Ecclesiastes 12
1 memento creatoris tui in diebus iuventutis tuae antequam veniat tempus adflictionis et adpropinquent anni de quibus dicas non mihi placent
And remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before the evil days come, and the years draw nigh, of which thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;
2 antequam tenebrescat sol et lumen et luna et stellae et revertantur nubes post pluviam
before the sun, and the light, and the moon, and the stars, be darkened, and the clouds return after the rain;
3 quando commovebuntur custodes domus et nutabuntur viri fortissimi et otiosae erunt molentes inminuto numero et tenebrescent videntes per foramina
in the day when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows are darkened,
4 et claudent ostia in platea in humilitate vocis molentis et consurgent ad vocem volucris et obsurdescent omnes filiae carminis
and the doors are shut toward the street; when the sound of the grinding is subdued, and they rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of song are brought low;
5 excelsa quoque timebunt et formidabunt in via florebit amigdalum inpinguabitur lucusta et dissipabitur capparis quoniam ibit homo in domum aeternitatis suae et circumibunt in platea plangentes
they are also afraid of what is high, and terrors are in the way, and the almond is despised, and the grasshopper is a burden, and the caper-berry is without effect; (for man goeth to his age-long home, and the mourners go about the streets; )
6 antequam rumpatur funis argenteus et recurrat vitta aurea et conteratur hydria super fontem et confringatur rota super cisternam
— before the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be shattered at the fountain, or the wheel be broken at the cistern;
7 et revertatur pulvis in terram suam unde erat et spiritus redeat ad Deum qui dedit illum
and the dust return to the earth as it was, and the spirit return unto God who gave it.
8 vanitas vanitatum dixit Ecclesiastes omnia vanitas
Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher: all is vanity.
9 cumque esset sapientissimus Ecclesiastes docuit populum et enarravit quae fecerit et investigans conposuit parabolas multas
And moreover, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; and he pondered, and sought out, [and] set in order many proverbs.
10 quaesivit verba utilia et conscripsit sermones rectissimos ac veritate plenos
The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words; and that which was written is upright, words of truth.
11 verba sapientium sicut stimuli et quasi clavi in altum defixi quae per magistrorum concilium data sunt a pastore uno
The words of the wise are as goads, and the collections [of them] as nails fastened in: they are given from one shepherd.
12 his amplius fili mi ne requiras faciendi plures libros nullus est finis frequensque meditatio carnis adflictio est
And besides, my son, be warned by them: of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.
13 finem loquendi omnes pariter audiamus Deum time et mandata eius observa hoc est enim omnis homo
Let us hear the end of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole of man.
14 et cuncta quae fiunt adducet Deus in iudicium pro omni errato sive bonum sive malum sit
For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil.
