ οὐθείς
Who can bring out clean from unclean? No one!
5 ἐὰν καὶ μία ἡμέρα ὁ βίος αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἀριθμητοὶ δὲ μῆνες αὐτοῦ παρὰ σοί εἰς χρόνον ἔθου καὶ οὐ μὴ ὑπερβῇ
Since his days are determined and the number of his months is with You, and since You have set limits that he cannot exceed,
6 ἀπόστα ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ ἵνα ἡσυχάσῃ καὶ εὐδοκήσῃ τὸν βίον ὥσπερ ὁ μισθωτός
look away from him and let him rest, so he can enjoy his day as a hired hand.
7 ἔστιν γὰρ δένδρῳ ἐλπίς ἐὰν γὰρ ἐκκοπῇ ἔτι ἐπανθήσει καὶ ὁ ῥάδαμνος αὐτοῦ οὐ μὴ ἐκλίπῃ
For there is hope for a tree: If it is cut down, it will sprout again, and its tender shoots will not fail.
8 ἐὰν γὰρ γηράσῃ ἐν γῇ ἡ ῥίζα αὐτοῦ ἐν δὲ πέτρᾳ τελευτήσῃ τὸ στέλεχος αὐτοῦ
If its roots grow old in the ground and its stump dies in the soil,
9 ἀπὸ ὀσμῆς ὕδατος ἀνθήσει ποιήσει δὲ θερισμὸν ὥσπερ νεόφυτον
at the scent of water it will bud and put forth twigs like a sapling.
10 ἀνὴρ δὲ τελευτήσας ᾤχετο πεσὼν δὲ βροτὸς οὐκέτι ἔστιν
But a man dies and is laid low; he breathes his last, and where is he?
11 χρόνῳ γὰρ σπανίζεται θάλασσα ποταμὸς δὲ ἐρημωθεὶς ἐξηράνθη
As water disappears from the sea and a river becomes parched and dry,
12 ἄνθρωπος δὲ κοιμηθεὶς οὐ μὴ ἀναστῇ ἕως ἂν ὁ οὐρανὸς οὐ μὴ συρραφῇ καὶ οὐκ ἐξυπνισθήσονται ἐξ ὕπνου αὐτῶν
so a man lies down and does not rise. Until the heavens are no more, he will not be awakened or roused from sleep.
13 εἰ γὰρ ὄφελον ἐν ᾅδῃ με ἐφύλαξας ἔκρυψας δέ με ἕως ἂν παύσηταί σου ἡ ὀργὴ καὶ τάξῃ μοι χρόνον ἐν ᾧ μνείαν μου ποιήσῃ (Sheol h7585)
If only You would hide me in Sheol and conceal me until Your anger has passed! If only You would appoint a time for me and then remember me! (Sheol h7585)
14 ἐὰν γὰρ ἀποθάνῃ ἄνθρωπος ζήσεται συντελέσας ἡμέρας τοῦ βίου αὐτοῦ ὑπομενῶ ἕως ἂν πάλιν γένωμαι
When a man dies, will he live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait, until my renewal comes.
15 εἶτα καλέσεις ἐγὼ δέ σοι ὑπακούσομαι τὰ δὲ ἔργα τῶν χειρῶν σου μὴ ἀποποιοῦ
You will call, and I will answer; You will desire the work of Your hands.
16 ἠρίθμησας δέ μου τὰ ἐπιτηδεύματα καὶ οὐ μὴ παρέλθῃ σε οὐδὲν τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν μου
For then You would count my steps, but would not keep track of my sin.
17 ἐσφράγισας δέ μου τὰς ἀνομίας ἐν βαλλαντίῳ ἐπεσημήνω δέ εἴ τι ἄκων παρέβην
My transgression would be sealed in a bag, and You would cover over my iniquity.
18 καὶ πλὴν ὄρος πῖπτον διαπεσεῖται καὶ πέτρα παλαιωθήσεται ἐκ τοῦ τόπου αὐτῆς
But as a mountain erodes and crumbles and a rock is dislodged from its place,
19 λίθους ἐλέαναν ὕδατα καὶ κατέκλυσεν ὕδατα ὕπτια τοῦ χώματος τῆς γῆς καὶ ὑπομονὴν ἀνθρώπου ἀπώλεσας
as water wears away the stones and torrents wash away the soil, so You destroy a man’s hope.
20 ὦσας αὐτὸν εἰς τέλος καὶ ᾤχετο ἐπέστησας αὐτῷ τὸ πρόσωπον καὶ ἐξαπέστειλας
You forever overpower him, and he passes on; You change his countenance and send him away.
21 πολλῶν δὲ γενομένων τῶν υἱῶν αὐτοῦ οὐκ οἶδεν ἐὰν δὲ ὀλίγοι γένωνται οὐκ ἐπίσταται
If his sons receive honor, he does not know it; if they are brought low, he is unaware.
22 ἀλλ’ ἢ αἱ σάρκες αὐτοῦ ἤλγησαν ἡ δὲ ψυχὴ αὐτοῦ ἐπένθησεν
He feels only the pain of his own body and mourns only for himself.”
