Ecclesiastes 12
1 Memento Creatoris tui in diebus iuventutis tuae, antequam veniat tempus afflictionis, et appropinquent anni, de quibus dicas: Non mihi placent,
Remember also thy Creators in days of thy youth, While that the evil days come not, Nor the years have arrived, that thou sayest, 'I have no pleasure in them.'
2 antequam tenebrescat sol, et lumen, et luna, et stellae, et revertantur nubes post pluviam:
While that the sun is not darkened, and the light, And the moon, and the stars, And the thick clouds returned after the rain.
3 quando commovebuntur custodes domus, et nutabunt viri fortissimi, et otiosae erunt molentes in minuto numero, et tenebrescent videntes per foramina:
In the day that keepers of the house tremble, And men of strength have bowed themselves, And grinders have ceased, because they have become few. And those looking out at the windows have become dim,
4 et claudent ostia in platea, in humilitate vocis molentis, et consurgent ad vocem volucris, et obsurdescent omnes filiae carminis.
And doors have been shut in the street. When the noise of the grinding is low, And [one] riseth at the voice of the bird, And all daughters of song are bowed down.
5 Excelsa quoque timebunt, et formidabunt in via, florebit amygdalus, impinguabitur locusta, et dissipabitur capparis: quoniam ibit homo in domum aeternitatis suae, et circuibunt in platea plangentes.
Also of that which is high they are afraid, And of the low places in the way, And the almond-tree is despised, And the grasshopper is become a burden, And want is increased, For man is going unto his home age-during, And the mourners have gone round through the street.
6 Antequam rumpatur funiculus argenteus, et recurrat vitta aurea, et conteratur hydria super fontem, et confringatur rota super cisternam,
While that the silver cord is not removed, And the golden bowl broken, And the pitcher broken by the fountain, And the wheel broken at the well.
7 et revertatur pulvis in terram suam unde erat, et spiritus redeat ad Deum, qui dedit illum.
And the dust returneth to the earth as it was, And the spirit returneth to God who gave it.
8 Vanitas vanitatum, dixit Ecclesiastes, et omnia vanitas.
Vanity of vanities, said the preacher, the whole [is] vanity.
9 Cumque esset sapientissimus Ecclesiastes, docuit populum, et enarravit quae fecerat: et investigans composuit parabolas multas.
And further, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge, and gave ear, and sought out — he made right many similes.
10 Quaesivit verba utilia, et conscripsit sermones rectissimos, ac veritate plenos.
The preacher sought to find out pleasing words, and, written [by] the upright, words of truth.
11 Verba sapientium sicut stimuli, et quasi clavi in altum defixi, quae per magistrorum consilium data sunt a pastore uno.
Words of the wise [are] as goads, and as fences planted [by] the masters of collections, they have been given by one shepherd.
12 His amplius fili mi ne requiras. Faciendi plures libros nullus est finis: frequensque meditatio, carnis afflictio est.
And further, from these, my son, be warned; the making of many books hath no end, and much study [is] a weariness of the flesh.
13 Finem loquendi pariter omnes audiamus. Deum time, et mandata eius observa: hoc est enim omnis homo:
The end of the whole matter let us hear: — 'Fear God, and keep His commands, for this [is] the whole of man.
14 et cuncta, quae fiunt, adducet Deus in iudicium pro omni errato, sive bonum, sive malum illud sit.
For every work doth God bring into judgment, with every hidden thing, whether good or bad.'
