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.
All is to no purpose, said the Preacher, all the ways of man are to no purpose.
3 Quid habet amplius homo de universo labore suo, quo laborat sub sole?
What is a man profited by all his work which he does under the sun?
4 Generatio praeterit, et generatio advenit: terra autem in aeternum stat.
One generation goes and another comes; but the earth is for ever.
5 Oritur sol, et occidit, et ad locum suum revertitur: ibique renascens,
The sun comes up and the sun goes down, and goes quickly back to the place where he came up.
6 gyrat per Meridiem, et flectitur ad Aquilonem: lustrans universa in circuitu pergit spiritus, et in circulos suos revertitur.
The wind goes to the south, turning back again to the north; circling round for ever.
7 Omnia flumina intrant in mare, et mare non redundat: ad locum, unde exeunt flumina, revertuntur ut iterum fluant.
All the rivers go down to the sea, but the sea is not full; to the place where the rivers go, there 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 weariness; man may not give their story: the eye has never enough of its seeing, or the ear of its hearing.
9 Quid est quod fuit? ipsum quod futurum est. Quid est quod factum est? ipsum quod faciendum est.
That which has been, is that which is to be, and that which has been done, is that which will be done, and there is no new thing 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 anything of which men say, See, this is new? It has been in the old time which was 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 memory of those who have gone before, and of those who come after there will be no memory for those who are still to come after them.
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 gave my heart to searching out in wisdom all things which are done under heaven: it is a hard thing which God has put on the sons of men to do.
14 Vidi cuncta, quae fiunt sub sole, et ecce universa vanitas, et afflictio spiritus.
I have seen all the works which are done under the sun; all is to no purpose, and desire for wind.
15 Perversi difficile corriguntur, et stultorum infinitus est numerus.
That which is bent may not be made straight, and that which is not there may not 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 said to my heart, See, I have become great and am increased in wisdom more than any who were before me in Jerusalem — yes, my heart has seen much 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 gave my heart to getting knowledge of wisdom, and of the ways of the foolish. And I saw that this again was desire for wind.
18 eo quod in multa sapientia multa sit indignatio: et qui addit scientiam, addit et laborem.
Because in much wisdom is much grief, and increase of knowledge is increase of sorrow.
