1 homo natus de muliere brevi vivens tempore
repletus multis miseriis
2 quasi flos egreditur et conteritur
et fugit velut umbra
et numquam in eodem statu permanet
3 et dignum ducis super huiuscemodi aperire oculos tuos
et adducere eum tecum in iudicium
4 quis potest facere mundum de inmundo conceptum semine
nonne tu qui solus es
5 breves dies hominis sunt numerus mensuum eius apud te est
constituisti terminos eius qui praeterire non poterunt
6 recede paululum ab eo ut quiescat
donec optata veniat sicut mercennarii dies eius
7 lignum habet spem si praecisum fuerit
rursum virescit et rami eius pullulant
8 si senuerit in terra radix eius
et in pulvere emortuus fuerit truncus
illius
9 ad odorem aquae germinabit
et faciet comam quasi cum primum plantatum est
10 homo vero cum mortuus fuerit et nudatus atque consumptus
ubi quaeso est
11 quomodo si recedant aquae de mari et fluvius vacuefactus arescat
12 sic homo cum dormierit non resurget
donec adteratur caelum non evigilabit
nec consurget de somno suo
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
14 putasne mortuus homo rursum vivet
cunctis diebus quibus nunc milito expecto
donec veniat inmutatio mea
15 vocabis et ego respondebo tibi
operi manuum tuarum porriges dexteram
16 tu quidem gressus meos dinumerasti
sed parces peccatis meis
17 signasti quasi in sacculo delicta mea sed curasti iniquitatem meam
18 mons cadens defluet
et saxum transfertur de loco suo
19 lapides excavant aquae et adluvione paulatim terra consumitur
et homines ergo similiter perdes
20 roborasti eum paululum ut in perpetuum pertransiret
inmutabis faciem eius et emittes eum
21 sive nobiles fuerint filii eius sive ignobiles non intelleget
22 attamen caro eius dum vivet dolebit et anima illius super semet ipso lugebit
1 Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble. 2 He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not. 3 And dost thou open thine eyes upon such an one, and bringest me into judgment with thee? 4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one. 5 Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass; 6 Turn from him, that he may rest, till he shall accomplish, as an hireling, his day.
7 For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease. 8 Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground; 9 Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant. 10 But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he? 11 As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up: 12 So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep. 13 O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me! 14 If a man die, shall he live again ? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come. 15 Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands.
16 For now thou numberest my steps: dost thou not watch over my sin? 17 My transgression is sealed up in a bag, and thou sewest up mine iniquity. 18 And surely the mountain falling cometh to nought, and the rock is removed out of his place. 19 The waters wear the stones: thou washest away the things which grow out of the dust of the earth; and thou destroyest the hope of man. 20 Thou prevailest for ever against him, and he passeth: thou changest his countenance, and sendest him away. 21 His sons come to honour, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them. 22 But his flesh upon him shall have pain, and his soul within him shall mourn.