Bortezomib and Gemcitabine in Treating Patients With Relapsed B-Cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

Inclusion Criteria: * Patients must have histologically or cytologically confirmed intermediate or high grade B-cell Non-Hodgkin lymphoma with primary progressive or relapsed disease * Patients may have had up to 4 prior chemo-and-or radiation therapy regiments, including one autologous transplant based protocol; any prior therapy (chemotherapy or radiation) must have been completed at least 4 weeks prior to start of this protocol; for prior high-dose chemotherapy with stem cell transplant, a 6-week interval is required; all side effects must have resolved * Karnofsky performance status \>= 60% * Life expectancy of greater than 3 months * Absolute neutrophil count \>= 1,500 mm\^3 * Platelets \>= 50,000 mm\^3 * Total bilirubin =\< 1.5 mg/dl * Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase \[SGOT\]) =\< 2.5 x institutional upper limit of normal * Creatinine within normal institutional limits OR creatinine clearance \>= 50 mL/min for creatinine levels above institutional normal (calculated or measured) * Cardiac ejection fraction of \> 40% by echocardiogram or multi gated acquisition (MUGA) scan * Have no serious or intercurrent medical illness * Voluntary written informed consent before performance of any study-related procedure not part of normal medical care, with the understanding that consent may be withdrawn by the subject at any time without prejudice to future medical care * Female subject is either post-menopausal or surgically sterilized or …