1
אָדָם יְלוּד אִשָּׁה קְצַר יָמִים וּשְׂבַע־רֹגֶז
Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.
Βρότος γὰρ γεννητὸς γυναικὸς, ὀλιγόβιος, καὶ πλήρης ὀργῆς·
For a mortal born of a woman [is] short-lived, and full of wrath.
2
כְּצִיץ יָצָא וַיִּמָּל וַיִּבְרַח כַּצֵּל וְלֹא יַעֲמוֹד
He cometh forth like a flower, and withereth; he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.
ἢ ὥσπερ ἄνθος ἀνθῆσαν ἐξέπεσεν, ἀπέδρα δὲ ὥσπερ σκιὰ, καὶ οὐ μὴ στῇ.
Or he falls like a flower that has bloomed; And he departs like a shadow, and cannot continue.
3
אַף־עַל־זֶה פָּקַחְתָּ עֵינֶךָ וְאֹתִי תָבִיא בְמִשְׁפָּט עִמָּךְ
And dost Thou open Thine eyes upon such a one, and bringest me into judgment with Thee?
Οὐχὶ καὶ τούτου λόγον ἐποιήσω, καὶ τοῦτον ἐποίησας εἰσελθεῖν ἐν κρίματι ἐνώπιόν σου;
Hast thou not taken account even of him, And caused him to enter into judgment before thee?
4
מִי־יִתֵּן טָהוֹר מִטָּמֵא לֹא אֶחָד
Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.
Τίς γὰρ καθαρὸς ἔσται ἀπὸ ῥύπου; ἀλλʼ οὐθεὶς,
For who shall be pure from uncleanness? not even one;
5
אִם חֲרוּצִים יָמָיו מִסְפַּר־חֳדָשָׁיו אִתָּךְ חקו חֻקָּיו עָשִׂיתָ וְלֹא יַעֲבוֹר
Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months is with Thee, and Thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass;
ἐὰν καὶ μία ἡμέρα ὁ βίος αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς· ἀριθμητοὶ δὲ μῆνες αὐτοῦ παρʼ αὐτοῦ· εἰς χρόνον ἔθου, καὶ οὐ μὴ ὑπερβῇ.
If even his life should be [but] one day upon the earth: And his months are numbered by him: Thou hast appointed [him] for a time, and he shall by no means exceed [it].
6
שְׁעֵה מֵעָלָיו וְיֶחְדָּל עַד־יִרְצֶה כְּשָׂכִיר יוֹמוֹ
Look away from him, that he may rest, till he shall accomplish, as a hireling, his day.
Ἀπόστα ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ, ἵνα ἡσυχάσῃ, καὶ εὐδοκήσῃ τὸν βίον, ὥσπερ ὁ μισθωτός.
Depart from him, that he may be quiet, And take pleasure in his life, [though] as a hireling.
7
כִּי יֵשׁ לָעֵץ תִּקְוָה אִם־יִכָּרֵת וְעוֹד יַחֲלִיף וְיֹנַקְתּוֹ לֹא תֶחְדָּל
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.
Ἔστι γὰρ δένδρῳ ἐλπὶς, ἐὰν γὰρ ἐκκοπῇ, ἔτι ἐπανθήσει, καὶ ὁ ῥάδαμνος αὐτοῦ οὐ μὴ ἐκλείπῃ.
For there is hope for a tree, Even if it should be cut down, [that] it shall blossom again, And its branch shall not fail.
8
אִם־יַזְקִין בָּאָרֶץ שָׁרְשׁוֹ וּבֶעָפָר יָמוּת גִּזְעוֹ
Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground;
Ἐὰν γὰρ γηράσῃ ἐν γῇ ἡ ῥίζα αὐτοῦ, ἐν δὲ πέτρᾳ τελευτήσῃ,
For though its root should grow old in the earth, And its stem die in the rock;
9
מֵרֵיחַ מַיִם יַפְרִחַ וְעָשָׂה קָצִיר כְּמוֹ־נָטַע
Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and put forth boughs like a plant.
τὸ στέλεχος αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ ὀσμῆς ὕδατος ἀνθήσει, ποιήσει δὲ θερισμὸν, ὥσπερ νεόφυτον.
It will blossom from the scent of water, And will produce a crop, as one newly planted.
10
וְגֶבֶר יָמוּת וַיֶּחֱלָשׁ וַיִּגְוַע אָדָם וְאַיּוֹ
But man dieth, and lieth low; yea, man perisheth, and where is he?
Ἀνὴρ δὲ τελευτήσας ᾤχετο, πεσὼν δὲ βροτὸς οὐκ ἔτι ἐστί.
But a man that has died is utterly gone; And when a mortal has fallen, he is no more.
11
אָזְלוּ־מַיִם מִנִּי־יָם וְנָהָר יֶחֱרַב וְיָבֵשׁ
As the waters fail from the sea, and the river is drained dry;
Χρόνῳ γὰρ σπανίζεται θάλασσα, ποταμὸς δὲ ἐρημωθεὶς ἐξηράνθη.
For the sea wastes in [length of] time, And a river fails and is dried up.
12
וְאִישׁ שָׁכַב וְלֹא־יָקוּם עַד־בִּלְתִּי שָׁמַיִם לֹא יָקִיצוּ וְלֹא־יֵעֹרוּ מִשְּׁנָתָם
So man lieth down and riseth not; till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be roused out of their sleep.
Ἄνθρωπος δὲ κοιμηθεὶς οὐ μὴν ἀναστῇ ἕως ἂν ὁ οὐρανὸς οὐ μὴ συῤῥαφῇ, καὶ οὐκ ἐξυπνισθήσονται ἐξ ὕπνου αὐτῶν.
