Ecclesiastes 1
1 The words of Koheleth, the son of David, the 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 a man of all his toil which he toil-eth 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 endureth for ever.
Generatio præterit, et generatio advenit; terra autem in æternum stat.
5 The sun also riseth, and the sun goeth down, and striving to reach his place he riseth again there.
Oritur sol et occidit, et ad locum suum revertitur; ibique renascens,
6 Going toward the south, and turning round toward the north, the wind moveth round about continually; and around its circles doth the wind return again.
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 never full: unto the place whither the rivers go, thither will they continue to go.
Omnia flumina intrant in mare, et mare non redundat; ad locum unde exeunt flumina revertuntur ut iterum fluant.
8 All things weary themselves [constantly]; man can not utter them: the eye is never 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 the same which will be; and that which hath been done, is the same 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 If there be any thing whereof it is said, See, this is new: It hath already been in olden times 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 [Only] there is no recollection of former [generations]; and also of the later ones, that are to be—of these [likewise] there will be no recollection with those that will be still later.
Non est priorum memoria; sed nec eorum quidem quæ postea futura sunt erit recordatio apud eos qui futuri sunt in novissimo.
12 I Koheleth was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
Ego Ecclesiastes fui rex Israël in Jerusalem;
13 And I directed my heart to inquire and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the heavens: this is an evil employment which God hath given to the sons of man to busy 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 saw all the deeds that are done under the sun: and, behold, all is vanity and a torture of the spirit.
Vidi cuncta quæ fiunt sub sole, et ecce universa vanitas et afflictio spiritus.
15 What is crooked cannot be made straight; and that which is defective cannot be numbered.
Perversi difficile corriguntur, et stultorum infinitus est numerus.
16 I spoke with my own heart, saying, Lo, I have truly obtained greater and more wisdom than all those who have been before me over Jerusalem: yea, my heart had seen much 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 directed my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly; [but] I have perceived that this also is a torture of the spirit.
Dedique cor meum ut scirem prudentiam atque doctrinam, erroresque et stultitiam; et agnovi quod in his quoque esset labor et afflictio spiritus:
18 For where there is much wisdom there is much vexation: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth pain.
eo quod in multa sapientia multa sit indignatio; et qui addit scientiam, addit et laborem.
