Job 14

This is the third chapter in a row for Job and it captures the essence of his complaint (not for the last time). There is a little brightness in the chapter, but hard to read in the translations. Mitchell captures the delight of a father with his children (verses 15-17) and he rewrites and paraphrases with some delight. But REB stops the positiveness at verse 15 and reverts to the negative. There are many questions and my own reading is far from perspicuous.

You can see it is poetry - short sharp lines, and a few places where the ole-veyored is used as a secondary cadence. (Three lines and three syllable counts). The longer lines in verse 13 and 19 have a separation after the revia, but it is not a cadence. The accent occurs in both cases here on the penultimate syllable. The cadences are marked on final syllables for the most part. (That's an observation I had not brought to consciousness, but I had noticed that final cadences are often before the end of the phrase, and sometimes I wonder if they are premature - perhaps caused by a spurious metheg - same sign as silluq but not a musical mark. These have increased in the ms over the copying of the last 1000 years. They are not in the Aleppo codex.)

Job 14		Fn		Min	Max	Syll
אָ֭דָם יְל֣וּד אִשָּׁ֑ה קְצַ֥ר יָ֝מִ֗ים וּֽשְׂבַֽע־רֹֽגֶז	1	g	Earthling born of woman, is reaped of days and sated with shuddering.	3e	4B	6 8
כְּצִ֣יץ יָ֭צָא וַיִּמָּ֑ל וַיִּבְרַ֥ח כַּ֝צֵּ֗ל וְלֹ֣א יַעֲמֽוֹד	2		Like a blossom it emerges and is snipped, and it runs away like a shadow and does not stand.	3e	4B	7 10
אַף־עַל־זֶ֭ה פָּקַ֣חְתָּ עֵינֶ֑ךָ וְאֹ֘תִ֤י תָבִ֖יא בְמִשְׁפָּ֣ט עִמָּֽךְ	3		Indeed on this you give sight to your eye, and me you bring into judgment with you?	3e	4C	9 10
מִֽי־יִתֵּ֣ן טָ֭הוֹר מִטָּמֵ֗א לֹ֣א אֶחָֽד	4		Who gives cleanness from what is unclean? Not one.	3e	4B	10
אִ֥ם חֲרוּצִ֨ים ׀ יָמָ֗יו מִֽסְפַּר־חֳדָשָׁ֥יו אִתָּ֑ךְ חֻקָּ֥יו עָ֝שִׂ֗יתָ וְלֹ֣א יַעֲבֽוֹר	5	f	If decided are its days, a record of its months is with you. Its decree you have made, and it does not cross it.	3e	4B	13 10
שְׁעֵ֣ה מֵעָלָ֣יו וְיֶחְדָּ֑ל עַד־יִ֝רְצֶ֗ה כְּשָׂכִ֥יר יוֹמֽוֹ	6		Look away from it and let it be left alone, even as it accepts its day as a mercenary.	3e	4B	8 8
כִּ֤י יֵ֥שׁ לָעֵ֗ץ תִּ֫קְוָ֥ה אִֽם־יִ֭כָּרֵת וְע֣וֹד יַחֲלִ֑יף וְ֝יֹֽנַקְתּ֗וֹ לֹ֣א תֶחְדָּֽל	7	C	For there is for a tree expectation if it is cut off, that still it will be renewed, and its nursling shoots will not be left alone.	3e	4C	6 9 7
אִם־יַזְקִ֣ין בָּאָ֣רֶץ שָׁרְשׁ֑וֹ וּ֝בֶעָפָ֗ר יָמ֥וּת גִּזְעֽוֹ	8		If its root ages in the earth, and in the dust its stump dies,	3e	4B	8 8
