Ecclesiastes/Qohelet 9

DOUAI-RHEIMS	NOVA VULGATA
1 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:	1 Omnia haec contuli in corde meo, ut curiose intellegerem quod iusti atquesapientes et opera eorum sunt in manu Dei. Utrum amor sit an odium, omninonescit homo: coram illis omnia.
2 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.	2 Sicut omnibus sors una: iusto et impio, bono et malo, mundo et immundo, immolanti victimas et non immolanti. Sicut bonus sic et peccator; ut qui iurat, ita et ille qui iuramentum timet.
3 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.	3 Hoc est pessimum inter omnia, quae sub sole fiunt, quia sors eadem cunctis;unde et corda filiorum hominum implentur malitia et stultitia in vita sua, etnovissima eorum apud mortuos.
4 There is no man that liveth always, or that hopeth for this: a living dog is better than a dead lion.	4 Qui enim sociatur omnibus viventibus, habetfiduciam: melior est canis vivus leone mortuo.
5 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.	5 Viventes enim sciunt se essemorituros; mortui vero nihil noverunt amplius nec habent ultra mercedem, quiaoblivioni tradita est memoria eorum.
6 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.	6 Amor quoque eorum et odium et invidiaesimul perierunt, nec iam habent partem in hoc saeculo et in opere, quod sub solegeritur.
7 Go then, and eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with gladness: because thy works please God.	7 Vade ergo et comede in laetitia panem tuum et bibe cum gaudio vinum tuum, etenim iam diu placuerunt Deo opera tua.
8 At all times let thy garments be white, and let not oil depart from thy head.	8 Omni tempore sint vestimenta tua candida, et oleum de capite tuo non deficiat.
9 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.	9 Perfruere vita cum uxore, quam diligis, cunctis diebus vitae instabilitatistuae, qui dati sunt tibi sub sole omni tempore vanitatis tuae: haec est enimpars in vita et in labore tuo, quo laboras sub sole.
10 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.	10 Quodcumque facere potestmanus tua, instanter operare, quia nec opus nec ratio nec sapientia nec scientiaerunt apud inferos, quo tu properas.
11 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.	11 Verti me ad aliud et vidi sub sole nec velocium esse cursum nec fortiumbellum nec sapientium panem nec doctorum divitias nec prudentium gratiam, sedtempus casumque in omnibus.
12 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.	12 Insuper nescit homo finem suum, sed sicut piscescapiuntur sagena mala, et sicut aves laqueo comprehenduntur, sic capiunturhomines in tempore malo, cum eis extemplo supervenerit.
13 This wisdom also I have seen under the sun, and it seemed to me to be very great:	13 Hanc quoque sub sole vidi sapientiam et probavi maximam:
14 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.	14 civitas parva, etpauci in ea viri; venit contra eam rex magnus et vallavit eam exstruxitquemunitiones magnas per gyrum.
15 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.	15 Inventusque est in ea vir pauper et sapiens etliberavit urbem per sapientiam suam; et nullus deinceps recordatus est hominisillius pauperis.
16 And I said that wisdom is better than strength: how then is the wisdom of the poor man slighted, and his words not heard?	16 Et dicebam ego meliorem esse sapientiam fortitudine, sed sapientia pauperis contemnitur, et verba eius non sunt audita.
17 The words of the wise are heard in silence, more than the cry of a prince among fools.	17 Verba sapientium cum lenitate audiuntur plus quam clamor principis inter stultos.
18 Better is wisdom, than weapons of war: and he that shall offend in one, shall lose many good things.	18 Melior est sapientia quam arma bellica; sed unus, qui peccaverit, multa bona perdet.