Ecclesiastes 1
1 Verba Ecclesiastæ, filii David, regis Jerusalem.
These are the words of the Teacher, the descendant of David and king in Jerusalem.
2 [Vanitas vanitatum, dixit Ecclesiastes; vanitas vanitatum, et omnia vanitas.
The Teacher says this. “Like a vapor of mist, like a breeze in the wind, everything vanishes, leaving many questions.
3 Quid habet amplius homo de universo labore suo quo laborat sub sole?]
What profit does mankind gain from all the work that they labor at under the sun?
4 [Generatio præterit, et generatio advenit; terra autem in æternum stat.
One generation goes, and another generation comes, but the earth remains forever.
5 Oritur sol et occidit, et ad locum suum revertitur; ibique renascens,
The sun rises, and it goes down and hurries back to the place where it rises again.
6 gyrat per meridiem, et flectitur ad aquilonem. Lustrans universa in circuitu pergit spiritus, et in circulos suos revertitur.
The wind blows south and circles around to the north, always going around along its pathway and coming back again.
7 Omnia flumina intrant in mare, et mare non redundat; ad locum unde exeunt flumina revertuntur ut iterum fluant.
All the rivers flow into the sea, but the sea is never full. To the place where the rivers go, there they go again.
8 Cunctæ res difficiles; non potest eas homo explicare sermone. Non saturatur oculus visu, nec auris auditu impletur.
Everything becomes wearisome, and no one can explain it. The eye is not satisfied by what it sees, nor is the ear fulfilled by what it hears.
9 Quid est quod fuit? Ipsum quod futurum est. Quid est quod factum est? Ipsum quod faciendum est.
Whatever has been is what will be, and whatever has been done is what will be done. There is nothing new under the sun.
10 Nihil sub sole novum, nec valet quisquam dicere: Ecce hoc recens est: jam enim præcessit in sæculis quæ fuerunt ante nos.
Is there anything about which it may be said, 'Look, this is new'? Whatever exists has already existed for a long time, during ages which came long before us.
11 Non est priorum memoria; sed nec eorum quidem quæ postea futura sunt erit recordatio apud eos qui futuri sunt in novissimo.]
No one seems to remember the things that happened in ancient times, and the things that happened much later and that will happen in the future will not likely be remembered either.”
12 [Ego Ecclesiastes fui rex Israël in Jerusalem;
I am the Teacher, and I have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13 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.
I applied my mind to study and to search out by wisdom everything that is done under heaven. That search is a burdensome task that God has given to the children of mankind to be busy with.
14 Vidi cuncta quæ fiunt sub sole, et ecce universa vanitas et afflictio spiritus.
I have seen all the deeds that are done under the sun, and look, they all amount to vapor and chasing the wind.
15 Perversi difficile corriguntur, et stultorum infinitus est numerus.
The twisted cannot be straightened! The missing cannot be counted!
16 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.
I have spoken to my heart saying, “Look, I have acquired greater wisdom than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My mind has seen great wisdom and knowledge.”
17 Dedique cor meum ut scirem prudentiam atque doctrinam, erroresque et stultitiam; et agnovi quod in his quoque esset labor et afflictio spiritus:
So I applied my heart to know wisdom and also madness and folly. I came to understand that this also was an attempt to shepherd the wind.
18 eo quod in multa sapientia multa sit indignatio; et qui addit scientiam, addit et laborem.]
For in the abundance of wisdom there is much frustration, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.
