Ecclesiastes 9
1 For all this I laid to my heart, even to explore all this: that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God; whether it is love or hatred, man doesn't know it; all is before them.
Omnia hæc tractavi in corde meo, ut curiose intelligerem: Sunt iusti atque sapientes, et opera eorum in manu Dei: et tamen nescit homo utrum amore, an odio dignus sit:
2 It is the same for all: one event to the righteous and to the wicked, to the good and to the evil, and to the clean and to the unclean, to him who sacrifices, and to him who doesn't sacrifice. As is the good, so is the sinner; he who swears is as he who fears an oath.
sed omnia in futurum servantur incerta, eo quod universa æque eveniant iusto et impio, bono et malo, mundo et immundo, immolanti victimas, et sacrificia contemnenti. Sicut bonus, sic et peccator: ut periurus, ita et ille qui verum deierat.
3 This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one event to all: yes also, the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.
Hoc est pessimum inter omnia, quæ sub sole fiunt, quia eadem cunctis eveniunt. Unde et corda filiorum hominum implentur malitia, et contemptu in vita sua, et post hæc ad inferos deducentur. (questioned)
4 For to him who is joined with all the living there is hope; for a living dog is better than a dead lion.
Nemo est qui semper vivat, et qui huius rei habeat fiduciam: melior est canis vivus leone mortuo.
5 For the living know that they will die, but the dead do not know anything, neither do they have any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.
Viventes enim sciunt se esse morituros, mortui vero nihil noverunt amplius, nec habent ultra mercedem: quia oblivioni tradita est memoria eorum.
6 Also their love, their hatred, and their envy has perished long ago; neither have they any more a portion forever in anything that is done under the sun.
Amor quoque, et odium, et invidiæ simul perierunt, nec habent partem in hoc sæculo, et in opere, quod sub sole geritur.
7 Go your way—eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has already accepted your works.
Vade ergo et comede in lætitia panem tuum, et bibe cum gaudio vinum tuum: quia Deo placent opera tua.
8 Let your garments be always white, and do not let your head lack oil.
Omni tempore sint vestimenta tua candida, et oleum de capite tuo non deficiat.
9 Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your life of vanity, which he has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity: for that is your portion in life, and in your labor in which you labor under the sun.
Perfruere vita cum uxore, quam diligis, cunctis diebus vitæ instabilitatis tuæ, qui dati sunt tibi sub sole omni tempore vanitatis tuæ: hæc est enim pars in vita, et in labore tuo, quo laboras sub sole.
10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, where you are going. (Sheol h7585)
Quodcumque facere potest manus tua, instanter operare: quia nec opus, nec ratio, nec sapientia, nec scientia erunt apud inferos, quo tu properas. (Sheol h7585)
11 I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all.
Verti me ad aliud, et vidi sub sole, nec velocium esse cursum, nec fortium bellum, nec sapientium panem, nec doctorum divitias, nec artificum gratiam: sed tempus, casumque in omnibus.
12 For man also doesn't know his time. As the fish that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare, even so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falls suddenly on them.
Nescit homo finem suum: sed sicut pisces capiuntur hamo, et sicut aves laqueo comprehenduntur, sic capiuntur homines in tempore malo, cum eis extemplo supervenerit.
13 I have also seen wisdom under the sun in this way, and it seemed great to me.
Hanc quoque sub sole vidi sapientiam, et probavi maximam:
14 There was a little city, and few men within it; and a great king came against it, besieged it, and built great siege works against it.
Civitas parva, et pauci in ea viri: venit contra eam rex magnus, et vallavit eam, extruxitque munitiones per gyrum, et perfecta est obsidio.
15 Now a poor wise man was found in it, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.
Inventusque est in ea vir pauper et sapiens, et liberavit urbem per sapientiam suam, et nullus deinceps recordatus est hominis illius pauperis.
16 Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength. Nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
Et dicebam ego, meliorem esse sapientiam fortitudine: quomodo ergo sapientia pauperis contempta est, et verba eius non sunt audita?
17 The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the cry of him who rules among fools.
Verba sapientium audiuntur in silentio plus quam clamor principis inter stultos.
18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner destroys much good.
Melior est sapientia, quam arma bellica: et qui in uno peccaverit, multa bona perdet.
