Job 14
1 Homo natus de muliere, brevi vivens tempore, repletur multis miseriis.
“Man, who is born of a woman, is of few days, and full of trouble.
2 Qui quasi flos egreditur et conteritur, et fugit velut umbra, et numquam in eodem statu permanet.
He grows up like a flower, and is cut down. He also flees like a shadow, and doesn’t continue.
3 Et dignum ducis super huiuscemodi aperire oculos tuos, et adducere eum tecum in iudicium?
Do you open your eyes on such a one, and bring me into judgement with you?
4 Quis potest facere mundum de immundo conceptum semine? nonne tu qui solus es?
Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one.
5 Breves dies hominis sunt: numerus mensium eius apud te est: constituisti terminos eius, qui præteriri non poterunt.
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 Recede paululum ab eo, ut quiescat, donec optata veniat, sicut mercenarii, dies eius.
Look away from him, that he may rest, until he accomplishes, as a hireling, his day.
7 Lignum habet spem: si præcisum fuerit, rursum virescit, et rami eius pullulant.
“For there is hope for a tree if it is cut down, that it will sprout again, that the tender branch of it will not cease.
8 Si senuerit in terra radix eius, et in pulvere emortuus fuerit truncus illius,
Though its root grows old in the earth, and its stock dies in the ground,
9 Ad odorem aquæ germinabit, et faciet comam quasi cum primum plantatum est:
yet through the scent of water it will bud, and sprout boughs like a plant.
10 Homo vero cum mortuus fuerit, et nudatus atque consumptus, ubi quæso est?
But man dies, and is laid low. Yes, man gives up the spirit, and where is he?
11 Quomodo si recedant aquæ de mari, et fluvius vacuefactus arescat:
As the waters fail from the sea, and the river wastes and dries up,
12 Sic homo cum dormierit, non resurget, donec atteratur cælum, non evigilabit, nec consurget de somno suo.
so man lies down and doesn’t rise. Until the heavens are no more, they will not awake, nor be roused out of their sleep.
13 Quis mihi hoc tribuat, ut in inferno protegas me, et abscondas me, donec pertranseat furor tuus, et constituas mihi tempus, in quo recorderis mei? (Sheol h7585)
“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! (Sheol h7585)
14 Putasne mortuus homo rursum vivat? cunctis diebus, quibus nunc milito, expecto donec veniat immutatio mea.
If a man dies, will he live again? I would wait all the days of my warfare, until my release should come.
15 Vocabis me, et ego respondebo tibi: operi manuum tuarum porriges dexteram.
You would call, and I would answer you. You would have a desire for the work of your hands.
16 Tu quidem gressus meos dinumerasti, sed parce peccatis meis.
But now you count my steps. Don’t you watch over my sin?
17 Signasti quasi in sacculo delicta mea, sed curasti iniquitatem meam.
My disobedience is sealed up in a bag. You fasten up my iniquity.
18 Mons cadens defluit, et saxum transfertur de loco suo.
“But the mountain falling comes to nothing. The rock is removed out of its place.
19 Lapides excavant aquæ, et alluvione paulatim terra consumitur: et hominem ergo similiter perdes.
The waters wear the stones. The torrents of it wash away the dust of the earth. So you destroy the hope of man.
20 Roborasti eum paululum ut in perpetuum transiret: immutabis faciem eius, et emittes eum.
You forever prevail against him, and he departs. You change his face, and send him away.
21 Sive nobiles fuerint filii eius, sive ignobiles, non intelliget.
His sons come to honour, and he doesn’t know it. They are brought low, but he doesn’t perceive it of them.
22 Attamen caro eius dum vivet dolebit, et anima illius super semetipso lugebit.
But his flesh on him has pain, and his soul within him mourns.”
