Ecclesiastes 1
1 Verba Ecclesiastæ, filii David, regis Ierusalem.
The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
2 Vanitas vanitatum, dixit Ecclesiastes: vanitas vanitatum, et omnia vanitas.
Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities, all is vanity.
3 Quid habet amplius homo de universo labore suo, quo laborat sub sole?
What profit hath a man by all his labor with which he wearieth himself under the sun?
4 Generatio præterit, et generatio advenit: terra autem in æternum stat.
One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh; while the earth abideth for ever.
5 Oritur sol, et occidit, et ad locum suum revertitur: ibique renascens,
The sun riseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteneth to the place whence it arose.
6 gyrat per Meridiem, et flectitur ad Aquilonem: lustrans universa in circuitu pergit spiritus, et in circulos suos revertitur.
The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about to the north; round and round goeth the wind, and returneth to its circuits.
7 Omnia flumina intrant in mare, et mare non redundat: ad locum, unde exeunt flumina, revertuntur ut iterum fluant.
All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full; to the place whence the rivers come, thither they return.
8 Cunctæ res difficiles: non potest eas homo explicare sermone. Non saturatur oculus visu, nec auris auditu impletur.
All words become weary; man cannot express it; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
9 Quid est quod fuit? Ipsum quod futurum est. Quid est quod factum est? Ipsum quod faciendum est.
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.
10 Nihil sub sole novum, nec valet quisquam dicere: Ecce hoc recens est: iam enim præcessit in sæculis, quæ fuerunt ante nos.
Is there any thing of which one may say, “Behold, this is new”? It was long ago, in the times which were before us.
11 Non est priorum memoria: sed nec eorum quidem, quæ postea futura sunt, erit recordatio apud eos, qui futuri sunt in novissimo.
There is no remembrance of former things, and of things that are to come there shall be no remembrance to those who live afterwards.
12 Ego Ecclesiastes fui rex Israel in Ierusalem,
I, the Preacher, was king over Israel at 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.
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.
14 Vidi cuncta, quæ fiunt sub sole, et ecce universa vanitas, et afflictio spiritus.
I saw all the things which are done under the sun; and, behold, it was all vanity, and striving after wind.
15 Perversi difficile corriguntur, et stultorum infinitus est numerus.
That which is crooked cannot be made straight, and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
16 Locutus sum in corde meo, dicens: Ecce magnus effectus sum, et præcessi omnes sapientia, qui fuerunt ante me in Ierusalem: et mens mea contemplata est multa sapienter, et didici.
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.”
17 Dedique cor meum ut scirem prudentiam, atque doctrinam, erroresque et stultitiam: et agnovi quod in his quoque esset labor, et afflictio spiritus,
And I gave my mind to know wisdom, and to know senselessness and folly; I perceived that this also is striving after wind.
18 eo quod in multa sapientia multa sit indignatio: et qui addit scientiam, addit et laborem.
For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
