Ecclesiastes 9

1 Omnia haec 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:

[I saw] that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: yes, there is no man that knows either love or hatred, [though] all are before their face.

2 sed omnia in futurum servantur incerta, eo quod universa aeque 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.

Vanity is in all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good, and to the bad; both to the pure, and to the impure; both to him that sacrifices, and to him that sacrifice not: as is the good, so is the sinner: as is the swearer, even so is he that fears an oath.

3 Hoc est pessimum inter omnia, quae sub sole fiunt, quia eadem cunctis eveniunt. unde et corda filiorum hominum implentur malitia, et contemptu in vita sua, et post haec ad inferos deducentur. (questioned)

There is this evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one event to all: yes, the heart of the sons of men is filled with evil, and madness is in their heart during their life, and after that [they go] to the dead.

4 Nemo est qui semper vivat, et qui huius rei habeat fiduciam: melior est canis vivus leone mortuo.

for who is he that has fellowship with all the living? there is hope [of him]: for a living dog is better than a 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 will know that they shall die: but the dead know nothing, and there is no longer any reward to them; for their memory is lost.

6 Amor quoque, et odium, et invidiae simul perierunt, nec habent partem in hoc saeculo, et in opere, quod sub sole geritur.

also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, have now perished; yes, there is no portion for them any more for ever in all that is done under the sun.

7 Vade ergo et comede in laetitia panem tuum, et bibe cum gaudio vinum tuum: quia Deo placent opera tua.

Go, eat your bread with mirth, and drink your wine with a joyful heart; for now God has favourably accepted your works.

8 Omni tempore sint vestimenta tua candida, et oleum de capite tuo non deficiat.

Let your garments be always white; and let not oil be lacking on your head.

9 Perfruere vita cum uxore, quam diligis, cunctis diebus vitae instabilitatis tuae, qui dati sunt tibi sub sole omni tempore vanitatis tuae: haec est enim pars in vita, et in labore tuo, quo laboras sub sole.

And see life with the wife whom you love all the days of the life of your vanity, which are given you under the sun: for that is your portion in your life, and in your labour wherein you labour 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)

Whatsoever your hand shall find to do, do with all your might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Hades wither you go. (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 returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor yet bread to the wise, nor yet wealth to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of knowledge; for time and chance will happen to 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 surely man also knows not his time: as fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as birds that are caught in a snare; even thus the sons of men are snared at an evil time, when it falls suddenly upon them.

13 Hanc quoque sub sole vidi sapientiam, et probavi maximam:

This I also saw [to be] wisdom under the sun, and it is great before 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.

[suppose there were] a little city, and few men in it; and there should come against it a great king, and surround it, and build great mounds against it;

15 Inventusque est in ea vir pauper et sapiens, et liberavit urbem per sapientiam suam, et nullus deinceps recordatus est hominis illius pauperis.

and should find in it a poor wise man, and he should save the city through his wisdom: yet no man would remember 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 Wisdom is better than power: yet the wisdom of the poor man is set at nothing, and his words not listened to.

17 Verba sapientium audiuntur in silentio plus quam clamor principis inter stultos.

The words of the wise are heard in quiet more than the cry of them that rule in folly.

18 Melior est sapientia, quam arma bellica: et qui in uno peccaverit, multa bona perdet.

Wisdom is better than weapons of war: and one sinner will destroy much good.