et cum labore vanum deum de eodem fingit luto ille qui paulo ante de terra factus fuerat et post pusillum se ducit unde acceptus est repetitus debitum animae quem habebat

With misspent effort he will mold a false god from the same clay; although he himself was made out of earth a short time before, after a brief interval, he will return to that earth from which he was taken, when he is required to return on demand the life that was lent to him.

With misspent toil, these workers form a futile god from the same clay— these mortals who were made of earth a short time before and after a little while go to the earth from which all mortals are taken, when the time comes to return the souls that were borrowed.

He is a human being who was himself formed from earth only a short while earlier, and after a little while, when he must return the soul that was lent to him, he will go back to the same earth. He is a human being, but he wastes his labor shaping a useless god out of the same clay that he uses to make pots.

And (then) he that was made of earth a little before, maketh a god of the same clay with vain travail; and the potter, asked to yield the debt of the soul which he had, leadeth himself after a little time (back) to the earth, from whence he was taken. [And with vain travail (a) god he maketh (out) of the same clay, he that a little before of earth was made; and after a little he leadeth himself (from) whence he is taken, again asked (for) the debt of the soul that he had.]

With misspent toil, he forms a futile god from the same clay— this man who was made of earth a short time before and after a little while goes to the earth from which he was taken, when he is required to return the soul that was lent him.

With misspent toil, these workers form a futile god from the same clay— these mortals who were made of earth a short time before and after a little while go to the earth from which all mortals are taken, when the time comes to return the souls that were borrowed.

With misspent toil, these workers form a futile god from the same clay— these mortals who were made of earth a short time before and after a little while go to the earth from which all mortals are taken, when the time comes to return the souls that were borrowed.

The potters takes great care—but it is an evil care!—to design a useless god from the very same clay that only a moment before had come from the same earth from which the potters themselves also had been taken. It is the same earth to which the potters will one day return when their entire being’s debt has to be paid back.

With misspent toil he molds a meaningless god from the selfsame clay, though he himself shortly before was made from the earth, And is soon to go whence he was taken, when the life that was lent him is demanded back.

With misspent toil, he forms a futile god from the same clay— this man who was made of earth a short time before and after a little while goes to the earth from which he was taken, when he is required to return the soul that was lent him.

With misspent toil, these workers form a futile god from the same clay— these mortals who were made of earth a short time before and after a little while go to the earth from which all mortals are taken, when the time comes to return the souls that were borrowed.