約伯記

第 14 章

1. 人為婦人所生、日子短少、多有患難．
"Man born of woman is of few days and full of trouble.
2. 出來如花、又被割下．飛去如影、不能存留。
He springs up like a flower and withers away; like a fleeting shadow, he does not endure.
3. 這樣的人你豈睜眼看他麼．又叫我來受審麼。
Do you fix your eye on such a one? Will you bring him before you for judgment?
4. 誰能使潔淨之物出於污穢之中呢．無論誰也不能。
Who can bring what is pure from the impure? No one!
5. 人的日子既然限定、他的月數在你那裡、你也派定他的界限、使他不能越過、
Man's days are determined; you have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed.
6. 便求你轉眼不看他、使他得歇息、直等他像雇工人完畢他的日子。
So look away from him and let him alone, till he has put in his time like a hired man.
7. 樹若被砍下、還可指望發芽、嫩枝生長不息、
"At least there is hope for a tree: If it is cut down, it will sprout again, and its new shoots will not fail.
8. 其根雖然衰老在地裡、榦也死在土中．
Its roots may grow old in the ground and its stump die in the soil,
9. 及至得了水氣、還要發芽、又長枝條、像新栽的樹一樣。
yet at the scent of water it will bud and put forth shoots like a plant.
10. 但人死亡而消滅．他氣絕、竟在何處呢。
But man dies and is laid low; he breathes his last and is no more.
11. 海中的水絕盡、江河消散乾涸．
As water disappears from the sea or a riverbed becomes parched and dry,
12. 人也是如此、躺下不再起來、等到天沒有了、仍不得復醒、也不得從睡中喚醒。
so man lies down and does not rise; till the heavens are no more, men will not awake or be roused from their sleep.
13. 惟願你把我藏在陰間．存於隱密處、等你的忿怒過去、願你為我定了日期、記念我。
"If only you would hide me in the grave and conceal me till your anger has passed! If only you would set me a time and then remember me!
14. 人若死了、豈能再活呢。我只要在我一切爭戰的日子、等我被釋放的時候來到。〔被釋放或作改變〕
If a man dies, will he live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait for my renewal to come.
15. 你呼叫、我便回答．你手所作的、你必羨慕。
You will call and I will answer you; you will long for the creature your hands have made.
16. 但如今你數點我的腳步、豈不窺察我的罪過麼。
Surely then you will count my steps but not keep track of my sin.
17. 我的過犯被你封在囊中、也縫嚴了我的罪孽。
My offenses will be sealed up in a bag; you will cover over my sin.
18. 山崩變為無有．磐石挪開原處。
"But as a mountain erodes and crumbles and as a rock is moved from its place,
19. 水流消磨石頭．所流溢的、洗去地上的塵土．你也照樣滅絕人的指望。
as water wears away stones and torrents wash away the soil, so you destroy man's hope.
20. 你攻擊人常常得勝、使他去世、你改變他的容貌、叫他往而不回。
You overpower him once for all, and he is gone; you change his countenance and send him away.
21. 他兒子得尊榮他也不知道．降為卑他也不覺得。
If his sons are honored, he does not know it; if they are brought low, he does not see it.
22. 但知身上疼痛、心中悲哀。
He feels but the pain of his own body and mourns only for himself."