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TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS

Chapter 14

Translation and Transliteration of 

1Man born of woman is short-lived and sated with trouble.

a-DAM ye-LUD i-SHA k'-TZAR ya-MEEM u-se-VA-ro-GEZ

אאָ֭דָם יְל֣וּד אִשָּׁ֑ה קְצַ֥ר יָ֝מִ֗ים וּֽשְׂבַֽע־רֹֽגֶז׃

2He blossoms like a flower and withers; He vanishes like a shadow and does not endure.

k'-TSITS ya-TSA va-yi-MAL va-yi-v'RAKH ka-TSEL v'-lo ya-a-MOD

בכְּצִ֣יץ יָ֭צָא וַיִּמָּ֑ל וַיִּבְרַ֥ח כַּ֝צֵּ֗ל וְלֹ֣א יַעֲמֽוֹד׃

3Do You fix Your gaze on such a one? Will You go to law with me?

af-al-zeh pa-KAHTA EY-ne-KHA, v'-O-tee ta-VEE b'-mish-PAT i-MACH

גאַף־עַל־זֶ֭ה פָּקַ֣חְתָּ עֵינֶ֑ךָ וְאֹ֘תִ֤י תָבִ֖יא בְמִשְׁפָּ֣ט עִמָּֽךְ׃

4Who can produce a clean thing out of an unclean one? No one!

mi-yi-TEYN ta-HOR mi-ta-ME lo e-KHAD

דמִֽי־יִתֵּ֣ן טָ֭הוֹר מִטָּמֵ֗א לֹ֣א אֶחָֽד׃

5His days are determined; You know the number of his months; You have set him limits that he cannot pass.

im kha-RU-tzeem ya-MAV mis-par-kho-da-SHAV i-TAKH khu-KAV a-SI-ta v'-lo ya-a-VOR

האִ֥ם חֲרוּצִ֨ים ׀ יָמָ֗יו מִֽסְפַּר־חֳדָשָׁ֥יו אִתָּ֑ךְ חֻקָּ֥ו עָ֝שִׂ֗יתָ וְלֹ֣א יַעֲבֹֽר׃

6Turn away from him, that he may be at ease Until, like a hireling, he finishes out his day.

SH'-eh me-a-LAV v'-ye-KH'-dal, ad yir-TZE, k'-sa-KHEER yo-MO.

ושְׁעֵ֣ה מֵעָלָ֣יו וְיֶחְדָּ֑ל עַד־יִ֝רְצֶ֗ה כְּשָׂכִ֥יר יוֹמֽוֹ׃

7There is hope for a tree; If it is cut down it will renew itself; Its shoots will not cease.

KEE YAYSH la-AYTZ tik-VAH im yi-ka-RAYT v'-OD ya-kha-LEEF v'-yo-nak-TO LO tekh-DAL

זכִּ֤י יֵ֥שׁ לָעֵ֗ץ תִּ֫קְוָ֥ה אִֽם־יִ֭כָּרֵת וְע֣וֹד יַחֲלִ֑יף וְ֝יֹנַקְתּ֗וֹ לֹ֣א תֶחְדָּֽל׃

14:7 There is hope for a tree

 

The badlands of Ruhama near the city of Sderot.

Iyov contrasts the passing of man to the death of a tree. Once a man has departed from this world, he cannot be brought back to life. A tree, on the other hand, though seemingly lifeless, can be revived. Similarly, Yeshayahu writes (6:13) that though a tree appears dead after it sheds its leaves, the trunk remains, and from there, the tree will flower again in the spring. Yeshayahu compares the Children of Israel to a tree. Though at times it appears that they have been annihilated and will cease to exist, a holy remnant always remains, from which they will grow anew and flourish.

 

8If its roots are old in the earth, And its stump dies in the ground,

im-yaz-KIN ba-A-retz shor-SHO u-ve-a-FAR ya-MUT giz-O

חאִם־יַזְקִ֣ין בָּאָ֣רֶץ שׇׁרְשׁ֑וֹ וּ֝בֶעָפָ֗ר יָמ֥וּת גִּזְעֽוֹ׃

9At the scent of water it will bud And produce branches like a sapling.

me-REY-akh ma-YIM yaf-RI-akh, v'-a-SA ka-TZIR ke-MO-na-TA

טמֵרֵ֣יחַ מַ֣יִם יַפְרִ֑חַ וְעָשָׂ֖ה קָצִ֣יר כְּמוֹ־נָֽטַע׃

10But mortals languish and die; Man expires; where is he?

v'-GE-ver ya-MUT va-ye-khe-LASH va-yi-ge-Va a-DAM v'-a-YO

יוְגֶ֣בֶר יָ֭מוּת וַֽיֶּחֱלָ֑שׁ וַיִּגְוַ֖ע אָדָ֣ם וְאַיּֽוֹ׃

11The waters of the sea fail, And the river dries up and is parched.

az-LU-MA-yim mi-NI-yam v'-na-HAR ye-khe-RAV v'-ya-VESH

יאאָזְלוּ־מַ֭יִם מִנִּי־יָ֑ם וְ֝נָהָ֗ר יֶחֱרַ֥ב וְיָבֵֽשׁ׃

12So man lies down never to rise; He will awake only when the heavens are no more, Only then be aroused from his sleep.

