Job 14
1 “Mmadụ nke nwanyị mụrụ nwere ụbọchị ole na ole nke jupụtara na nsogbu.
Life is short and full of trouble,
2 Ọ na-awalite dịka okoko osisi, ma kpọnwụọkwa mgbe na-adịghị anya, dịka onyinyo, ọ na-agabiga agabiga.
like a flower that blooms and withers, like a passing shadow that soon disappears.
3 Ị na-elegide onye dị otu a anya? Ị ga-akpọ ya ikpe nʼihu gị?
Do you even notice me, God, and why do you have to drag me to court?
4 Onye pụrụ iwepụta ihe dị ọcha site nʼihe na-adịghị ọcha? Ọ dịghị onye ọ bụ.
Who can bring something clean of what is unclean? No one.
5 Ị kpebiela ụbọchị ndụ nke mmadụ; ị kabiela ọnụọgụgụ nke ọnwa ya niile, kpaakwa oke ebe ọ na-agaghị agabiga.
You have determined how long we shall live—the number of months, a time limit on our lives.
6 Nʼihi nke a, wepụ anya gị nʼebe ọ nọ, hapụ ya ka ọ nọọrọ onwe ya ruo mgbe ụbọchị ya ga-ezu dịka onye e goro ọrụ.
So leave us alone and give us some peace—so like a laborer we could enjoy a few hours of rest at the end of the day.
7 “Ma olileanya dịịrị osisi; nʼihi na ọ bụrụ na e gbutuo ya, ọ ga-epuchikwa, alaka ọhụrụ ya aghaghị ịwapụtakwa.
Even a tree that's cut down has the hope of sprouting again, of sending up shoots and continuing to live.
8 A sịkwarị na mgbọrọgwụ ya emeela ochie nʼala, maọbụ na ogwe ya anwụọ nʼaja,
Even though its roots grow old in the earth, and its stump dies in the ground,
9 mgbe ọbụla mmiri zokwasịrị ya, ọ na-epupụta dịka ihe a kụrụ akụ.
just a trickle of water will make it bud and grow branches like a young plant.
10 Ma mmadụ na-anwụ, e lie ya; ọ na-ekubikwa ume si otu a gabiga.
But human beings die, their strength dwindles away; they perish, and where are they then?
11 Dịka mmiri dị nʼoke osimiri si ata, maọbụ ka mmiri dị nʼiyi si ata nʼoge ọkọchị,
Like water evaporating from a lake and a river that dries up and disappears,
12 otu a ka mmadụ si e dinaa ma ọ dịghị etetakwa ọzọ; tutu ruo mgbe eluigwe na-agaghị adịkwa; mmadụ ọbụla apụghị i si nʼụra kpọtee ya, agaghị akpọtekwa ha site nʼụra ha.
so human beings lie down and don't get up again. Until the heavens cease to exist they will not awake from their sleep.
13 “A sị na ị ga-ezo m nʼala mmụọ, na ị ga-ezobe m tutu ruo mgbe iwe gị gabigara. A sị na ị ga-akanyere m oge ma mesịa cheta m. (Sheol h7585)
I wish you would hide me in Sheol; conceal me there until your anger is gone. Set a definite time for me there, and remember me! (Sheol h7585)
14 Ọ bụrụ na mmadụ anwụọ, ọ ga-adị ndụ ọzọ? Ụbọchị niile nke ọrụ ahụhụ m, aga m echere mgbe nnapụta m ga-abịa.
Will the dead live again? Then I would have hope through all my time of trouble until my release comes.
15 Ị ga-akpọ, aga m azakwa gị, agụụ ọrụ aka gị ga-agụ gị.
You would call and I would answer you; you would long for me, the being that you made.
16 Nʼihi mgbe ahụ ị ga-agụ nzọ ụkwụ m niile ọnụ, ma ị gaghị agụkọ mmehie m.
Then you would look after me and wouldn't be watching me to see if I sinned.
17 A ga-ekechi njehie m nʼakpa, ị ga-ekpuchi mmehie m.
My sins would be sealed up in a bag and you would cover my guilt.
18 “Ma dịka ugwu si erichasi daa, na dịka a na-enupu oke nkume nʼọnọdụ ya,
But just as the mountains crumble and fall, and the rocks tumble down;
19 dịka mmiri si akwọchasị nkume, na dịka oke mmiri ozuzo si akwazekwa aja ala, otu a ka i si eme ka olileanya mmadụ laa nʼiyi.
as water wears away the stones, as floods wash away the soil, so you destroy the hope people have.
20 Ị na-egosi ya na ị karịrị ya ike, ma ha na-agabiga; ị na-eme ka ihu ya gbanwee, ma zilaga ya.
You continually overpower them and they pass away; you distort their faces in death and send them away.
21 Ọ bụrụ na a na-asọpụrụ ụmụ ha, ha adịghị amata nke a; ọ bụrụkwa na a na-eweda ha nʼala, ha ọ dịghị ahụ ya.
Their children may become important or fall from their positions, but they don't know or see any of this.
22 Ihe mgbu nke anụ ahụ ya ka ọ na-ama ma na-erukwara naanị onwe ya ụjụ.”
As people die they only know their own pain and are sad for themselves.”
