| 1 |
homo natus de muliere brevi vivens tempore repletus multis miseriis
Man born of a woman, living for a short time, is filled with many miseries.
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| 2 |
quasi flos egreditur et conteritur et fugit velut umbra et numquam in eodem statu permanet
Who cometh forth like a flower, and is destroyed, and fleeth as a shadow, and never continueth in the same state.
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| 3 |
et dignum ducis super huiuscemodi aperire oculos tuos et adducere eum tecum in iudicium
And dost thou think it meet to open thy eyes upon such an one, and to bring him into judgment with thee?
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| 4 |
quis potest facere mundum de inmundo conceptum semine nonne tu qui solus es
Who can make him clean that is conceived of unclean seed? is it not thou who only art?
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| 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 thee: thou hast appointed his bounds which cannot be passed.
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| 6 |
recede paululum ab eo ut quiescat donec optata veniat sicut mercennarii dies eius
Depart a little from him, that he may rest until his wished for day come, as that of the hireling.
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| 7 |
lignum habet spem si praecisum fuerit rursum virescit et rami eius pullulant
A tree hath hope: if it be cut, it growth green again, and the boughs thereof sprout.
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| 8 |
si senuerit in terra radix eius et in pulvere emortuus fuerit truncus illius
If its roots be old in the earth, and its stock be dead in the dust:
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| 9 |
ad odorem aquae germinabit et faciet comam quasi cum primum plantatum est
At the scent of water, it shall spring, and bring forth leaves, as when it was first planted.
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| 10 |
homo vero cum mortuus fuerit et nudatus atque consumptus ubi quaeso est
But man when he shall be dead, and stripped and consumed, I pray you where is he?
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| 11 |
quomodo si recedant aquae de mari et fluvius vacuefactus arescat
As if the waters should depart out of the sea, and an emptied river should be dried up;
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| 12 |
sic homo cum dormierit non resurget donec adteratur caelum non evigilabit nec consurget de somno suo
So man when he is fallen asleep shall not rise again; till the heavens be broken, he shall not awake, nor rise up out of his sleep.
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| 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
Who will grant me this, that thou mayst protect me in hell, and hide me till thy wrath pass, and appoint me a time when thou wilt remember me?
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| 14 |
putasne mortuus homo rursum vivet cunctis diebus quibus nunc milito expecto donec veniat inmutatio mea
Shall man that is dead, thinkest thou, live again? all the days in which I am now in warfare, I expect until my change come.
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| 15 |
vocabis et ego respondebo tibi operi manuum tuarum porriges dexteram
Thou shalt call me, and I will answer thee: to the work of thy hands thou shalt reach out thy right hand.
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| 16 |
tu quidem gressus meos dinumerasti sed parces peccatis meis
Thou indeed hast numbered my steps, but spare my sins.
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| 17 |
signasti quasi in sacculo delicta mea sed curasti iniquitatem meam
Thou hast sealed up my offences as it were in a bag, but hast cured my iniquity.
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| 18 |
mons cadens defluet et saxum transfertur de loco suo
A mountain falling cometh to nought, and a rock is removed out of its place.
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| 19 |
lapides excavant aquae et adluvione paulatim terra consumitur et homines ergo similiter perdes
Waters wear away the stones, and with inundation the ground by little and little is washed away: so in like manner thou shalt destroy man.
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| 20 |
roborasti eum paululum ut in perpetuum pertransiret inmutabis faciem eius et emittes eum
Thou hast strengthened him for a little while, that he may pass away for ever: thou shalt change his face, and shalt send him away.
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| 21 |
sive nobiles fuerint filii eius sive ignobiles non intelleget
Whether his children come to honour or dishonour, he shall not understand.
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| 22 |
attamen caro eius dum vivet dolebit et anima illius super semet ipso lugebit
But yet his flesh, while he shall live, shall have pain, and his soul shall mourn over him.
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