Ecclesiastes 9
1 Omnia hæc tractavi in corde meo, ut curiose intelligerem: Sunt iusti atque sapientes, et opera eorum in manu Dei: et tamen nescit homo utrum amore, an odio dignus sit:
But all this I have laid unto my heart, so as to clear up the whole of this, that the righteous and the wise, and their works, [are] in the hand of God, neither love nor hatred doth man know, the whole [is] before them.
2 sed omnia in futurum servantur incerta, eo quod universa æque eveniant iusto et impio, bono et malo, mundo et immundo, immolanti victimas, et sacrificia contemnenti. sicut bonus, sic et peccator: ut periurus, ita et ille qui verum deierat.
The whole [is] as to the whole; one event is to the righteous and to the wicked, to the good, and to the clean, and to the unclean, and to him who is sacrificing, and to him who is not sacrificing; as [is] the good, so [is] the sinner, he who is swearing as he who is fearing an oath.
3 Hoc est pessimum inter omnia, quæ sub sole fiunt, quia eadem cunctis eveniunt. unde et corda filiorum hominum implentur malitia, et contemptu in vita sua, et post hæc ad inferos deducentur. (questioned)
This [is] an evil among all that hath been done under the sun, that one event [is] to all, and also the heart of the sons of man is full of evil, and madness [is] in their heart during their life, and after it — unto the dead.
4 Nemo est qui semper vivat, et qui huius rei habeat fiduciam: melior est canis vivus leone mortuo.
But [to] him who is joined unto all the living there is confidence, for to a living dog it [is] better than to the dead lion.
5 Viventes enim sciunt se esse morituros, mortui vero nihil noverunt amplius, nec habent ultra mercedem: quia oblivioni tradita est memoria eorum.
For the living know that they die, and the dead know not anything, and there is no more to them a reward, for their remembrance hath been forgotten.
6 Amor quoque, et odium, et invidiæ simul perierunt, nec habent partem in hoc sæculo, et in opere, quod sub sole geritur.
Their love also, their hatred also, their envy also, hath already perished, and they have no more a portion to the age in all that hath been done under the sun.
7 Vade ergo et comede in lætitia panem tuum, et bibe cum gaudio vinum tuum: quia Deo placent opera tua.
Go, eat with joy thy bread, and drink with a glad heart thy wine, for already hath God been pleased with thy works.
8 Omni tempore sint vestimenta tua candida, et oleum de capite tuo non deficiat.
At all times let thy garments be white, and let not perfume be lacking on thy head.
9 Perfruere vita cum uxore, quam diligis, cunctis diebus vitæ instabilitatis tuæ, qui dati sunt tibi sub sole omni tempore vanitatis tuæ: hæc est enim pars in vita, et in labore tuo, quo laboras sub sole.
See life with the wife whom thou hast loved, all the days of the life of thy vanity, that He hath given to thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity, for it [is] thy portion in life, even of thy labour that thou art labouring at under the sun.
10 Quodcumque facere potest manus tua, instanter operare: quia nec opus, nec ratio, nec sapientia, nec scientia erunt apud inferos, quo tu properas. (Sheol h7585)
All that thy hand findeth to do, with thy power do, for there is no work, and device, and knowledge, and wisdom in Sheol whither thou art going. (Sheol h7585)
11 Verti me ad aliud, et vidi sub sole, nec velocium esse cursum, nec fortium bellum, nec sapientium panem, nec doctorum divitias, nec artificum gratiam: sed tempus, casumque in omnibus.
I have turned so as to see under the sun, that not to the swift [is] the race, nor to the mighty the battle, nor even to the wise bread, nor even to the intelligent wealth, nor even to the skilful grace, for time and chance happen with them all.
12 Nescit homo finem suum: sed sicut pisces capiuntur hamo, et sicut aves laqueo comprehenduntur, sic capiuntur homines in tempore malo, cum eis extemplo supervenerit.
For even man knoweth not his time; as fish that are taken hold of by an evil net, and as birds that are taken hold of by a snare, like these [are] the sons of man snared at an evil time, when it falleth upon them suddenly.
13 Hanc quoque sub sole vidi sapientiam, et probavi maximam:
This also I have seen: wisdom under the sun, and it is great to me.
14 Civitas parva, et pauci in ea viri: venit contra eam rex magnus, et vallavit eam, extruxitque munitiones per gyrum, et perfecta est obsidio.
A little city, and few men in it, and a great king hath come unto it, and hath surrounded it, and hath built against it great bulwarks;
15 Inventusque est in ea vir pauper et sapiens, et liberavit urbem per sapientiam suam, et nullus deinceps recordatus est hominis illius pauperis.
and there hath been found in it a poor wise man, and he hath delivered the city by his wisdom, and men have not remembered that poor man!
16 Et dicebam ego, meliorem esse sapientiam fortitudine: quomodo ergo sapientia pauperis contempta est, et verba eius non sunt audita?
And I said, 'Better [is] wisdom than might, and the wisdom of the poor is despised, and his words are not heard.' —
17 Verba sapientium audiuntur in silentio plus quam clamor principis inter stultos.
The words of the wise in quiet are heard, More than the cry of a ruler over fools.
18 Melior est sapientia, quam arma bellica: et qui in uno peccaverit, multa bona perdet.
Better [is] wisdom than weapons of conflict, And one sinner destroyeth much good!
