Ecclesiastes 12
1 Yet remember thy Creator, in the days of thy vigour, —or ever come in, the days of discomfort, and the years arrive, in which thou shalt say—I have, in them, no pleasure;
Memento Creatoris tui in diebus iuventutis tuæ, antequam veniat tempus afflictionis, et appropinquent anni, de quibus dicas: Non mihi placent,
2 Or ever be darkened—the sun, and the light, and the moon, and the stars, —and the clouds return after a downpour of rain;
antequam tenebrescat sol, et lumen, et luna, et stellæ, et revertantur nubes post pluviam:
3 In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the men of might bow themselves, —and the grinders cease because they are few, and they who look through the windows are darkened;
quando commovebuntur custodes domus, et nutabunt viri fortissimi, et otiosæ erunt molentes in minuto numero, et tenebrescent videntes per foramina:
4 And the doors in the street be closed, when the sound of the mill become low, —and one rise at the chirp of a small bird, and low-voiced be all the daughters of song;
et claudent ostia in platea, in humilitate vocis molentis, et consurgent ad vocem volucris, et obsurdescent omnes filiæ carminis.
5 Yea, at what is high, they be in fear, and there be, terrors, in the way, and the almond be rejected, and the grasshopper drag itself along, and desire perish, —for man is going to his age-abiding home, when the wailers shall go round in the streets;
Excelsa quoque timebunt, et formidabunt in via, florebit amygdalus, impinguabitur locusta, et dissipabitur capparis: quoniam ibit homo in domum æternitatis suæ, et circuibunt in platea plangentes.
6 Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, —or the bucket by the fountain be shivered, or the wheel at the well be broken;
Antequam rumpatur funiculus argenteus, et recurrat vitta aurea, et conteratur hydria super fontem, et confringatur rota super cisternam,
7 And the dust return to the earth, as it was, —and, the spirit, return unto God, who gave it.
et revertatur pulvis in terram suam unde erat, et spiritus redeat ad Deum, qui dedit illum.
8 Vanity of vanities, saith the Proclaimer, all, is vanity.
Vanitas vanitatum, dixit Ecclesiastes, et omnia vanitas.
9 Besides that, the Proclaimer being wise, —still further taught knowledge unto the people, and weighed and searched, arranged proverbs in abundance.
Cumque esset sapientissimus Ecclesiastes, docuit populum, et enarravit quæ fecerat: et investigans composuit parabolas multas.
10 The Proclaimer sought to find out words giving delight, and to note down rightly, the words of truth.
Quæsivit verba utilia, et conscripsit sermones rectissimos, ac veritate plenos.
11 The words of the wise, are as goads, yea, as driven nails, their well-ordered sayings, —given from one shepherd.
Verba sapientium sicut stimuli, et quasi clavi in altum defixi, quæ per magistrorum consilium data sunt a pastore uno.
12 And besides, from them, my son, be admonished, —Of making many books, there is no end, and, much study, is a weariness of the flesh.
His amplius fili mi ne requiras. Faciendi plures libros nullus est finis: frequensque meditatio, carnis afflictio est.
13 The conclusion of the matter—the whole, let us hear, —Towards God, be reverent, and, his commandments, observe, for, this, [concerneth] all mankind.
Finem loquendi pariter omnes audiamus. Deum time, et mandata eius observa: hoc est enim omnis homo:
14 For, every work, will God bring into judgment, with every hidden thing, —whether good, or evil.
et cuncta, quæ fiunt, adducet Deus in iudicium pro omni errato, sive bonum, sive malum illud sit.
