Ecclesiastes 1
1 Verba Ecclesiastae, filii David, regis Ierusalem.
The words of Ecclesiastes, the son of David, king of Jerusalem.
2 Vanitas vanitatum, dixit Ecclesiastes: vanitas vanitatum, et omnia vanitas.
Vanity of vanities, said Ecclesiastes vanity of vanities, and all is vanity.
3 Quid habet amplius homo de universo labore suo, quo laborat sub sole?
What hath a man more of all his labour, that he taketh 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 riseth, and goeth down, and returneth to his place: and there rising again,
6 gyrat per Meridiem, et flectitur ad Aquilonem: lustrans universa in circuitu pergit spiritus, et in circulos suos revertitur.
Maketh his round by the south, and turneth again to the north: the spirit goeth forward surveying all places round about, and returneth to his 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 doth not overflow: unto the place from whence the rivers come, they return, to flow again.
8 Cunctae res difficiles: non potest eas homo explicare sermone. Non saturatur oculus visu, nec auris auditu impletur.
All things are hard: man cannot explain them by word. The eye is not filled with seeing, neither is the ear filled with hearing.
9 Quid est quod fuit? ipsum quod futurum est. Quid est quod factum est? ipsum quod faciendum est.
What is it that hath been? the same thing that shall be. What is it that hath been done? the same that shall be done.
10 Nihil sub sole novum, nec valet quisquam dicere: Ecce hoc recens est: iam enim praecessit in saeculis, quae fuerunt ante nos.
Nothing under the sun is new, neither is any man able to say: Behold this is new: for it hath already gone before in the ages that 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: nor indeed of those things which hereafter are to come, shall there be any remembrance with them that shall be in the latter end.
12 Ego Ecclesiastes fui rex Israel in Ierusalem,
I Ecclesiastes 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 proposed in my mind to seek and search out wisely concerning all things that are done under the sun. This painful occupation hath God given to the children of men, to be exercised therein.
14 Vidi cuncta, quae fiunt sub sole, et ecce universa vanitas, et afflictio spiritus.
I have seen all things that are done under the sun, and behold all is vanity, and vexation of spirit.
15 Perversi difficile corriguntur, et stultorum infinitus est numerus.
The perverse are hard to be corrected, and the number of fools is infinite.
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 have spoken in my heart, saying: Behold I am become great, and have gone beyond all in wisdom, that were before me in Jerusalem: and my mind hath contemplated many things wisely, and I have learned.
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 have given my heart to know prudence, and learning, and errors, and folly: and I have perceived that in these also there was labour, and vexation of spirit,
18 eo quod in multa sapientia multa sit indignatio: et qui addit scientiam, addit et laborem.
Because In much wisdom there is much indignation: and he that addeth knowledge, addeth also labour.
