Ecclesiastes 8

1 sapientia hominis lucet in vultu eius et potentissimus faciem illius commutavit

Who knows the wise? and who knows the interpretation of a saying? A man's wisdom will lighten his countenance; but a man of shameless countenance will be hated.

2 ego os regis observo et praecepta iuramenti Dei

Observe the commandment of the king, and [that] because of the word 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; you shall go forth out of his presence: stand not in an evil matter; for he will do whatever he shall please,

4 et sermo illius potestate plenus est nec dicere ei quisquam potest quare ita facis

even as a king having power: and who will say to him, What do you?

5 qui custodit praeceptum non experietur quicquam mali tempus et responsionem cor sapientis intellegit

He that keeps the commandment shall not know an evil thing: and the heart of the wise knows the time of judgment.

6 omni negotio tempus est et oportunitas et multa hominis adflictio

For to every thing there is time and judgment; for the knowledge of a man is great to him.

7 quia ignorat praeterita et ventura nullo scire potest nuntio

For there is no one that knows what is going to be: for who shall tell him how it shall be?

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 has power over the spirit to retain the spirit; and there is no power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in the day of the battle; neither shall ungodliness save her votary.

9 omnia haec consideravi et dedi cor meum in cunctis operibus quae fiunt sub sole interdum dominatur homo homini in malum suum

So I saw all this, and I applied my heart to every work that has been done under the sun; all the things wherein man has power over man to afflict him.

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 then I saw the ungodly carried into the tombs, and [that] out of the holy place: and they departed, and were praised in the city, because they had done thus: this also is vanity.

11 etenim quia non profertur cito contra malos sententia absque ullo timore filii hominum perpetrant mala

Because there is no contradiction made on the part of those who do evil quickly, therefore the heart of the children of men is fully determined 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

He that has sinned has done evil from that time, and long from beforehand: nevertheless I know, that it is well with them that fear God, that they may 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 ungodly, and he shall not prolong his days, [which are] as a shadow; forasmuch as he fears 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 persons to whom it happens according to the doing of the ungodly; and there are ungodly men, to whom it happens according to the doing of the just: I said, This is also 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

Then I praised mirth, because there is no good for a man under the sun, but to eat, and drink, and be merry: and this shall attend him in his labor all the days of his life, which God has 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

Whereupon I set my heart to know wisdom, and to perceive the trouble that was wrought upon the earth: for there is that neither by day nor night sees sleep with his 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

And I saw all the works of God, that a man shall not be able to discover the work which is wrought under the sun; whatever things a man shall endeavor to seek, however a man may labor to seek it, yet he shall not find it; yes, how much soever a wise man may speak of knowing it, he shall not be able to find it: for I applied all this to my heart, and my heart has seen all this.