A long long shot... religious verse in Latin help!

[MrsMorton]

I have a photo of a tattoo (taken in a mirror so it's backwards) that's quite fuzzy. I can't post the pic because it's very identifying but I really want to know what it says.

it's in Latin! And it's a religious verse.

this is what I can make out...

Dei - mini-
Dei aut- m --
Enim - - - -
Enim mini- --
final line and I have no leads here!

umm. Thank you for getting this far!

Oh, the dashes haven't really worked. There are 5/6 words in each line and I think aut is the start of the second word in line 2

Can you use Google translate app which lets you take a photo of the original picture/format/language?

Anything 'mini' could be domini? Aut could be autem? Are the dei definitely dei or could they be die?

Could 'mini' be 'mihi'?

I think some of us could help if there’s anyway you can post a picture of at least a bit more text? I think it will be mihi, not mini - and Autem. Several bible verses might match, but hard to say without a little more.

Not "De minimis non curat lex" which is basically 'don't worry about the small stuff" in a very round about way.

Was meant to be a ? at end of my post!

It’s not one of the usual prayers eg our father or Hail Mary.
id suggest trying Catholic utter. Maybe it’s a verse from the Bible

Twitter not utter

As pp have said could you please post part of the tattoo? There's too little to go on.

Otherwise, look a Catholic Church that still holds Masses in Latin and ask the priest.

Ok, let's try the pic.

autem looks right @Iseethesilverlining clever you!

Can you hold the backwards photo up to a mirror and take a photo?
If you message it to me, I may be able to help.

I flipped it round but it's not very clear. Could be a few Bible verses...

I think it's si autem, not dei autem. And the penultimate line looks like enim sine causa but I'm not sure that makes much sense.

I've run it through my photo app - tiny bit clearer in black and white

The second long line looks like Si autem malem which means 'but if evil'

The 3rd long line starts enim sine which means 'for without'

Is that really the entire thing? What you've posted seems like a fragment of something longer.

Not a complete match, but some of it looks like Romans 13:4

"Dei enim minister est tibi in bonum si autem male feceris time non enim sine causa gladium portat Dei enim minister est vindex in iram ei qui malum agit

("For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.")

It's Romans 13:4
Dei enim minister est tibi in bonum si autem male feceris time non enim sine causa gladium portat Dei enim minister est vindex in iram ei qui malum agit

It's Romans 13:4 (though without the last sentence, I think.)

Dei enim minister est tibi in bonum. Si autem malum feceris, time: non enim sine causa gladium portat. Dei enim minister est: vindex in iram ei qui malum agit.

For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.

Found here.

Quick translation:

For he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer.

I agree Romans 13.4

Ah, the power of Mumsnet

You lot are bloody amazing 🤩

I knew Latin A level would be useful one day

It looks as though it's a Lutheran commentary on Romans (ie the book in the Bible) Look at the paragraph numbered 4 in this link.