Ecclesiastes 8
1 sapientia hominis lucet in vultu eius et potentissimus faciem illius commutavit
Who is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? A man's wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face is changed.
2 ego os regis observo et praecepta iuramenti Dei
I counsel thee: keep the king's command, and that in regard of the oath of God.
3 ne festines recedere a facie eius neque permaneas in opere malo quia omne quod voluerit faciet
Be not hasty to go out of his presence; stand not in an evil thing; for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him.
4 et sermo illius potestate plenus est nec dicere ei quisquam potest quare ita facis
Forasmuch as the king's word hath power; and who may say unto him: 'What doest thou?'
5 qui custodit praeceptum non experietur quicquam mali tempus et responsionem cor sapientis intellegit
Whoso keepeth the commandment shall know no evil thing; and a wise man's heart discerneth time and judgment.
6 omni negotio tempus est et oportunitas et multa hominis adflictio
For to every matter there is a time and judgment; for the evil of man is great upon him.
7 quia ignorat praeterita et ventura nullo scire potest nuntio
For he knoweth not that which shall be; for even when it cometh to pass, who shall declare it unto him?
8 non est in hominis dicione prohibere spiritum nec habet potestatem in die mortis nec sinitur quiescere ingruente bello neque salvabit impietas impium
There is no man that hath power over the wind to retain the wind; neither hath he power over the day of death; and there is no discharge in war; neither shall wickedness deliver him that is given to it.
9 omnia haec consideravi et dedi cor meum in cunctis operibus quae fiunt sub sole interdum dominatur homo homini in malum suum
All this have I seen, even applied my heart thereto, whatever the work that is done under the sun; what time one man had power over another to his hurt.
10 vidi impios sepultos qui etiam cum adviverent in loco sancto erant et laudabantur in civitate quasi iustorum operum sed et hoc vanitas est
And so I saw the wicked buried, and they entered into their rest; but they that had done right went away from the holy place, and were forgotten in the city; this also is vanity.
11 etenim quia non profertur cito contra malos sententia absque ullo timore filii hominum perpetrant mala
Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil;
12 attamen ex eo quod peccator centies facit malum et per patientiam sustentatur ego cognovi quod erit bonum timentibus Deum qui verentur faciem eius
because a sinner doeth evil a hundred times, and prolongeth his days — though yet I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, that fear before Him;
13 non sit bonum impio nec prolongentur dies eius sed quasi umbra transeant qui non timent faciem Dei
but it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow, because he feareth not before God.
14 est et alia vanitas quae fit super terram sunt iusti quibus multa proveniunt quasi opera egerint impiorum et sunt impii qui ita securi sunt quasi iustorum facta habeant sed et hoc vanissimum iudico
There is a vanity which is done upon the earth: that there are righteous men, unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there are wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous — I said that this also is vanity.
15 laudavi igitur laetitiam quod non esset homini bonum sub sole nisi quod comederet et biberet atque gauderet et hoc solum secum auferret de labore suo in diebus vitae quos dedit ei Deus sub sole
So I commended mirth, that a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry, and that this should accompany him in his labour all the days of his life which God hath given him under the sun.
16 et adposui cor meum ut scirem sapientiam et intellegerem distentionem quae versatur in terra est homo qui diebus ac noctibus somnum oculis non capit
When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth — for neither day nor night do men see sleep with their eyes —
17 et intellexi quod omnium operum Dei nullam possit homo invenire rationem eorum quae fiunt sub sole et quanto plus laboraverit ad quaerendum tanto minus inveniat etiam si dixerit sapiens se nosse non poterit repperire
then I beheld all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun; because though a man labour to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea further, though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it.
