Ecclesiastes 1
1 THE WORDS OF the Koheleth, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
Verba Ecclesiastæ, filii David, regis Jerusalem.
2 Vanity of vanities, saith Koheleth; vanity of vanities, all is vanity.
Vanitas vanitatum, dixit Ecclesiastes; vanitas vanitatum, et omnia vanitas.
3 What profit hath man of all his labour wherein 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; and the earth abideth for ever.
Generatio præterit, et generatio advenit; terra autem in æternum stat.
5 The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he ariseth.
Oritur sol et occidit, et ad locum suum revertitur; ibique renascens,
6 The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it turneth about continually in its circuit, 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 toil to weariness; man cannot utter 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 shall 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 is 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: jam enim præcessit in sæculis quæ fuerunt ante nos.
11 There is no remembrance of them of former times; neither shall there be any remembrance of them of latter times that are to come, among those that shall come after.
Non est priorum memoria; sed nec eorum quidem quæ postea futura sunt erit recordatio apud eos qui futuri sunt in novissimo.
12 I Koheleth have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.
Ego Ecclesiastes fui rex Israël in Jerusalem;
13 And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven; it is a sore task that God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised 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 a striving after 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 spoke with my own heart, saying: 'Lo, I have gotten great wisdom, more also than all that were before me over Jerusalem'; yea, my heart hath had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.
Locutus sum in corde meo, dicens: Ecce magnus effectus sum, et præcessi omnes sapientia qui fuerunt ante me in Jerusalem; 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 vexation; and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
eo quod in multa sapientia multa sit indignatio; et qui addit scientiam, addit et laborem.
