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Job habla sobre la brevedad de la vida

14 »El hombre, nacido de mujer,
Corto de días y lleno de tormentos(A),
Como una flor brota y se marchita(B),
Y como una sombra huye y no permanece(C).
-»Sobre él ciertamente abres Tus ojos(D),
Y lo[a] traes a juicio contigo(E).
-»¿Quién hará algo limpio de lo inmundo(F)?
¡Nadie!
-»Ya que sus días están determinados,
El número de sus meses(G) te es conocido[b],
Y has fijado[c] sus límites para que no pueda pasarlos.
-»Aparta de él Tu mirada para que descanse[d](H),
Hasta que cumpla[e] su día como jornalero.
¶»Porque hay esperanza para un árbol
Cuando es cortado, que volverá a retoñar,
Y sus renuevos no le faltarán[f].
-»Aunque envejezcan sus raíces en la tierra,
Y muera su tronco en el polvo,
Al olor del agua reverdecerá
Y como una planta joven echará renuevos.
10 (I)Pero el hombre muere y yace inerte.
El hombre(J) expira, ¿y dónde está?
11 Como las aguas se evaporan[g] del mar,
Como un río se agota y se seca(K),
12 Así el hombre se acuesta y no se levanta;
Hasta que los cielos ya no existan,
No se despertará[h] ni se levantará[i] de su sueño(L).
13 ¶»¡Oh, si me escondieras en el Seol[j],
Si me ocultaras hasta que Tu ira se pasara[k](M),
Si me pusieras un plazo y de mí te acordaras!
14 -»Si el hombre muere, ¿volverá a vivir?
Todos los días de mi batallar esperaré
Hasta que llegue mi relevo.
15 -»Tú llamarás, y yo te responderé;
Anhelarás la obra de Tus manos(N).
16 -»Porque ahora cuentas mis pasos(O),
No observas mi pecado(P).
17 -»Sellada está en un saco mi transgresión(Q),
Y tienes cubierta[l] mi iniquidad.
18 ¶»Pero el monte que cae se desmorona[m],
Y se cambia la roca de su lugar;
19 El agua desgasta las piedras,
Sus torrentes se llevan el polvo de la tierra;
Así destruyes Tú la esperanza del hombre(R).
20 -»Prevaleces para siempre contra él, y se va(S);
Cambias su apariencia, y lo despides.
21 -»Alcanzan honra sus hijos, pero él no lo sabe;
O son humillados, pero él no lo percibe(T).
22 -»Pero su cuerpo[n] le da dolores,
Y se lamenta solo por sí mismo».

Footnotes

  1. 14:3 Así en algunas versiones antiguas; en el T.M., me.
  2. 14:5 Lit. está contigo.
  3. 14:5 Lit. hecho.
  4. 14:6 Lit. cese.
  5. 14:6 Lit. haga aceptable.
  6. 14:7 O cesarán.
  7. 14:11 Lit. se secan.
  8. 14:12 Lit. despertarán.
  9. 14:12 Lit. levantarán.
  10. 14:13 I.e. región de los muertos.
  11. 14:13 Lit. regrese a ti.
  12. 14:17 Lit. emplastas o encolas.
  13. 14:18 Lit. se marchita.
  14. 14:22 Lit. carne.

14 “Mortals, born of woman,(A)
    are of few days(B) and full of trouble.(C)
They spring up like flowers(D) and wither away;(E)
    like fleeting shadows,(F) they do not endure.(G)
Do you fix your eye on them?(H)
    Will you bring them[a] before you for judgment?(I)
Who can bring what is pure(J) from the impure?(K)
    No one!(L)
A person’s days are determined;(M)
    you have decreed the number of his months(N)
    and have set limits he cannot exceed.(O)
So look away from him and let him alone,(P)
    till he has put in his time like a hired laborer.(Q)

“At least there is hope for a tree:(R)
    If it is cut down, it will sprout again,
    and its new shoots(S) will not fail.(T)
Its roots may grow old in the ground
    and its stump(U) die in the soil,
yet at the scent of water(V) it will bud
    and put forth shoots like a plant.(W)
10 But a man dies and is laid low;(X)
    he breathes his last and is no more.(Y)
11 As the water of a lake dries up
    or a riverbed becomes parched and dry,(Z)
12 so he lies down and does not rise;(AA)
    till the heavens are no more,(AB) people will not awake
    or be roused from their sleep.(AC)

13 “If only you would hide me in the grave(AD)
    and conceal me till your anger has passed!(AE)
If only you would set me a time
    and then remember(AF) me!(AG)
14 If someone dies, will they live again?
    All the days of my hard service(AH)
    I will wait for my renewal[b](AI) to come.
15 You will call and I will answer you;(AJ)
    you will long for the creature your hands have made.(AK)
16 Surely then you will count my steps(AL)
    but not keep track of my sin.(AM)
17 My offenses will be sealed(AN) up in a bag;(AO)
    you will cover over my sin.(AP)

18 “But as a mountain erodes and crumbles(AQ)
    and as a rock is moved from its place,(AR)
19 as water wears away stones
    and torrents(AS) wash away the soil,(AT)
    so you destroy a person’s hope.(AU)
20 You overpower them once for all, and they are gone;(AV)
    you change their countenance and send them away.(AW)
21 If their children are honored, they do not know it;
    if their offspring are brought low, they do not see it.(AX)
22 They feel but the pain of their own bodies(AY)
    and mourn only for themselves.(AZ)

Footnotes

  1. Job 14:3 Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac; Hebrew me
  2. Job 14:14 Or release

14 Man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble.

He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.

