Ecclesiastes 6
1 Est et aliud malum, quod vidi sub sole, et quidem frequens apud homines:
There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is abundant with man:
2 Vir, cui dedit Deus divitias, et substantiam, et honorem, et nihil deest animae suae ex omnibus, quae desiderat: nec tribuit ei potestatem Deus ut comedat ex eo, sed homo extraneus vorabit illud. hoc vanitas, et miseria magna est.
a man to whom God shall give wealth, and substance, and honour, and he wants nothing for his soul of all things that he shall desire, yet God shall not give him power to eat of it, for a stranger shall devour it: this is vanity, and an evil infirmity.
3 Si genuerit quispiam centum liberos, et vixerit multos annos, et plures dies aetatis habuerit, et anima illius non utatur bonis substantiae suae, sepulturaque careat: de hoc ergo pronuncio quod melior illo sit abortivus.
If a man beget a hundred [children], and live many years, yea, however abundant the days of his years shall be, yet [if] his soul shall not be satisfied with good, and also he have no burial; I said, An untimely birth is better than he.
4 Frustra enim venit, et pergit ad tenebras, et oblivione delebitur nomen eius.
For he came in vanity, and departs in darkness, and his name shall be covered in darkness.
5 Non vidit solem, neque cognovit distantiam boni et mali:
Moreover he has not seen the sun, nor known rest: there is [no more rest] to this one than another.
6 etiam si duobus millibus annis vixerit, et non fuerit perfruitus bonis: nonne ad unum locum properant omnia?
Though he has lived to the return of a thousand years, yet he has seen no good: do not all go to one place?
7 Omnis labor hominis in ore eius: sed anima eius non implebitur.
All the labour of a man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite shall not be satisfied.
8 Quid habet amplius sapiens a stulto? et quid pauper nisi ut pergat illuc, ubi est vita?
For [what] advantage has the wise man over the fool, since [even] the poor knows how to walk in the direction of life?
9 Melius est videre quod cupias, quam desiderare quod nescias. sed et hoc vanitas est, et praesumptio spiritus.
The sight of the eyes is better than that which wanders in soul: this is also vanity, and waywardness of spirit.
10 Qui futurus est, iam vocatum est nomen eius: et scitur quod homo sit, et non possit contra fortiorem se in iudicio contendere.
If anything has been, its name has already been called: and it is known what man is; neither can he contend with him who is stronger than he.
11 Verba sunt plurima, multamque in disputando habentia vanitatem.
For there are many things which increase vanity.
12 Quid necesse est homini maiora se quaerere, cum ignoret quid conducat sibi in vita sua numero dierum peregrinationis suae, et tempore, quod velut umbra praeterit? Aut quis ei poterit indicare quod post eum futurum sub sole sit?
What advantage has a man? for who knows [what is] good for a man in his life, [during] the number of the life of the days of his vanity? and he has spent them as a shadow; for who shall tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?