מֵרֵ֣יחַ מַ֣יִם יַפְרִ֑חַ וְעָשָׂ֖ה קָצִ֣יר כְּמוֹ־נָֽטַע	9		from the smell of water it will flourish, and make a harvest like any plant.	3e	4B	7 8
וְגֶ֣בֶר יָ֭מוּת וַֽיֶּחֱלָ֑שׁ וַיִּגְוַ֖ע אָדָ֣ם וְאַיּֽוֹ	10		But one who is valiant dies and he is vanquished. An earthling expires and where is he?	3e	4B	9 8
אָֽזְלוּ־מַ֭יִם מִנִּי־יָ֑ם וְ֝נָהָ֗ר יֶחֱרַ֥ב וְיָבֵֽשׁ	11		Waters evaporate from sea, and a river becomes a desert and dries up.	3e	4A	6 9
וְאִ֥ישׁ שָׁכַ֗ב וְֽלֹא־יָ֫ק֥וּם עַד־בִּלְתִּ֣י שָׁ֭מַיִם לֹ֣א יָקִ֑יצוּ וְלֹֽא־יֵ֝עֹ֗רוּ מִשְּׁנָתָֽם	12		So a person lies down and does not arise. Till the heavens wear out they will not awake, and will not be roused from their sleep.	3e	4B	7 9 7
מִ֤י יִתֵּ֨ן ׀ בִּשְׁא֬וֹל תַּצְפִּנֵ֗נִי תַּ֭סְתִּירֵנִי עַד־שׁ֣וּב אַפֶּ֑ךָ תָּ֤שִׁ֥ית‬ לִ֖י חֹ֣ק וְתִזְכְּרֵֽנִי	13	C	If you would treasure me in Sheol, hide me till turned is your anger, set me a decree and remember me.	3e	4C	18 9
אִם־יָמ֥וּת גֶּ֗בֶר הֲיִ֫חְיֶ֥ה כָּל־יְמֵ֣י צְבָאִ֣י אֲיַחֵ֑ל עַד־בּ֝֗וֹא חֲלִיפָתִֽי	14		If one who is valiant dies will he live? All the days of my pressed service I will have hope, till the coming of my renewal.	3e	4B	8 9 6
תִּ֭קְרָא וְאָנֹכִ֣י אֶֽעֱנֶ֑ךָּ לְֽמַעֲשֵׂ֖ה יָדֶ֣יךָ תִכְסֹֽף	15	g	You would call and I, I would answer you. For the deed of your hands you would ache.	3e	4B	10 9
כִּֽי־עַ֭תָּה צְעָדַ֣י תִּסְפּ֑וֹר לֹֽא־תִ֝שְׁמ֗וֹר עַל־חַטָּאתִֽי	16		For now my paces you would count, and you would not watch over my sin.	3e	4B	7 7
חָתֻ֣ם בִּצְר֣וֹר פִּשְׁעִ֑י וַ֝תִּטְפֹּ֗ל עַל־עֲוֺנִֽי	17		My transgression would be sealed in anguish, and you would smear over my iniquity.	3e	4B	6 7
וְ֭אוּלָם הַר־נוֹפֵ֣ל יִבּ֑וֹל וְ֝צ֗וּר יֶעְתַּ֥ק מִמְּקֹמֽוֹ	18	g	But however, a falling hill withers, and a rock is shifted from its place.	3e	4B	8 7
אֲבָנִ֤ים ׀ שָׁ֥חֲקוּ מַ֗יִם תִּשְׁטֹֽף־סְפִיחֶ֥יהָ עֲפַר־אָ֑רֶץ וְתִקְוַ֖ת אֱנ֣וֹשׁ הֶאֱבַֽדְתָּ	19		Water pulverizes stones. You overflow the deforming of the dust of earth, and the expectation of a mortal you make perish.	3e	4C	17 9
תִּתְקְפֵ֣הוּ לָ֭נֶצַח וַֽיַּהֲלֹ֑ךְ מְשַׁנֶּ֥ה פָ֝נָ֗יו וַֽתְּשַׁלְּחֵֽהוּ	20		You overcome in perpetuity and he walks. You vary his face and send him away.	3e	4B	11 9
יִכְבְּד֣וּ בָ֭נָיו וְלֹ֣א יֵדָ֑ע וְ֝יִצְעֲר֗וּ וְֽלֹא־יָבִ֥ין לָֽמוֹ	21		Glorified are his children and he does not know, or they are made of little account and he does not understand them.	3e	4B	9 9
אַךְ־בְּ֭שָׂרוֹ עָלָ֣יו יִכְאָ֑ב וְ֝נַפְשׁ֗וֹ עָלָ֥יו תֶּאֱבָֽל פ	22		But his flesh upon him is sorrow, and his being upon him will lament.	3e	4B	8 9