< Job 14 >

1 “We humans are very frail. We live only a short time, and we experience a lot of trouble.
婦の産む人はその日少なくして艱難多し
2 We disappear quickly, like flowers that grow from the ground quickly and then wither and die [SIM]. We are like shadows that disappear [when the sun stops shining].
その來ること花のごとくにして散り 其馳ること影のごとくにして止まらず
3 [Yahweh, ] why do you keep watching me [to see if I am doing something that is wrong] [RHQ]? Are you wanting to take me to court to judge me?
なんぢ是のごとき者に汝の目を啓きたまふや 汝われを汝の前にひきて審判したまふや
4 People are sinners from the time when they are born; who can cause them to be sinless? No one [RHQ]!
誰か清き物を汚れたる物の中より出し得る物あらん 一人も無し
5 You have decided how long our lives will be. You have decided how many months we will live, and we cannot live more months than the (limit/number of months) that you have decided.
その日既に定まり その月の數なんぢに由り 汝これが區域を立て越ざらしめたまふなれば
6 So please stop examining us, and allow us to be alone, until/while we finish our time [here on earth], like a man finishes his work [at the end of the day].
是に目を離して安息を得させ 之をして傭人のその日を樂しむがごとくならしめたまへ
7 If someone cuts a tree down, we hope that it will sprout again and grow new branches.
それ木には望あり 假令砍るるとも復芽を出してその枝絶ず
8 Its roots in the ground may be very old, and its stump may decay,
たとひ其根地の中に老い 幹土に枯るとも
9 but if some water falls on it, it may bud/sprout and send up shoots like a young plant.
水の潤霑にあへば即ち芽をふき枝を出して若樹に異ならず
10 But when we people lose all our strength and die, we stop breathing and then we are gone [forever].
然ど人は死れば消うす 人氣絶えなば安に在んや
11 Just like water evaporates from the ocean, or like a riverbed dries up,
水は海に竭き河は涸てかわく
12 people [lie down and die and] do not get up again. Until the heavens disappear, people who die [EUP] do not wake up, and no one can wake them up.
是のごとく人も寢臥てまた興ず 天の盡るまで目覺ず睡眠を醒さざるなり
13 [“Yahweh, ] I wish that you would put me safely in the place of the dead and forget about me until you are no longer angry with me. I wish that you would decide how much time I would spend there, and then remember [that] I [am there]. (Sheol h7585)
願はくは汝われを陰府に藏し 汝の震怒の息むまで我を掩ひ 我ために期を定め而して我を念ひたまへ (Sheol h7585)
14 When we humans die, we will certainly not live again [RHQ]. If [I knew that] we would live again, I would wait patiently, and I would wait for you to release me [from my sufferings].
人もし死ばまた生んや 我はわが征戰の諸日の間望みをりて我が變更の來るを待ん
15 You would call me, and I would answer. You would be eager to see me, one of the creatures that you had made.
なんぢ我を呼びたまはん 而して我こたへん 汝かならず汝の手の作を顧みたまはん
16 You would take care of [MET] me, instead of watching me to see if I would sin.
今なんぢは我に歩履を數へたまふ 我罪を汝うかがひたまはざらんや
17 [It is as though the record of] my sins would be sealed in a small bag, and you would cover them up.
わが愆は凡て嚢の中に封じてあり汝わが罪を縫こめたまふ
18 “But, just like mountains crumble and rocks fall down from a cliff,
それ山も倒れて終に崩れ巖石も移りてその處を離る
19 and just like water slowly wears away the stones, and just like floods wash away soil, [you eventually destroy us]; you do not allow us to continue to (hope/confidently expect) [that we will keep on living].
水は石を鑿ち 浪は地の塵を押流す 汝は人の望を斷たまふ
20 You always defeat us, and then we die [EUP]. You cause our faces to look ugly after we die, and you send us away.
なんぢは彼を永く攻なやまして去ゆかしめ 彼の面容の變らせて逐やりたまふ
21 [When we die] we do not know if our sons will grow up and [do things that will cause them to] be honored. And if they become disgraced, we do not see that, [either].
その子尊貴なるも彼は之を知ず 卑賤なるもまた之を曉らざるなり
22 We will feel our own pains; we will not feel anything else; we will be sorry for ourselves, not for anyone else.”
只己みづからその肉に痛苦を覺え己みづからその心に哀く而已

< Job 14 >