Job 14

Job 14, Catholic Public Domain Version

1. Man, born of woman, living for a short time, is filled with many miseries.

   Homo natus de muliere, brevi vivens tempore, repletur multis miseriis.

2. 2

   He comes forth like a flower, and is crushed, and he flees, as if a shadow, and never remains in the same state.

   Qui quasi flos egreditur et conteritur, et fugit velut umbra, et numquam in eodem statu permanet.

3. 3

   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?

   Et dignum ducis super hujuscemodi aperire oculos tuos, et adducere eum tecum in judicium?

4. 4

   Who can make him clean who is conceived of unclean seed? Are you not the only one who can?

   Quis potest facere mundum de immundo conceptum semine? nonne tu qui solus es?

5. 5

   The days of man are short, and the number of his months is with you; you have determined his limits, which cannot be surpassed.

   Breves dies hominis sunt: numerus mensium ejus apud te est: constituisti terminos ejus, qui præteriri non poterunt.

6. 6

   Withdraw a little from him, so that he may rest, until his awaited day arrives, like that of the hired hand.

   Recede paululum ab eo, ut quiescat, donec optata veniat, sicut mercenarii, dies ejus.

7. 7

   A tree has hope: if it has been cut, it turns green again, and its branches spring forth.

   Lignum habet spem: si præcisum fuerit, rursum virescit, et rami ejus pullulant.

8. 8

   If its roots grow old in the earth, and its trunk passes into dust,

   Si senuerit in terra radix ejus, et in pulvere emortuus fuerit truncus illius,

9. 9

   at the scent of water, it will sprout and bring forth leaves, as when it had first been planted.

   ad odorem aquæ germinabit, et faciet comam, quasi cum primum plantatum est.

10. 10

    Truly, when a man dies, and has been left unprotected, and has decayed, I ask you where is he?

    Homo vero cum mortuus fuerit, et nudatus, atque consumptus, ubi, quæso, est?

11. 11

    It is as if the waters had receded from the sea and an emptied river had dried up;

    Quomodo si recedant aquæ de mari, et fluvius vacuefactus arescat:

12. 12

    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.

    sic homo, cum dormierit, non resurget: donec atteratur cælum, non evigilabit, nec consurget de somno suo.

13. 13

    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?†

    Quis mihi hoc tribuat, ut in inferno protegas me, et abscondas me donec pertranseat furor tuus, et constituas mihi tempus in quo recorderis mei?

14. 14

    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.

    Putasne mortuus homo rursum vivat? cunctis diebus quibus nunc milito, expecto donec veniat immutatio mea.

15. 15

    You will call me and I will answer you; to the work of your hands, you will extend your right hand.

    Vocabis me, et ego respondebo tibi: operi manuum tuarum porriges dexteram.

16. 16

    Indeed, you have numbered my steps, but you have been lenient with my sins.

    Tu quidem gressus meos dinumerasti: sed parce peccatis meis.

17. 17

    You have sealed up my offenses, as if in a purse, but you have cured my iniquity.

    Signasti quasi in sacculo delicta mea, sed curasti iniquitatem meam.

18. 18

    A falling mountain flows away, and a stone is transferred from its place.

    Mons cadens defluit, et saxum transfertur de loco suo:

19. 19

    Waters wear away stones, and with a flood the land is reduced little by little; and similarly, you will destroy man.

    lapides excavant aquæ, et alluvione paulatim terra consumitur: et hominem ergo similiter perdes.

20. 20

    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.

    Roborasti eum paululum, ut in perpetuum transiret: immutabis faciem ejus, et emittes eum.

21. 21

    Whether his sons have been noble or ignoble, he will not understand.

    Sive nobiles fuerint filii ejus, sive ignobiles, non intelliget.

22. 22

    And in this way his body, while he yet lives, will have grief, and his soul will mourn over himself.

    Attamen caro ejus, dum vivet, dolebit, et anima illius super semetipso lugebit.

Catholic Public Domain Version (Ronald L. Conte Jr., 2009), public domain · Latin: Clementine Vulgate (1592)