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 haec tractavi in corde meo ut curiose intellegerem sunt iusti atque sapientes et opera eorum in manu Dei et tamen nescit homo utrum amore an odio dignus sit
2 All things come alike to all. There is one event to the righteous and to the wicked; to the good, to the clean, to the unclean, to him who sacrifices, and to him who doesn’t sacrifice. As is the good, so is the sinner; he who takes an oath, as he who fears an oath.
sed omnia in futuro servantur incerta eo quod universa aeque eveniant iusto et impio bono et malo mundo et inmundo 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 quae sub sole fiunt quia eadem cunctis eveniunt unde et corda filiorum hominum implentur malitia et contemptu in vita sua et post haec 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 vivens leone mortuo
5 For the living know that they will die, but the dead don’t know anything, neither do they have any more a reward; for their memory 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 do they any longer have a portion forever in anything that is done under the sun.
amor quoque et odium et invidia simul perierunt nec habent partem in hoc saeculo 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 laetitia panem tuum et bibe cum gaudio vinum tuum quia Deo placent opera tua
8 Let your garments be always white, and don’t 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 vitae instabilitatis tuae qui dati sunt tibi sub sole omni tempore vanitatis tuae haec est enim pars in vita et in labore tuo quod laboras sub sole
10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work, nor plan, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, where you are going. (Sheol h7585)
quodcumque potest manus tua facere instanter operare quia nec opus nec ratio nec scientia nec sapientia 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 alio vidique 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 conprehenduntur laqueo sic capiuntur homines 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 vidi sub sole 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 bulwarks 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 in ea vir pauper et sapiens liberavit urbem per sapientiam suam et nullus deinceps recordatus est hominis illius pauperis
16 Then I said, “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
