Ecclesiastes 1
1 Verba Ecclesiastæ, filii David, regis Ierusalem.
The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
2 Vanitas vanitatum, dixit Ecclesiastes: vanitas vanitatum, et omnia vanitas.
Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher; vanity of vanities, all is vanity.
3 Quid habet amplius homo de universo labore suo, quo laborat sub sole?
What profit hath man of all his labour wherein he laboureth under the sun?
4 Generatio præterit, et generatio advenit: terra autem in æternum stat.
One generation goeth, and another generation cometh; and the earth abideth for ever.
5 Oritur sol, et occidit, et ad locum suum revertitur: ibique renascens,
The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he ariseth.
6 gyrat per Meridiem, et flectitur ad Aquilonem: lustrans universa in circuitu pergit spiritus, et in circulos suos revertitur.
The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it turneth about continually in its course, and the wind returneth again to its circuits.
7 Omnia flumina intrant in mare, et mare non redundat: ad locum, unde exeunt flumina, revertuntur ut iterum fluant.
All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full; unto the place whither the rivers go, thither they go again.
8 Cunctæ res difficiles: non potest eas homo explicare sermone. Non saturatur oculus visu, nec auris auditu impletur.
All things are full of weariness; man cannot utter [it]: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
9 Quid est quod fuit? ipsum quod futurum est. Quid est quod factum est? ipsum quod faciendum est.
That which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.
10 Nihil sub sole novum, nec valet quisquam dicere: Ecce hoc recens est: iam enim præcessit in sæculis, quæ fuerunt ante nos.
Is there a thing whereof men say, See, this is new? it hath been already, in the ages which were before us.
11 Non est priorum memoria: sed nec eorum quidem, quæ postea futura sunt, erit recordatio apud eos, qui futuri sunt in novissimo.
There is no remembrance of the former [generations]; neither shall there be any remembrance of the latter [generations] that are to come, among those that shall come after.
12 Ego Ecclesiastes fui rex Israel in Ierusalem,
I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13 et proposui in animo meo quærere et investigare sapienter de omnibus, quæ fiunt sub sole. Hanc occupationem pessimam dedit Deus filiis hominum, ut occuparentur in ea.
And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven: it is a sore travail that God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith.
14 Vidi cuncta, quæ fiunt sub sole, et ecce universa vanitas, et afflictio spiritus.
I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.
15 Perversi difficile corriguntur, et stultorum infinitus est numerus.
That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
16 Locutus sum in corde meo, dicens: Ecce magnus effectus sum, et præcessi omnes sapientia, qui fuerunt ante me in Ierusalem: et mens mea contemplata est multa sapienter, et didici.
I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I have gotten me great wisdom above all that were before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart hath had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.
17 Dedique cor meum ut scirem prudentiam, atque doctrinam, erroresque et stultitiam: et agnovi quod in his quoque esset labor, et afflictio spiritus,
And I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also was a striving after wind.
18 eo quod in multa sapientia multa sit indignatio: et qui addit scientiam, addit et laborem.
For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
