1 Como é frágil o ser humano- são bem poucos os seus dias e bem cheiosde inquietação!
2 Desabrocha por um momento, como uma flor - e logo seca; como a sombra fugitiva duma nuvem que o vento sopra,também ele desaparece num instante. Terás mesmo que ser assim tão ásperopara com os fracos humanose trazê-los a julgamento?
6 Por isso, dá-lhe um pouco de descanso, peço-te. Desvia dele a tua zangae permite que tenha ainda alguns momentos de repouso antes de morrer.
7 Até para uma planta há esperança- se lhe cortarem um ramo ainda pode dar rebentos e florescer;
8 mesmo quando as raízes começam a envelhecer, debaixo da terra,e o caule fica menos tenso,
9 é capaz ainda de se renovar, se for regada,à semelhança duma planta nova.
10 Mas quando uma pessoa morre e a enterram, dá o último suspiro,e que fica dele?
13 Oh, se me escondesses na região da morte e lá me deixasses esquecidoaté que a tua ira tivesse acabado, e tivesses um momento determinadoem que tornasses a lembrar-te de mim!
14 Se um indivíduo morre, voltará à vida? Este pensamento aliás dá-me esperança, de tal forma que, na minha angústia toda,desejo que isto acabe!
15 Chamar-me-ias, eu te responderia acorrendo à tua presençae recompensar-me-ias de tudo o que fiz.
16 Observarias todos os meus actose não tomarias em conta as minhas falhas.
17 Arquivarias o processo que serviria para me condenar.
18 As colinas podem desfazer-se e desaparecer.
19 A erosão da água sobre as rochas fá-las em areia,e a sua força altera a superfície do solo. Da mesma forma toda a esperança dos homens se esvai.
20 Fazes deles gente velha e enrugada, e depois manda-los embora.
21 Nunca chega a saber se os seus filhos são honrados pela sociedade,ou antes se decaiem e se arruinam.
22 Para ele há apenas tristeza e sofrimento.
1 Man, who is born of a woman, Is of few days, and full of trouble.
2 He comes forth like a flower, and is cut down: He flees also as a shadow, and does not continue.
3 And do you open your eyes on such a one, And bring me into judgment with you?
4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one.
5 Seeing his days are determined, The number of his months is with you, And you have appointed his bounds that he can't pass;
6 Look away from him, that he may rest, Until he will accomplish, as a hired worker, his day.
7 For there is hope of a tree, If it is cut down, that it will sprout again, And that its tender branch will not cease.
8 Though its root waxes old in the earth, And its stock dies in the ground;
9 Yet through the scent of water it will bud, And put forth boughs like a plant.
10 But [noble] man dies, and is laid low: Yes, man gives up the ghost, and where is he?
11 [As] the waters fail from the sea, And the river wastes and dries up;
12 So man lies down and does not rise: Until the heavens are no more, they will not awake, Nor be roused out of their sleep.
13 Oh that you would hide me in Sheol, That you would keep me secret, until your wrath is past, That you would appoint me a set time, and remember me!
14 If a [noble] man die, will he live [again]? All the days of my warfare I would wait, Until my release should come.
15 You would call, and I would answer you: You would have a desire to the work of your hands.
16 But now you number my steps: Don't you watch over my sin?
17 My transgression is sealed up in a bag, And you fasten up my iniquity.
18 But the mountain falling comes to nothing; And the rock is removed out of its place;
19 The waters wear the stones; The overflowings of it wash away the dust of the earth: So you destroy the hope of common 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 does not know it; And they are brought low, but he doesn't perceive it of them.
22 But his flesh on him has pain, And his soul inside him mourns.