Ecclesiastes 1
1 Verba Ecclesiastae, 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 man of all his labour wherewith he laboureth under the sun?
4 Generatio praeterit, et generatio advenit: terra autem in aeternum stat.
[One] generation passeth away, and [another] generation cometh, but the earth standeth for ever.
5 Oritur sol, et occidit, et ad locum suum revertitur: ibique renascens,
The sun also riseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to its place where it ariseth.
6 gyrat per Meridiem, et flectitur ad Aquilonem: lustrans universa in circuitu pergit spiritus, et in circulos suos revertitur.
The wind goeth towards the south, and turneth about towards the north: it turneth about continually, and the wind returneth again 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: unto the place whither the rivers go, thither they go again.
8 Cunctae res difficiles: non potest eas homo explicare sermone. Non saturatur oculus visu, nec auris auditu impletur.
All things are full of toil; none can 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.
That which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which will be done: and there is nothing new under the sun.
10 Nihil sub sole novum, nec valet quisquam dicere: Ecce hoc recens est: iam enim praecessit in saeculis, quae fuerunt ante nos.
Is there a thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? It hath been already in the ages which were before us.
11 Non est priorum memoria: sed nec eorum quidem, quae postea futura sunt, erit recordatio apud eos, qui futuri sunt in novissimo.
There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be remembrance of things that are to come with those who shall live afterwards.
12 Ego Ecclesiastes fui rex Israel in Ierusalem,
I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13 et proposui in animo meo quaerere et investigare sapienter de omnibus, quae fiunt sub sole. Hanc occupationem pessimam dedit Deus filiis hominum, ut occuparentur in ea.
And I applied my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the heavens: this grievous occupation hath God given to the children of men to weary themselves therewith.
14 Vidi cuncta, quae fiunt sub sole, et ecce universa vanitas, et afflictio spiritus.
I have seen all the works that are done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and pursuit of the 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 praecessi omnes sapientia, qui fuerunt ante me in Ierusalem: et mens mea contemplata est multa sapienter, et didici.
I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I have become great and have acquired wisdom more than all they that have been before me over Jerusalem; and my heart hath seen much of 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 applied my heart to the knowledge of wisdom, and to the knowledge of madness and folly: I perceived that this also is a striving after the 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.
