Ecclesiastes 8

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

Who is like the wise man? And who knows the interpretation of a thing? A man's wisdom makes his face shine, and the hardness of his face is changed.

2 ego os regis observo et praecepta iuramenti Dei

Keep the king's command, because of the oath to God.

3 ne festines recedere a facie eius neque permaneas in opere malo quia omne quod voluerit faciet

Do not be hasty to go out of his presence. Do not persist in an evil thing, for he does whatever pleases him,

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

for the king's word is supreme. Who can say to him, "What are you doing?"

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

Whoever keeps the commandment shall not come to harm, and his wise heart will know the time and procedure.

6 omni negotio tempus est et oportunitas et multa hominis adflictio

For there is a time and procedure for every purpose, although the misery of man is heavy on him.

7 quia ignorat praeterita et ventura nullo scire potest nuntio

For he doesn't know that which will be; for who can tell him how it will 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 who has power over the spirit to contain the spirit; neither does he have power over the day of death. There is no discharge in war; neither shall wickedness deliver those who practice 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, and applied my mind to every work that is done under the sun. There is a time in which one man has 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

So I saw the wicked buried. Indeed they came also from the holy place. They went and were praised in the city where they did this. 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

Though a sinner commits crimes a hundred times, and lives long, yet surely I know that it will be better with those who fear God, who are reverent 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 lengthen days like a shadow; because he doesn't fear 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 on the earth, that there are righteous men to whom it happens according to the work of the wicked. Again, there are wicked men to whom it happens 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

Then I commended mirth, because a man has no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be joyful: for that will accompany 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

When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done on the earth (for also there is that neither 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

then I saw all the work of God, that man can't find out the work that is done under the sun, because however much a man labors to seek it out, yet he won't find it. Yes even though a wise man thinks he can comprehend it, he won't be able to find it.