Ecclesiastes 9
Man knows not certainty that he is in God's grace. After death no more work or merit.
Omnia hæc tractavi in corde meo, ut curiose intelligerem. Sunt justi atque sapientes, et opera eorum in manu Dei; et tamen nescit homo utrum amore an odio dignus sit.
All these things have I considered in my heart, that I might carefully understand them: there are just men and wise men, and their works are in the hand of God: and yet man knoweth not whether he be worthy of love, or hatred:
Sed omnia in futurum servantur incerta, eo quod universa æque eveniant justo et impio, bono et malo, mundo et immundo, immolanti victimas et sacrificia contemnenti. Sicut bonus, sic et peccator; ut perjurus, ita et ille qui verum dejerat.
But all things are kept uncertain for the time to come, because all things equally happen to the just and to the wicked, to the good and to the evil, to the clean and to the unclean, to him that offereth victims, and to him that despiseth sacrifices. As the good is, so also is the sinner: as the perjured, so he also that sweareth truth.
Hoc est pessimum inter omnia quæ sub sole fiunt: quia eadem cunctis eveniunt. Unde et corda filiorum hominum implentur malitia et contemptu in vita sua, et post hæc ad inferos deducentur.
This is a very great evil among all things that are done under the sun, that the same things happen to all men: whereby also the hearts of the children of men are filled with evil, and with contempt while they live, and afterwards they shall be brought down to hell.
Nemo est qui semper vivat, et qui hujus rei habeat fiduciam; melior est canis vivus leone mortuo.
There is no man that liveth always, or that hopeth for this: a living dog is better than a dead lion.
Viventes enim sciunt se esse morituros; mortui vero nihil noverunt amplius, nec habent ultra mercedem, quia oblivioni tradita est memoria eorum.
For the living know that they shall die, but the dead know nothing more, neither have they a reward any more: for the memory of them is forgotten.
Amor quoque, et odium, et invidiæ simul perierunt; nec habent partem in hoc sæculo, et in opere quod sub sole geritur.
Their love also, and their hatred, and their envy are all perished, neither have they any part in this world, and in the work that is done under the sun.
Vade ergo, et comede in lætitia panem tuum, et bibe cum gaudio vinum tuum, quia Deo placent opera tua.
Go then, and eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with gladness: because thy works please God.
Omni tempore sint vestimenta tua candida, et oleum de capite tuo non deficiat.
At all times let thy garments be white, and let not oil depart from thy head.
Perfruere vita cum uxore quam diligis, cunctis diebus vitæ instabilitatis tuæ, qui dati sunt tibi sub sole omni tempore vanitatis tuæ: hæc est enim pars in vita et in labore tuo quo laboras sub sole.
Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest, all the days of thy unsteady life, which are given to thee under the sun, all the time of thy vanity: for this is thy portion in life, and in thy labour wherewith thou labourest under the sun.
Quodcumque facere potest manus tua, instanter operare, quia nec opus, nec ratio, nec sapientia, nec scientia erunt apud inferos, quo tu properas.
Whatsoever thy hand is able to do, do it earnestly: for neither work, nor reason, nor wisdom, nor knowledge shall be in hell, whither thou art hastening.
Verti me ad aliud, et vidi sub sole nec velocium esse cursum, nec fortium bellum, nec sapientium panem, nec doctorum divitias, nec artificum gratiam; sed tempus casumque in omnibus.
I turned me to another thing, and I saw that under the sun, the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the learned, nor favour to the skilful: but time and chance in all.
Nescit homo finem suum; sed sicut pisces capiuntur hamo, et sicut aves laqueo comprehenduntur, sic capiuntur homines in tempore malo, cum eis extemplo supervenerit.
Man knoweth not his own end: but as fishes are taken with the hook, and as birds are caught with the snare, so men are taken in the evil time, when it shall suddenly come upon them.
Hanc quoque sub sole vidi sapientiam, et probavi maximam:
This wisdom also I have seen under the sun, and it seemed to me to be very great:
civitas parva, et pauci in ea viri; venit contra eam rex magnus, et vallavit eam, exstruxitque munitiones per gyrum, et perfecta est obsidio.
A little city, and few men in it: there came against it a great king, and invested it, and built bulwarks round about it, and the siege was perfect.
Inventusque est in ea vir pauper et sapiens, et liberavit urbem per sapientiam suam; et nullus deinceps recordatus est hominis illius pauperis.
Now there was found in it a man poor and wise, and he delivered the city by his wisdom, and no man afterward remembered that poor man.
Et dicebam ego meliorem esse sapientiam fortitudine. Quomodo ergo sapientia pauperis contempta est, et verba ejus non sunt audita?
And I said that wisdom is better than strength: how then is the wisdom of the poor man slighted, and his words not heard?
Verba sapientium audiuntur in silentio, plus quam clamor principis inter stultos.
The words of the wise are heard in silence, more than the cry of a prince among fools.
Melior est sapientia quam arma bellica; et qui in uno peccaverit, multa bona perdet.
Better is wisdom, than weapons of war: and he that shall offend in one, shall lose many good things.