איוב 14
| אדם ילוד אשה קצר ימים ושבע רגז׃ | 1 |
Man, who is born of woman, lives only a few days and is full of trouble.
| כציץ יצא וימל ויברח כצל ולא יעמוד׃ | 2 |
He sprouts from the ground like a flower and is cut down; he flees like a shadow and does not last.
| אף על זה פקחת עינך ואתי תביא במשפט עמך׃ | 3 |
Do you look at any of these? Do you bring me into judgment with you?
| מי יתן טהור מטמא לא אחד׃ | 4 |
Who can bring something clean out of something unclean? No one.
| אם חרוצים ימיו מספר חדשיו אתך חקו עשית ולא יעבור׃ | 5 |
Man's days are determined. The number of his months is with you; you have appointed his limits that he cannot pass.
| שעה מעליו ויחדל עד ירצה כשכיר יומו׃ | 6 |
Look away from him that he may rest, so that he may enjoy his day like a hired man if he can do so.
| כי יש לעץ תקוה אם יכרת ועוד יחליף וינקתו לא תחדל׃ | 7 |
There can be hope for a tree; if it is cut down, it might sprout again, so that its tender stalk does not disappear.
| אם יזקין בארץ שרשו ובעפר ימות גזעו׃ | 8 |
Though its root grows old in the earth, and its stump dies in the ground,
| מריח מים יפרח ועשה קציר כמו נטע׃ | 9 |
yet even if it only smells water, it will bud and send out branches like a plant.
| וגבר ימות ויחלש ויגוע אדם ואיו׃ | 10 |
But man dies; he becomes weak; indeed, man stops breathing, and then where is he?
| אזלו מים מני ים ונהר יחרב ויבש׃ | 11 |
As water disappears from a lake, and as a river loses water and dries up,
| ואיש שכב ולא יקום עד בלתי שמים לא יקיצו ולא יערו משנתם׃ | 12 |
so people lie down and do not rise again. Until the heavens are no more, they will not awake nor be roused out of their sleep.
| מי יתן בשאול תצפנני תסתירני עד שוב אפך תשית לי חק ותזכרני׃ (Sheol h7585) | 13 |
Oh, that you would hide me away in Sheol away from troubles, and that you would keep me in private until your wrath is over, that you would set me a fixed time to stay there and then call me to mind! (Sheol h7585)
| אם ימות גבר היחיה כל ימי צבאי איחל עד בוא חליפתי׃ | 14 |
If a man dies, will he live again? If so, I would wish to wait all my weary time there until my release should come.
| תקרא ואנכי אענך למעשה ידיך תכסף׃ | 15 |
You would call, and I would answer you. You would have a desire for the work of your hands.
| כי עתה צעדי תספור לא תשמור על חטאתי׃ | 16 |
You would number and care for my footsteps; you would not keep track of my sin.
| חתם בצרור פשעי ותטפל על עוני׃ | 17 |
My transgression would be sealed up in a bag; you would cover up my iniquity.
| ואולם הר נופל יבול וצור יעתק ממקמו׃ | 18 |
But even mountains fall and come to nothing; even rocks are moved out of their place;
| אבנים שחקו מים תשטף ספיחיה עפר ארץ ותקות אנוש האבדת׃ | 19 |
the waters wear down the stones; their flooding washes away the dust of the earth. Like this, you destroy the hope of man.
| תתקפהו לנצח ויהלך משנה פניו ותשלחהו׃ | 20 |
You always defeat him, and he passes away; you change his face and send him away to die.
| יכבדו בניו ולא ידע ויצערו ולא יבין למו׃ | 21 |
If his sons are honored, he does not know it; and if they are brought low, he does not see it.
| אך בשרו עליו יכאב ונפשו עליו תאבל׃ | 22 |
He feels only the pain of his own body, and he mourns for himself.
