Ecclesiastes 12
1 Memento Creatoris tui in diebus iuventutis tuæ, antequam veniat tempus afflictionis, et appropinquent anni, de quibus dicas: Non mihi placent,
Remember your Creator while you are young, before days of trouble come and you grow old, saying, “I'm not enjoying life anymore.”
2 antequam tenebrescat sol, et lumen, et luna, et stellæ, et revertantur nubes post pluviam:
Before the light fades—sun, moon, and stars—and rain clouds return to darken the skies.
3 quando commovebuntur custodes domus, et nutabunt viri fortissimi, et otiosæ erunt molentes in minuto numero, et tenebrescent videntes per foramina:
Before the guards of the house tremble and the strong men are bent over, the grinders stop working because there are only a few left, and the ones looking through the windows only see dimly,
4 et claudent ostia in platea, in humilitate vocis molentis, et consurgent ad vocem volucris, et obsurdescent omnes filiæ carminis.
and the doors to the street are shut. Before the sound of the grinding mill grows low, and you wake up early when the birds are singing, but you can hardly hear them.
5 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.
Before you develop a fear of heights and worry about going out on the streets; when the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper crawls along, and desire fails, for everyone has to go to their eternal home as the mourners go up and down the street.
6 Antequam rumpatur funiculus argenteus, et recurrat vitta aurea, et conteratur hydria super fontem, et confringatur rota super cisternam,
Before the silver cord is snapped and the golden bowl is broken; before the water jug is smashed at the spring, or the pulley is broken at the well.
7 et revertatur pulvis in terram suam unde erat, et spiritus redeat ad Deum, qui dedit illum.
Then the dust returns to the earth from which it came, and the breath of life returns to God who gave it.
8 Vanitas vanitatum, dixit Ecclesiastes, et omnia vanitas.
“Everything passes! It's all so hard to understand!” says the Teacher.
9 Cumque esset sapientissimus Ecclesiastes, docuit populum, et enarravit quæ fecerat: et investigans composuit parabolas multas.
Not only was the Teacher a wise man, he also taught what he knew to others. He thought about many proverbs, studying them and arranging them.
10 Quæsivit verba utilia, et conscripsit sermones rectissimos, ac veritate plenos.
The Teacher looked for the best way to explain things, writing truthfully and honestly.
11 Verba sapientium sicut stimuli, et quasi clavi in altum defixi, quæ per magistrorum consilium data sunt a pastore uno.
The words of the wise are like cattle prods. Their collected sayings are like nails driven home, given by one shepherd.
12 His amplius fili mi ne requiras. Faciendi plures libros nullus est finis: frequensque meditatio, carnis afflictio est.
In addition, my student, take care, for there's no end to book writing, and too much study wears you out.
13 Finem loquendi pariter omnes audiamus. Deum time, et mandata eius observa: hoc est enim omnis homo:
To sum up now that everything has been discussed: Respect God by keeping his commandments, for that's what everyone should do.
14 et cuncta, quæ fiunt, adducet Deus in iudicium pro omni errato, sive bonum, sive malum illud sit.
God is going to judge us for everything we do, including what we do secretly, whether good or bad.
