Ecclesiastes 12
1 memento creatoris tui in diebus iuventutis tuae antequam veniat tempus adflictionis et adpropinquent anni de quibus dicas non mihi placent
Remember also your Creator in days of your youth, While that the evil days do not come, Nor the years have arrived, that you say, “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 nutabuntur viri fortissimi et otiosae erunt molentes inminuto 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] rises at the voice of the bird, And all daughters of song are bowed down.
5 excelsa quoque timebunt et formidabunt in via florebit amigdalum inpinguabitur lucusta et dissipabitur capparis quoniam ibit homo in domum aeternitatis suae et circumibunt 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 has become a burden, And want is increased, For man is going to his perpetual home, And the mourners have gone around through the street.
6 antequam rumpatur funis 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 returns to the earth as it was, And the spirit returns to God who gave it.
8 vanitas vanitatum dixit Ecclesiastes omnia vanitas
Vanity of vanities, said the preacher, the whole [is] vanity.
9 cumque esset sapientissimus Ecclesiastes docuit populum et enarravit quae fecerit et investigans conposuit 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 allegories.
10 quaesivit verba utilia et conscripsit sermones rectissimos ac veritate plenos
The preacher sought to find out pleasing words, and [that] written [by] the upright—words of truth.
11 verba sapientium sicut stimuli et quasi clavi in altum defixi quae per magistrorum concilium data sunt a pastore uno
Words of the wise [are] as the goads, and as nails 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 adflictio est
And further, from these, my son, be warned; the making of many scrolls has no end, and much study [is] a weariness of the flesh.
13 finem loquendi omnes pariter 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 sit
For every work God brings into judgment, with every hidden thing, whether good or bad.”
