Chapter 14

¹ For a mortal born of a woman [is] short-lived, and full of wrath.

ΒΡΟΤΟΣ γὰρ γεννητὸς γυναικὸς ὀλιγόβιος καὶ πλήρης ὀργῆς

² Or he falls like a flower that has bloomed;

ἢ ὥσπερ ἄνθος ἀνθῆσαν ἐξέπεσεν, ἀπέδρα δὲ ὥσπερ σκιὰ καὶ οὐ μὴ στῇ.

³ Hast thou not taken account even of him,

οὐχὶ καὶ τούτου λόγον ἐποιήσω καὶ τοῦτον ἐποίησας εἰσελθεῖν ἐν κρίματι ἐνώπιόν σου;

⁴ For who shall be pure from uncleanness? not even one;

τίς γὰρ καθαρὸς ἔσται ἀπὸ ρύπου; ἀλλ᾿ οὐθείς,

⁵ If even his life should be [but] one day upon the earth:

ἐὰν καὶ μία ἡμέρα ὁ βίος αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ἀριθμητοὶ δὲ μῆνες αὐτοῦ παρ᾿ αὐτοῦ· εἰς χρόνον ἔθου, καὶ οὐ μὴ ὑπερβῇ.

⁶ Depart from him, that he may be quiet,

ἀπόστα ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ, ἵνα ἡσυχάσῃ καὶ εὐδοκήσῃ τὸν βίον ὥσπερ ὁ μισθωτός.

⁷ For there is hope for a tree,

ἔστι γὰρ δένδρῳ ἐλπίς· ἐὰν γὰρ ἐκκοπῇ, ἔτι ἐπανθήσει, καὶ ὁ ράδαμνος αὐτοῦ οὐ μὴ ἐκλίπῃ·

⁸ For though its root should grow old in the earth,

ἐὰν γὰρ γηράσῃ ἐν γῇ ἡ ρίζα αὐτοῦ, ἐν δὲ πέτρᾳ τελευτήσῃ τὸ στέλεχος αὐτοῦ,

⁹ It will blossom from the scent of water,

ἀπὸ ὀσμῆς ὕδατος ἀνθήσει, ποιήσει δὲ θερισμὸν ὥσπερ νεόφυτον.

¹⁰ But a man that has died is utterly gone;

ἀνὴρ δὲ τελευτήσας ᾤχετο, πεσὼν δὲ βροτὸς οὐκέτι ἐστί·

¹¹ For the sea wastes in [length of] time,

χρόνῳ γὰρ σπανίζεται θάλασσα, ποταμὸς δὲ ἐρημωθεὶς ἐξηράνθη·

¹² And man that has lain down [in death] shall certainly not rise again

ἄνθρωπος δὲ κοιμηθεὶς οὐ μὴ ἀναστῇ, ἕως ἂν ὁ οὐρανὸς οὐ μὴ συρραφῇ· καὶ οὐκ ἐξυπνισθήσονται ἐξ ὕπνου αὐτῶν.

¹³ For oh that thou hadst kept me in the grave,

εἰ γὰρ ὄφελον ἐν ᾅδῃ με ἐφύλαξας, ἔκρυψας δέ με ἕως ἂν παύσηταί σου ἡ ὀργὴ καὶ τάξῃ μοι χρόνον, ἐν ᾧ μνείαν μου ποιήσῃ·

¹⁴ For if a man should die, shall he live [again],

ἐὰν γὰρ ἀποθάνῃ ἄνθρωπος, ζήσεται συντελέσας ἡμέρας τοῦ βίου αὐτοῦ· ὑπομενῶ ἕως ἂν πάλιν γένωμαι.

¹⁵ Then shalt thou call, and I will hearken to thee:

εἶτα καλέσεις, ἐγὼ δέ σοι ὑπακούσομαι, τὰ δὲ ἔργα τῶν χειρῶν σου μὴ ἀποποιοῦ.

¹⁶ But thou hast numbered my devices: and not one of my sins shall escape thee?

ἠρίθμησας δέ μου τὰ ἐπιτηδεύματα, καὶ οὐ μὴ παρέλθῃ σε οὐδὲν τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν μου·

¹⁷ And thou hast sealed up my transgressions in a bag,

ἐσφράγισας δέ μου τὰς ἀνομίας ἐν βαλλαντίῳ, ἐπεσημήνω δέ, εἴ τι ἄκρων παρέβην.

¹⁸ And verily a mountain falling will utterly be destroyed,

καὶ πλὴν ὄρος πῖπτον διαπεσεῖται, καὶ πέτρα παλαιωθήσεται ἐκ τοῦ τόπου αὐτῆς.

¹⁹ The waters wear the stones,

λίθους ἐλέαναν ὕδατα, καὶ κατέκλυσεν ὕδατα ὕπτια τοῦ χώματος τῆς γῆς· καὶ ὑπομονὴν ἀνθρώπου ἀπώλεσας.

²⁰ Thou drivest him to an end, and he is gone:

ὦσας αὐτὸν εἰς τέλος, καὶ ᾤχετο· ἐπέστησας αὐτῷ τὸ πρόσωπον, καὶ ἐξαπέστειλας·

²¹ And though his children be multiplied, he knows [it] not;

πολλῶν δὲ γενομένων τῶν υἱῶν αὐτοῦ, οὐκ οἶδεν, ἐὰν δὲ ὀλίγοι γένωνται, οὐκ ἐπίσταται·

²² But his flesh is in pain,

ἀλλ᾿ ἢ αἱ σάρκες αὐτοῦ ἤλγησαν, ἡ δὲ ψυχὴ αὐτοῦ ἐπένθησεν.