And man that has lain down [in death] shall certainly not rise again Till the heaven be dissolved, And they shall not awake from their sleep.
13
מִי יִתֵּן בִּשְׁאוֹל תַּצְפִּנֵנִי תַּסְתִּירֵנִי עַד־שׁוּב אַפֶּךָ תָּשִׁית לִי חֹק וְתִזְכְּרֵנִי
Oh that Thou wouldest hide me in the nether-world, that Thou wouldest keep me secret, until Thy wrath be past, that Thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me!--
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.
For oh that thou hadst kept me in the grave, And hadst hidden me until thy wrath should cease, And thou shouldest set me a time in which thou wouldest remember me!
14
אִם־יָמוּת גֶּבֶר הֲיִחְיֶה כָּל־יְמֵי צְבָאִי אֲיַחֵל עַד־בּוֹא חֲלִיפָתִי
If a man die, may he live again? All the days of my service would I wait, till my relief should come--
Ἐὰν γὰρ ἀποθάνῃ ἄνθρωπος, ζήσεται συντελέσας ἡμέρας τοῦ βίου αὐτοῦ· ὑπομενῶ ἕως πάλιν γένωμαι;
For if a man should die, shall he live [again], Having accomplished the days of his life? I will wait till I exist again?
15
תִּקְרָא וְאָנֹכִי אֶעֱנֶךָּ לְמַעֲשֵׂה יָדֶיךָ תִכְסֹף
Thou wouldest call, and I would answer Thee; Thou wouldest have a desire to the work of Thy hands.
Εἶτα καλέσεις, ἐγὼ δέ σοι ὑπακούσομαι, τὰ δὲ ἔργα τῶν χειρῶν σου μὴ ἀποποιοῦ.
Then shalt thou call, and I will hearken to thee: But do not thou reject the work of thy hands.
16
כִּי־עַתָּה צְעָדַי תִּסְפּוֹר לֹא־תִשְׁמוֹר עַל־חַטָּאתִי
But now Thou numberest my steps, Thou dost not even wait for my sin;
Ἠρίθμησας δέ μου τὰ ἐπιτηδεύματα, καὶ οὐ μὴ παρέλθῃ σε οὐδὲν τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν μου;
But thou hast numbered my devices: and not one of my sins shall escape thee?
17
חָתֻם בִּצְרוֹר פִּשְׁעִי וַתִּטְפֹּל עַל־עֲוֺנִי
My transgression is sealed up in a bag, and Thou heapest up mine iniquity.
Ἐσφράγισας δέ μου τὰς ἀνομίας ἐν βαλαντίῳ, ἐπεσημῄνω δὲ εἴτι ἄκων παρέβην.
And thou hast sealed up my transgressions in a bag, And marked if I have been guilty of any transgression unawares.
18
וְאוּלָם הַר־נוֹפֵל יִבּוֹל וְצוּר יֶעְתַּק מִמְּקֹמוֹ
And surely the mountain falling crumbleth away, and the rock is removed out of its place;
Καὶ πλὴν ὄρος πίπτον διαπεσεῖται, καὶ πέτρα παλαιωθήσεται ἐκ τοῦ τόπου αὐτῆς.
And verily a mountain falling will utterly be destroyed, And a rock shall be worn out of its place.
19
אֲבָנִים שָׁחֲקוּ מַיִם תִּשְׁטֹף־סְפִיחֶיהָ עֲפַר־אָרֶץ וְתִקְוַת אֱנוֹשׁ הֶאֱבַדְתָּ
The waters wear the stones; the overflowings thereof wash away the dust of the earth; so Thou destroyest the hope of man.
Λίθους ἐλέαναν ὕδατα, καὶ κατέκλυσεν ὕδατα ὕπτια τοῦ χώματος τῆς γῆς· καὶ ὑπομονὴν ἀνθρώπου ἀπώλεσας.
The waters wear the stones, And waters falling headlong [overflow] a heap of the earth: And thou destroyest the hope of man.
20
תִּתְקְפֵהוּ לָנֶצַח וַיַּהֲלֹךְ מְשַׁנֶּה פָנָיו וַתְּשַׁלְּחֵהוּ
Thou prevailest for ever against him, and he passeth; Thou changest his countenance, and sendest him away.
Ὦσας αὐτὸν εἰς τέλος, καὶ ᾤχετο· ἐπέστησας αὐτῷ τὸ πρόσωπον, καὶ ἐξαπέστειλας,
Thou drivest him to an end, and he is gone: Thou settest thy face against him, and sendest him away;
21
יִכְבְּדוּ בָנָיו וְלֹא יֵדָע וְיִצְעֲרוּ וְלֹא־יָבִין לָמוֹ
His sons come to honour, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, but he regardeth them not.
πολλὼν δὲ γενομένων τῶν υἱῶν αὐτοῦ, οὐκ οἶδεν· ἐὰν δὲ ὀλίγοι γένωνται, οὐκ ἐπέσταται.
And though his children be multiplied, he knows [it] not; And if they be few, he is not aware.
22
אַךְ־בְּשָׂרוֹ עָלָיו יִכְאָב וְנַפְשׁוֹ עָלָיו תֶּאֱבָל
But his flesh grieveth for him, and his soul mourneth over him.
Ἀλλʼ ἢ αἱ σάρκες αὐτοῦ ἤλγησαν, ἡ δὲ ψυχὴ αὐτοῦ ἐπένθησεν.
But his flesh is in pain, And his soul mourns.