Job 14
1 homo natus de muliere brevi vivens tempore repletus multis miseriis
Man, born of woman, living for a short time, is filled with many miseries.
2 quasi flos egreditur et conteritur et fugit velut umbra et numquam in eodem statu permanet
He comes forth like a flower, and is crushed, and he flees, as if a shadow, and never remains in the same state.
3 et dignum ducis super huiuscemodi aperire oculos tuos et adducere eum tecum in iudicium
And do you consider it fitting to look down with your eyes on someone in this way and to lead him into judgment with you?
4 quis potest facere mundum de inmundo conceptum semine nonne tu qui solus es
Who can make him clean who is conceived of unclean seed? Are you not the only one who can?
5 breves dies hominis sunt numerus mensuum eius apud te est constituisti terminos eius qui praeterire non poterunt
The days of man are short, and the number of his months is with you; you have determined his limits, which cannot be surpassed.
6 recede paululum ab eo ut quiescat donec optata veniat sicut mercennarii dies eius
Withdraw a little from him, so that he may rest, until his awaited day arrives, like that of the hired hand.
7 lignum habet spem si praecisum fuerit rursum virescit et rami eius pullulant
A tree has hope: if it has been cut, it turns green again, and its branches spring forth.
8 si senuerit in terra radix eius et in pulvere emortuus fuerit truncus illius
If its roots grow old in the earth, and its trunk passes into dust,
9 ad odorem aquae germinabit et faciet comam quasi cum primum plantatum est
at the scent of water, it will sprout and bring forth leaves, as when it had first been planted.
10 homo vero cum mortuus fuerit et nudatus atque consumptus ubi quaeso est
Truly, when a man dies, and has been left unprotected, and has decayed, I ask you where is he?
11 quomodo si recedant aquae de mari et fluvius vacuefactus arescat
It is as if the waters had receded from the sea and an emptied river had dried up;
12 sic homo cum dormierit non resurget donec adteratur caelum non evigilabit nec consurget de somno suo
just so, when a man is fallen asleep, he will not rise again, until the heavens are worn away; he will not awaken, nor rise from his sleep.
13 quis mihi hoc tribuat ut in inferno protegas me ut abscondas me donec pertranseat furor tuus et constituas mihi tempus in quo recorderis mei (Sheol h7585)
Who will grant this to me, that you will protect me in the underworld, and hide me until your fury passes by, and establish a time for me, in which you will remember me? (Sheol h7585)
14 putasne mortuus homo rursum vivet cunctis diebus quibus nunc milito expecto donec veniat inmutatio mea
Do you suppose that a dead man will live again? On each of the days in which I now battle, I wait until my transformation occurs.
15 vocabis et ego respondebo tibi operi manuum tuarum porriges dexteram
You will call me and I will answer you; to the work of your hands, you will extend your right hand.
16 tu quidem gressus meos dinumerasti sed parces peccatis meis
Indeed, you have numbered my steps, but you have been lenient with my sins.
17 signasti quasi in sacculo delicta mea sed curasti iniquitatem meam
You have sealed up my offenses, as if in a purse, but you have cured my iniquity.
18 mons cadens defluet et saxum transfertur de loco suo
A falling mountain flows away, and a stone is transferred from its place.
19 lapides excavant aquae et adluvione paulatim terra consumitur et homines ergo similiter perdes
Waters wear away stones, and with a flood the land is reduced little by little; and similarly, you will destroy man.
20 roborasti eum paululum ut in perpetuum pertransiret inmutabis faciem eius et emittes eum
You have strengthened him for a little while, so that he may cross over into eternity. You will change his face and send him forth.
21 sive nobiles fuerint filii eius sive ignobiles non intelleget
Whether his sons have been noble or ignoble, he will not understand.
22 attamen caro eius dum vivet dolebit et anima illius super semet ipso lugebit
And in this way his body, while he yet lives, will have grief, and his soul will mourn over himself.
