Ecclesiastes 1
1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
Verba Ecclesiastae, filii David, regis Ierusalem.
2 Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities, all is vanity.
Vanitas vanitatum, dixit Ecclesiastes: vanitas vanitatum, et omnia vanitas.
3 What profit has man from all his labor in which he labors under the sun?
Quid habet amplius homo de universo labore suo, quo laborat sub sole?
4 One generation goes, and another generation comes, but the earth abides forever.
Generatio praeterit, et generatio advenit: terra autem in aeternum stat.
5 The sun also arises, and the sun goes down and hastens to its place where it arises.
Oritur sol, et occidit, et ad locum suum revertitur: ibique renascens,
6 The wind goes toward the south, and turns around to the north. It turns around continually in its course, and the wind returns again to its circuits.
gyrat per Meridiem, et flectitur ad Aquilonem: lustrans universa in circuitu pergit spiritus, et in circulos suos revertitur.
7 All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full. To the place from where the rivers come, there they go again.
Omnia flumina intrant in mare, et mare non redundat: ad locum, unde exeunt flumina, revertuntur ut iterum fluant.
8 All things are full of weariness, man cannot utter it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
Cunctae res difficiles: non potest eas homo explicare sermone. Non saturatur oculus visu, nec auris auditu impletur.
9 That which has been is that which shall be, and that which has been done is that which shall be done. And there is no new thing under the sun.
Quid est quod fuit? ipsum quod futurum est. Quid est quod factum est? ipsum quod faciendum est.
10 Is there a thing of which it may be said, See, this is new? It has been long ago, in the ages which were before us.
Nihil sub sole novum, nec valet quisquam dicere: Ecce hoc recens est: iam enim praecessit in saeculis, quae fuerunt ante nos.
11 There is no remembrance of the former things, nor shall there be any remembrance of the latter that are to come, among those who shall come after.
Non est priorum memoria: sed nec eorum quidem, quae postea futura sunt, erit recordatio apud eos, qui futuri sunt in novissimo.
12 I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
Ego Ecclesiastes fui rex Israel in Ierusalem,
13 And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven. It is a great tribulation that God has given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith.
et proposui in animo meo quaerere et investigare sapienter de omnibus, quae fiunt sub sole. Hanc occupationem pessimam dedit Deus filiis hominum, ut occuparentur in ea.
14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun, and, behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.
Vidi cuncta, quae fiunt sub sole, et ecce universa vanitas, et afflictio spiritus.
15 That which is crooked cannot be made straight, and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
Perversi difficile corriguntur, et stultorum infinitus est numerus.
16 I communed with my own heart, saying, Lo, I have gotten for me great wisdom above all who were before me in Jerusalem. Yea, my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.
Locutus sum in corde meo, dicens: Ecce magnus effectus sum, et praecessi omnes sapientia, qui fuerunt ante me in Ierusalem: et mens mea contemplata est multa sapienter, et didici.
17 And I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also was a striving after wind.
Dedique cor meum ut scirem prudentiam, atque doctrinam, erroresque et stultitiam: et agnovi quod in his quoque esset labor, et afflictio spiritus,
18 For in much wisdom is much grief, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.
eo quod in multa sapientia multa sit indignatio: et qui addit scientiam, addit et laborem.
