Ecclesiastes 3
1 Omnia tempus habent, et suis spatiis transeunt universa sub cælo.
For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven:
2 Tempus nascendi, et tempus moriendi. Tempus plantandi, et tempus evellendi quod plantatum est.
a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
3 Tempus occidendi, et tempus sanandi. Tempus destruendi, et tempus ædificandi.
a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 Tempus flendi, et tempus ridendi. Tempus plangendi, et tempus saltandi.
a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 Tempus spargendi lapides, et tempus colligendi. Tempus amplexandi, et tempus longe fieri ab amplexibus.
a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 Tempus acquirendi, et tempus perdendi. Tempus custodiendi, et tempus abiiciendi.
a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 Tempus scindendi, et tempus consuendi. Tempus tacendi, et tempus loquendi.
a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 Tempus dilectionis, et tempus odii. Tempus belli, et tempus pacis.
a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.
9 Quid habet amplius homo de labore suo?
What profit has he who works in that in which he labors?
10 Vidi afflictionem, quam dedit Deus filiis hominum, ut distendantur in ea.
I have seen the burden which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.
11 Cuncta fecit bona in tempore suo, et mundum tradidit disputationi eorum, ut non inveniat homo opus, quod operatus est Deus ab initio usque ad finem.
He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in their hearts, yet so that man can’t find out the work that God has done from the beginning even to the end.
12 Et cognovi quod non esset melius nisi lætari, et facere bene in vita sua.
I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice, and to do good as long as they live.
13 Omnis enim homo, qui comedit et bibit, et videt bonum de labore suo, hoc donum Dei est.
Also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy good in all his labor, is the gift of God.
14 Didici quod omnia opera, quæ fecit Deus, perseverent in perpetuum: non possumus eis quidquam addere, nec auferre, quæ fecit Deus ut timeatur.
I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it; and God has done it, that men should fear before him.
15 Quod factum est, ipsum permanet: quæ futura sunt, iam fuerunt: et Deus instaurat quod abiit.
That which is has been long ago, and that which is to be has been long ago. God seeks again that which is passed away.
16 Vidi sub sole in loco iudicii impietatem, et in loco iustitiæ iniquitatem.
Moreover I saw under the sun, in the place of justice, that wickedness was there; and in the place of righteousness, that wickedness was there.
17 Et dixi in corde meo: Iustum, et impium iudicabit Deus, et tempus omnis rei tunc erit.
I said in my heart, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.”
18 Dixi in corde meo de filiis hominum, ut probaret eos Deus, et ostenderet similes esse bestiis.
I said in my heart, “As for the sons of men, God tests them, so that they may see that they themselves are like animals.
19 Idcirco unus interitus est hominis, et iumentorum, et æqua utriusque conditio: sicut moritur homo, sic et illa moriuntur: similiter spirant omnia, et nihil habet homo iumento amplius: cuncta subiacent vanitati,
For that which happens to the sons of men happens to animals. Even one thing happens to them. As the one dies, so the other dies. Yes, they have all one breath; and man has no advantage over the animals, for all is vanity.
20 et omnia pergunt ad unum locum: de terra facta sunt, et in terram pariter revertuntur.
All go to one place. All are from the dust, and all turn to dust again.
21 Quis novit si spiritus filiorum Adam ascendat sursum, et si spiritus iumentorum descendat deorsum?
Who knows the spirit of man, whether it goes upward, and the spirit of the animal, whether it goes downward to the earth?”
22 Et deprehendi nihil esse melius quam lætari hominem in opere suo, et hanc esse partem illius. Quis enim eum adducet, ut post se futura cognoscat?
Therefore I saw that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his works, for that is his portion; for who can bring him to see what will be after him?
