Ecclesiastes 1
JPS Tanakh (Jewish Publication Society, 1917)
Clementine Vulgate, 1598
1THE WORDS OF the Koheleth, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
1Verba Ecclesiastæ, filii David, regis Jerusalem.
2Vanity of vanities, saith Koheleth; vanity of vanities, all is vanity.
2[Vanitas vanitatum, dixit Ecclesiastes; vanitas vanitatum, et omnia vanitas.
3What profit hath man of all his labour wherein he laboureth under the sun?
3Quid habet amplius homo de universo labore suo quo laborat sub sole?]
4One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh; and the earth abideth for ever.
4[Generatio præterit, et generatio advenit; terra autem in æternum stat.
5The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he ariseth.
5Oritur sol et occidit, et ad locum suum revertitur; ibique renascens,
6The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it turneth about continually in its circuit, and the wind returneth again to its circuits.
6gyrat per meridiem, et flectitur ad aquilonem. Lustrans universa in circuitu pergit spiritus, et in circulos suos revertitur.
7All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full; unto the place whither the rivers go, thither they go again.
7Omnia flumina intrant in mare, et mare non redundat; ad locum unde exeunt flumina revertuntur ut iterum fluant.
8All things toil to weariness; man cannot utter it, the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
8Cunctæ res difficiles; non potest eas homo explicare sermone. Non saturatur oculus visu, nec auris auditu impletur.
9That which hath been is that which shall be, and that which hath been done is that which shall be done; and there is nothing new under the sun.
9Quid est quod fuit? Ipsum quod futurum est. Quid est quod factum est? Ipsum quod faciendum est.
10Is there a thing whereof it is said: 'See, this is new'? — it hath been already, in the ages which were before us.
10Nihil sub sole novum, nec valet quisquam dicere: Ecce hoc recens est: jam enim præcessit in sæculis quæ fuerunt ante nos.
11There is no remembrance of them of former times; neither shall there be any remembrance of them of latter times that are to come, among those that shall come after.
11Non est priorum memoria; sed nec eorum quidem quæ postea futura sunt erit recordatio apud eos qui futuri sunt in novissimo.]
12I Koheleth have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.
12[Ego Ecclesiastes fui rex Israël in Jerusalem;
13And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven; it is a sore task that God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith.
13et 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.
14I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.
14Vidi cuncta quæ fiunt sub sole, et ecce universa vanitas et afflictio spiritus.
15That which is crooked cannot be made straight; and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
15Perversi difficile corriguntur, et stultorum infinitus est numerus.
16I spoke with my own heart, saying: 'Lo, I have gotten great wisdom, more also than all that were before me over Jerusalem'; yea, my heart hath had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.
16Locutus sum in corde meo, dicens: Ecce magnus effectus sum, et præcessi omnes sapientia qui fuerunt ante me in Jerusalem; et mens mea contemplata est multa sapienter, et didici.
17And I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly — I perceived that this also was a striving after wind.
17Dedique cor meum ut scirem prudentiam atque doctrinam, erroresque et stultitiam; et agnovi quod in his quoque esset labor et afflictio spiritus:
18For in much wisdom is much vexation; and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
18eo quod in multa sapientia multa sit indignatio; et qui addit scientiam, addit et laborem.]
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