Ecclesiastes 1
1 Verba Ecclesiastae, filii David, regis Ierusalem.
The words of the preacher, the son of David, king of 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 a man of all his labor, which 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 abideth 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 his place where he arose.
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 to the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according 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; to the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.
8 Cunctae res difficiles: non potest eas homo explicare sermone. Non saturatur oculus visu, nec auris auditu impletur.
All things [are] full of labor; man cannot utter [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.
The thing that hath been, it [is that] which shall be; and that which is done [is] that which shall 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 [any] thing of which it may be said, See, this [is] new? it hath been already of 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 remembrance of former [things]; neither shall there be [any] remembrance of [things] that are to come with [those] that shall come after.
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 seek and search out by wisdom concerning all [things] that are done under heaven: this grievous labor hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised with it.
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 vexation of spirit.
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 my own heart, saying, Lo, I have come to great estate, and have gained more wisdom than all [they] that have been before me in Jerusalem: and my heart had great experience 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 gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.
18 eo quod in multa sapientia multa sit indignatio: et qui addit scientiam, addit et laborem.
For in much wisdom [is] much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
