Ecclesiastes 3
1 Omnia tempus habent, et suis spatiis transeunt universa sub cælo.
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
2 Tempus nascendi, et tempus moriendi. Tempus plantandi, et tempus evellendi quod plantatum est.
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
3 Tempus occidendi, et tempus sanandi: Tempus destruendi, et tempus ædificandi.
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 Tempus flendi, et tempus ridendi. Tempus plangendi, et tempus saltandi.
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 Tempus spargendi lapides, et tempus colligendi. Tempus amplexandi, et tempus longe fieri ab amplexibus.
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 Tempus acquirendi, et tempus perdendi. Tempus custodiendi, et tempus abiiciendi.
A time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 Tempus scindendi, et tempus consuendi. Tempus tacendi, et tempus loquendi.
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 Tempus dilectionis, et tempus odii. Tempus belli, et tempus pacis.
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.
9 Quid habet amplius homo de labore suo?
What profit hath he that worketh in that he laboureth?
10 Vidi afflictionem, quam dedit Deus filiis hominum, ut distendantur in ea.
I have seen the task which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith.
11 Cuncta fecit bona in tempore suo, et mundum tradidit disputationi eorum, ut non inveniat homo opus, quod operatus est Deus ab initio usque ad finem.
He hath made every thing beautiful in its time; also He hath set the world in their heart, yet so that man cannot find out the work that God hath done from the beginning even to the end.
12 Et cognovi quod non esset melius nisi lætari, et facere bene in vita sua.
I know that there is nothing better for them, than to rejoice, and to get pleasure so long as they live.
13 Omnis enim homo, qui comedit et bibit, et videt bonum de labore suo, hoc donum Dei est.
But also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy pleasure for all his labour, is the gift of God.
14 Didici quod omnia opera, quæ fecit Deus, perseverent in perpetuum: non possumus eis quidquam addere, nec auferre, quæ fecit Deus ut timeatur.
I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever; nothing can be added to it, nor any thing taken from it; and God hath so made it, that men should fear before Him.
15 Quod factum est, ipsum permanet: quæ futura sunt, iam fuerunt: et Deus instaurat quod abiit.
That which is hath been long ago, and that which is to be hath already been; and God seeketh that which is pursued.
16 Vidi sub sole in loco iudicii impietatem, et in loco iustitiæ iniquitatem.
And moreover I saw under the sun, in the place of justice, that wickedness was there; and in the place of righteousness, that wickedness was there.
17 Et dixi in corde meo: Iustum, et impium iudicabit Deus, et tempus omnis rei tunc erit.
I said in my heart: 'The righteous and the wicked God will judge; for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.'
18 Dixi in corde meo de filiis hominum, ut probaret eos Deus, et ostenderet similes esse bestiis.
I said in my heart: 'It is because of the sons of men, that God may sift them, and that they may see that they themselves are but as beasts.'
19 Idcirco unus interitus est hominis, et iumentorum, et æqua utriusque conditio: sicut moritur homo, sic et illa moriuntur: similiter spirant omnia, et nihil habet homo iumento amplius: cuncta subiacent vanitati,
For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them; as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that man hath no pre-eminence above a beast; for all is vanity.
20 et omnia pergunt ad unum locum: de terra facta sunt, et in terram pariter revertuntur.
All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all return to dust.
21 Quis novit si spiritus filiorum Adam ascendat sursum, et si spiritus iumentorum descendat deorsum?
Who knoweth the spirit of man whether it goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast whether it goeth downward to the earth?
22 Et deprehendi nihil esse melius quam lætari hominem in opere suo, et hanc esse partem illius. Quis enim eum adducet, ut post se futura cognoscat?
Wherefore I perceived that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his works; for that is his portion; for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?
