Ecclesiastes 1
1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
Verba Ecclesiastæ, filii David, regis Ierusalem.
2 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities! all is vanity.
Vanitas vanitatum, dixit Ecclesiastes: vanitas vanitatum, et omnia vanitas.
3 What profit hath man of all his labour wherewith he laboureth under the sun?
Quid habet amplius homo de universo labore suo, quo laborat sub sole?
4 [One] generation passeth away, and [another] generation cometh, but the earth standeth for ever.
Generatio præterit, et generatio advenit: terra autem in æternum stat.
5 The sun also riseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to its place where it ariseth.
Oritur sol, et occidit, et ad locum suum revertitur: ibique renascens,
6 The wind goeth towards the south, and turneth about towards the north: it turneth about continually, and the wind returneth 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: unto the place whither the rivers go, thither 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 toil; none can express it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
Cunctæ res difficiles: non potest eas homo explicare sermone. Non saturatur oculus visu, nec auris auditu impletur.
9 That which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which will be done: and there is nothing new 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 whereof it may be said, See, this is new? It hath been already in the ages which were before us.
Nihil sub sole novum, nec valet quisquam dicere: Ecce hoc recens est: iam enim præcessit in sæculis, quæ fuerunt ante nos.
11 There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be remembrance of things that are to come with those who shall live afterwards.
Non est priorum memoria: sed nec eorum quidem, quæ 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 search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the heavens: this grievous occupation hath God given to the children of men to weary themselves therewith.
et proposui in animo meo quærere et investigare sapienter de omnibus, quæ 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 pursuit of the wind.
Vidi cuncta, quæ 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 mine own heart, saying, Lo, I have become great and have acquired wisdom more than all they that have been before me over Jerusalem; and my heart hath seen much of wisdom and knowledge.
Locutus sum in corde meo, dicens: Ecce magnus effectus sum, et præcessi omnes sapientia, qui fuerunt ante me in Ierusalem: et mens mea contemplata est multa sapienter, et didici.
17 And I applied my heart to the knowledge of wisdom, and to the knowledge of madness and folly: I perceived that this also is a striving after the 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 vexation, and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
eo quod in multa sapientia multa sit indignatio: et qui addit scientiam, addit et laborem.