And doth thou open thine eyes upon such an one, and bringest me into judgment with thee?

Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.

Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass;

Turn from him, that he may rest, till he shall accomplish, as an hireling, his day.

For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease.

Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground;

Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant.

10 But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?

11 As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up:

12 So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.

13 O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me!

14 If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.

15 Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands.

16 For now thou numberest my steps: dost thou not watch over my sin?

17 My transgression is sealed up in a bag, and thou sewest up mine iniquity.

18 And surely the mountains falling cometh to nought, and the rock is removed out of his place.

19 The waters wear the stones: thou washest away the things which grow out of the dust of the earth; and thou destroyest the hope of man.

20 Thou prevailest for ever against him, and he passeth: thou changest his countenance, and sendest him away.

21 His sons come to honour, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them.

22 But his flesh upon him shall have pain, and his soul within him shall mourn.

Job Continues: Death Comes Soon to All

14 “Man who is (A)born of a woman
    is (B)few of days and (C)full of trouble.
He comes out like (D)a flower and (E)withers;
    he flees like (F)a shadow and continues not.
And do you (G)open your eyes on such a one
    and (H)bring me into judgment with you?
Who can bring (I)a clean thing out of an unclean?
    There is not one.
Since his (J)days are determined,
    and (K)the number of his months is with you,
    and you have appointed his limits that he cannot pass,
(L)look away from him and leave him alone,[a]
    that he may enjoy, like (M)a hired hand, his day.

“For there is hope for a tree,
    if it be cut down, that it will sprout again,
    and that its shoots will not cease.
Though its root grow old in the earth,
    and (N)its stump die in the soil,
yet at the scent of water it will bud
    and put out (O)branches like a young plant.
10 But a man dies and is laid low;
    man breathes his last, and (P)where is he?
11 (Q)As waters fail from a lake
    and a river wastes away and dries up,
12 so a man lies down and rises not again;
    till (R)the heavens are no more he will not awake
    or be (S)roused out of his sleep.
13 Oh that you would (T)hide me in (U)Sheol,
    that you would (V)conceal me (W)until your wrath be past,
    that you would appoint me a set time, and remember me!
14 If a man dies, shall he live again?
    All the days of my (X)service I would (Y)wait,
    till my renewal[b] should come.
15 You would (Z)call, and I would answer you;
    you would long for the (AA)work of your hands.
16 For then you would (AB)number my steps;
    you would not keep (AC)watch over my sin;
17 my transgression would be (AD)sealed up in a bag,
    and you would cover over my iniquity.

18 “But the mountain falls and (AE)crumbles away,
    and (AF)the rock is removed from its place;
19 the waters wear away the stones;
    the torrents wash away the soil of the earth;
    so you destroy the hope of man.
20 You prevail forever against him, and he passes;
    you change his countenance, and send him away.
21 His sons come to honor, and he (AG)does not know it;
    they are brought low, and he perceives it not.
22 He feels only the pain of his own body,
    and he mourns only for himself.”

Footnotes

  1. Job 14:6 Probable reading; Hebrew look away from him, that he may cease
  2. Job 14:14 Or relief

14 Adam that is born of isha is of few yamim and full of rogez (unrest).

He cometh forth like a tzitz (flower), and is cut down; he fleeth also as a tzel, and continueth not.

And doth Thou open Thine eyes upon such a one, and bringest me into mishpat with Thee?

Who can bring a tahor (clean thing) out of a tameh (an unclean, cf Ro 5:12)? Loh echad (No one).

Seeing his yamim are determined, the number of his chodashim (months) are with Thee, Thou hast appointed his limits that he cannot exceed.

Turn from him, that he may rest, till he shall accomplish, as a sachir (a hired man), his day.

For there is tikveh of an etz, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease.

Though the shoresh (root) thereof grow old in ha’aretz, and the stump thereof die in the aphar (dust),

Yet through the scent of mayim it will bud, and bring forth branches like a young plant.

10 But gever dieth, and wasteth away; yea, adam breathes his last, and where is he?

11 As the mayim flow away from the yam, and the nahar (stream) becomes parched and drieth up,

12 So ish lieth down, and riseth not, till Shomayim be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.

13 O that Thou wouldest hide me in Sheol, that Thou wouldest conceal me until Thy wrath has passed, that Thou wouldest appoint me a chok (set time), and remember me!

14 If a gever die, shall he live again? All the days of my tzava (hard army service) will I wait, till my chalifah (changing, renewal) come.

15 Thou shalt call, and I will answer Thee; Thou wilt have a desire for the ma’aseh (work) of Thine hands.

16 For now Thou countest my steps. Dost Thou not watch over my chattat?

17 My peysha is sealed up in a bag, and Thou would cover over mine avon.

18 And surely the har (mountain) falling crumbles, and the tzur (rock) is moved out of its place.

19 The mayim wear away the avanim; Thou washest away the things which grow out of the aphar aretz; and Thou destroyest the tikvat enosh.

20 Thou prevailest lanetzach (forever) against him, and he passeth away; Thou changest his countenance, and sendest him away.

21 His banim come to honor, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them.

22 Only his basar shall have pain upon him, and his nefesh within him shall mourn.