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, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities, all is vanity.
Vanitas vanitatum, dixit Ecclesiastes: vanitas vanitatum, et omnia vanitas.
3 What profit hath a man by all his labor with which he wearieth himself under the sun?
Quid habet amplius homo de universo labore suo, quo laborat sub sole?
4 One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh; while the earth abideth for ever.
Generatio praeterit, et generatio advenit: terra autem in aeternum stat.
5 The sun riseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteneth to the place whence it arose.
Oritur sol, et occidit, et ad locum suum revertitur: ibique renascens,
6 The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about to the north; round and round goeth the wind, and returneth 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 whence the rivers come, thither they return.
Omnia flumina intrant in mare, et mare non redundat: ad locum, unde exeunt flumina, revertuntur ut iterum fluant.
8 All words become weary; man cannot express 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 The thing that hath been is that which shall be, and that which hath 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 any thing of which one may say, “Behold, this is new”? It was long ago, in the times 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 former things, and of things that are to come there shall be no remembrance to those who live afterwards.
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 at Jerusalem.
Ego Ecclesiastes fui rex Israel in Ierusalem,
13 And I gave my mind to seek and to search out with wisdom concerning all things which are done under heaven; an evil business, which God hath given to the sons of men, in which to employ themselves.
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 saw all the things which are done under the sun; and, behold, it was all vanity, and 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 heart, saying, “Behold, I have gained more and greater wisdom than all who have been before me at Jerusalem; yea, my mind hath seen much 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 gave my mind to know wisdom, and to know senselessness and folly; I perceived that this also is 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.
