Liber Ecclesiastes, 8

1. Quis talis, ut sapiens est? Et quis cognovit solutionem re rum? Sapientia hominis illuminat vultum eius, et durities faciei illius commutatur.

1. Who is like the wise man? And who knows the interpretation of a thing? A man's wisdom makes his face shine, and the hardness of his countenance is changed.

2. Os regis observa et propter iuramenta Dei

2. Keep the king's command, and because of your sacred oath be not dismayed;

3. ne festines recedere a facie eius neque permaneas in re mala, quia omne, quod voluerit, faciet.

3. go from his presence, do not delay when the matter is unpleasant, for he does whatever he pleases.

4. Quia sermo illius potestate plenus est, nec dicere ei quisquam potest: “Quare ita facis?”.

4. For the word of the king is supreme, and who may say to him, "What are you doing?"

5. Qui custodit praeceptum, non experietur quidquam mali; tempus et iudicium cor sapientis intellegit.

5. He who obeys a command will meet no harm, and the mind of a wise man will know the time and way.

6. Omni enim negotio tempus est et iudicium, et multa hominis afflictio;

6. For every matter has its time and way, although man's trouble lies heavy upon him.

7. ignorat enim quid futurum sit, nam quomodo sit futurum, quis nuntiabit ei?

7. For he does not know what is to be, for who can tell him how it will be?

8. Non est in hominis potestate dominari super spiritum nec cohibere spiritum, nec habet potestatem supra diem mortis, nec ulla remissio est ingruente bello, neque salvabit impietas impium.

8. No man has power to retain the spirit, or authority over the day of death; there is no discharge from war, nor will wickedness deliver those who are given to it.

9. Omnia haec consideravi et dedi cor meum cunctis operibus, quae fiunt sub sole, quo tempore dominatur homo homini in malum suum.

9. All this I observed while applying my mind to all that is done under the sun, while man lords it over man to his hurt.

10. Et ita vidi impios sepultos, discedentes de loco sancto; in oblivionem cadere in civitate, quod ita egerunt: sed et hoc vanitas est.

10. Then I saw the wicked buried; they used to go in and out of the holy place, and were praised in the city where they had done such things. This also is vanity.

11. Etenim, quia non profertur cito sententia contra opera mala, ideo cor filiorum hominum repletur, ut perpetrent mala.

11. Because sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the sons of men is fully set to do evil.

12. Nam peccator centies facit malum et prolongat sibi dies; verumtamen novi quod erit bonum timentibus Deum, qui verentur faciem eius.

12. Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his life, yet I know that it will be well with those who fear God, because they fear before him;

13. Non sit bonum impio, nec prolongabit dies suos quasi umbram, qui non timet faciem Domini.

13. but it will not be well with the wicked, neither will he prolong his days like a shadow, because he does not fear before God.

14. Est vanitas, quae fit super terram: sunt iusti, quibus mala proveniunt, quasi opera egerint impiorum, et sunt impii, quibus bona proveniunt, quasi iustorum facta habeant; sed et hoc vanissimum iudico.

14. There is a vanity which takes place on earth, that there are righteous men to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked, and there are wicked men to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity.

15. Laudavi igitur laetitiam quod non esset homini bonum sub sole, nisi quod comederet et biberet atque gauderet et hoc solum secum auferret de labore suo in diebus vitae suae, quos dedit ei Deus sub sole.

15. And I commend enjoyment, for man has no good thing under the sun but to eat and drink, and enjoy himself, for this will go with him in his toil through the days of life which God gives him under the sun.

16. Cum apposui cor meum, ut scirem sapientiam et intellegerem occupationem, quae versatur in terra, quod diebus et noctibus somnum non capit oculis,

16. When I applied my mind to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done on earth, how neither day nor night one's eyes see sleep;

17. ecce intellexi quod omnium operum Dei nullam possit homo invenire rationem eorum, quae fiunt sub sole; et quanto plus laboraverit homo ad quaerendum, tanto minus inveniet; etiamsi dixerit sapiens se nosse, non poterit reperire.

17. then I saw all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. However much man may toil in seeking, he will not find it out; even though a wise man claims to know, he cannot find it out.