Ecclesiastes 1
1 verba Ecclesiastes filii David regis Hierusalem
The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
2 vanitas vanitatum dixit Ecclesiastes vanitas vanitatum omnia vanitas
Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities! all is vanity.
3 quid habet amplius homo de universo labore suo quod laborat sub sole
What profit hath man of all his labour wherewith he laboureth under the sun?
4 generatio praeterit et generatio advenit terra vero 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 also riseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to its place where it ariseth.
6 gyrat per meridiem et flectitur ad aquilonem lustrans universa circuitu pergit spiritus et in circulos suos regreditur
The wind goeth towards the south, and turneth about towards the north: it turneth about continually, and the wind returneth again to its circuits.
7 omnia flumina intrant 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: unto the place whither the rivers go, thither they go again.
8 cunctae res difficiles non potest eas homo explicare sermone non saturatur oculus visu nec auris impletur auditu
All things are full of toil; none can express 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 fiendum est
That which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which will be done: and there is nothing new 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 a thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? It hath been already in the ages which 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; neither shall there be remembrance of things that are to come with those who shall live afterwards.
12 ego Ecclesiastes fui rex Israhel in Hierusalem
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 applied my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the heavens: this grievous occupation hath God given to the children of men to weary themselves therewith.
14 vidi quae fiunt cuncta sub sole et ecce universa vanitas et adflictio spiritus
I have seen all the works that are done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and pursuit of the wind.
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 sapientia omnes qui fuerunt ante me in Hierusalem et mens mea contemplata est multa sapienter et didicit
I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I have become great and have acquired wisdom more than all they that have been before me over Jerusalem; and my heart hath seen much 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 adflictio spiritus
And I applied my heart to the knowledge of wisdom, and to the knowledge of madness and folly: I perceived that this also is a striving after the wind.
18 eo quod in multa sapientia multa sit indignatio et qui addit scientiam addat et laborem
For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