v'-ISH sha-KHAV v'-LO ya-KUM ad bilti sha-MA-yim lo ya-KEE-tzu v'-LO ye-o-ROO mi-sh'-NA-tam

יבוְאִ֥ישׁ שָׁכַ֗ב וְֽלֹא־יָ֫ק֥וּם עַד־בִּלְתִּ֣י שָׁ֭מַיִם לֹ֣א יָקִ֑יצוּ וְלֹֽא־יֵ֝עֹ֗רוּ מִשְּׁנָתָֽם׃

13O that You would hide me in Sheol, Conceal me until Your anger passes, Set me a fixed time to attend to me.

mi yi-TEYN bi-SHO-ol tatz-pi-NEE tas-ti-RE-NEE ad-SHU-v a-PE-kha ta-SHEET lee KHOK v'-tiz-KE-re-NEE

יגמִ֤י יִתֵּ֨ן ׀ בִּשְׁא֬וֹל תַּצְפִּנֵ֗נִי תַּ֭סְתִּירֵנִי עַד־שׁ֣וּב אַפֶּ֑ךָ תָּ֤שִֽׁית לִ֖י חֹ֣ק וְתִזְכְּרֵֽנִי׃

14If a man dies, can he live again? All the time of my service I wait Until my replacement comes.

im-ya-MUT GE-ver ha-yi-KHE-yeh kol-ye-MEI tze-va-I a-ya-KHEL ad-BO khali-fa-TEE

ידאִם־יָמ֥וּת גֶּ֗בֶר הֲיִֽ֫חְיֶ֥ה כׇּל־יְמֵ֣י צְבָאִ֣י אֲיַחֵ֑ל עַד־בּ֝֗וֹא חֲלִיפָתִֽי׃

15You would call and I would answer You; You would set Your heart on Your handiwork.

TIK-RA v'-a-NO-khi e-e-NE-kha l'-ma-a-SEH ya-DE-kha tikh-SOF

טותִּ֭קְרָא וְאָנֹכִ֣י אֶעֱנֶ֑ךָּ לְֽמַעֲשֵׂ֖ה יָדֶ֣יךָ תִכְסֹֽף׃

16Then You would not count my steps, Or keep watch over my sin.

ki-a-TAH t'-sa-DAI tis-POHR lo tish-MOR al-kha-ta-TEE

טזכִּֽי־עַ֭תָּה צְעָדַ֣י תִּסְפּ֑וֹר לֹֽא־תִ֝שְׁמֹ֗ר עַל־חַטָּאתִֽי׃

17My transgression would be sealed up in a pouch; You would coat over my iniquity.

kha-TUM bitz-ROR pish-EE, va-tit-POL al a-VO-nee

יזחָתֻ֣ם בִּצְר֣וֹר פִּשְׁעִ֑י וַ֝תִּטְפֹּ֗ל עַל־עֲוֺנִֽי׃

18Mountains collapse and crumble; Rocks are dislodged from their place.

v'-u-LAM har no-FEL yi-BOL v'-TzUR ye-TAK mi-m'-ko-MO

יחוְ֭אוּלָם הַר־נוֹפֵ֣ל יִבּ֑וֹל וְ֝צ֗וּר יֶעְתַּ֥ק מִמְּקֹמֽוֹ׃

19Water wears away stone; Torrents wash away earth; So you destroy man's hope,

a-va-NEEM sha-KHA-khu MA-yim tish-TOF s'-fi-KHE-ha a-far a-RETZ v'-tik-VAT e-NOsh he-e-va-DAT

יטאֲבָנִ֤ים ׀ שָׁ֥חֲקוּ מַ֗יִם תִּשְׁטֹֽף־סְפִיחֶ֥יהָ עֲפַר־אָ֑רֶץ וְתִקְוַ֖ת אֱנ֣וֹשׁ הֶֽאֱבַֽדְתָּ׃

20You overpower him forever and he perishes; You alter his visage and dispatch him.

tit-ke-FAY-hu la-NE-tzakh va-ya-ha-LOKH m'-sha-NEH fa-NAV va-t'-sha-l'-KHE-hu

כתִּתְקְפֵ֣הוּ לָ֭נֶצַח וַֽיַּהֲלֹ֑ךְ מְשַׁנֶּ֥ה פָ֝נָ֗יו וַֽתְּשַׁלְּחֵֽהוּ׃

21His sons attain honor and he does not know it; They are humbled and he is not aware of it.

yik-B'-DU va-NAV v'-lo ya-DA, v'-yit-s'-RU v'-lo ya-VEEN la-MO

כאיִכְבְּד֣וּ בָ֭נָיו וְלֹ֣א יֵדָ֑ע וְ֝יִצְעֲר֗וּ וְֽלֹא־יָבִ֥ין לָֽמוֹ׃

22He feels only the pain of his flesh, And his spirit mourns in him.

akh b'-sa-RO a-LA-yu yikh-AV, v'-naf-SHO a-LA-yu te-e-VAL.

כבאַךְ־בְּ֭שָׂרוֹ עָלָ֣יו יִכְאָ֑ב וְ֝נַפְשׁ֗וֹ עָלָ֥יו תֶּאֱבָֽל׃