Qoelet 2

NOVA VULGATA	NEW JERUSALEM
1 Dixi ego in corde meo: “ Veni, tentabo te gaudio: fruere bo nis ”; etecce hoc quoque vanitas.	1 I thought to myself, 'Very wel , I wil try pleasure and see what enjoyment has to offer.' And this wasfutile too.
2 De risu dixi: “ Insania ” et de gaudio: “ Quid prodest? ”.	2 This laughter, I reflected, is a madness, this pleasure no use at al .
3 Tractavi in corde meo detinere in vino carnem meam, cum cor meum duceretur insapientia, et amplecti stultitiam, donec viderem quid esset utile filiishominum, ut faciant sub sole paucis diebus vitae suae.	3 I decided to hand my body over to drinking wine, my mind still guiding me in wisdom; I resolved toembrace folly, to discover the best way for people to spend their days under the sun.
4 Magnificavi opera mea:aedificavi mihi domos et plantavi vineas,	4 I worked on a grand scale: built myself palaces, planted vineyards;
5 feci hortos et pomaria et consevi eaarboribus cuncti generis fructuum	5 made myself gardens and orchards, planting every kind of fruit tree in them;
6 et exstruxi mihi piscinas aquarum, utirrigarem silvam lignorum germinantium.	6 had pools made for watering the young trees of my plantations.
7 Possedi servos et ancillas et habuimultam familiam, habui armenta quoque et magnos ovium greges ultra omnes, quifuerunt ante me in Ierusalem.	7 I bought slaves, male and female, had home-born slaves as wel ; herds and flocks I had too, more thananyone in Jerusalem before me.
8 Coacervavi mihi etiam argentum et aurum etsubstantias regum ac provinciarum, feci mihi cantores et cantatrices et deliciasfiliorum hominum, scyphos et urceos in ministerio ad vina fundenda	8 I amassed silver and gold, the treasures of kings and provinces; acquired singers, men and women,and every human luxury, chest upon chest of it.
9 et crevi,supergressus sum omnes, qui ante me fuerunt in Ierusalem; sapientia quoque meaperseveravit mecum.	9 So I grew great, greater than anyone in Jerusalem before me; nor did my wisdom leave me.
10 Et omnia, quae desideraverunt oculi mei, non negavi eisnec prohibui cor meum ab omni voluptate, et oblectatum est ex omnibus laboribus,et hanc ratus sum partem meam ab omnibus aerumnis meis.	10 I denied my eyes nothing that they desired, refused my heart no pleasure, for I found all my hard worka pleasure, such was the return for al my efforts.
11 Cumque meconvertissem ad universa opera, quae fecerant manus meae, et ad labores, inquibus sudaveram, et ecce in omnibus vanitas et afflictio spiritus, et nihillucri esse sub sole.	11 I then reflected on al that my hands had achieved and all the effort I had put into its achieving. Whatfutility it al was, what chasing after the wind! There is nothing to be gained under the sun.
12 Verti me ad contemplandam sapientiam et insipientiam et stultitiam: “ Quidfaciet, inquam, homo, qui veniet post regem? Id quod antea fecerunt ”.	12 My reflections then turned to wisdom, stupidity and fol y. For instance, what can the successor of aking do? What has been done already.
13 Etvidi quod tantum praecederet sapientia stultitiam, quantum lux praecedittenebras.	13 More is to be gained from wisdom than from fol y, just as one gains more from light than fromdarkness; this, of course, I see:
14 “ Sapientis oculi in capite eius, stultus in tenebris ambulat ”; et didici quod unus utriusque esset interitus.	14 The wise have their eyes open, the fool walks in the dark. No doubt! But I know, too, that one fateawaits them both.
15 Et dixi in corde meo: “ Si unus et stulti et meus occasus erit, quid mihiprodest quod maiorem sapientiae dedi operam? ”. Locutusque cum mente mea,animadverti quod hoc quoque esset vanitas.	15 'Since the fool's fate', I thought to myself, 'will be my fate too, what is the point of my having beenwise?' I realised that this too is futile.
16 Non enim erit memoria sapientissimiliter ut stulti in perpetuum; siquidem futura tempora oblivione cunctapariter operient: moritur doctus similiter ut indoctus.	16 For there is no lasting memory for the wise or the fool, and in the days to come both will be forgotten;the wise, no less than the fool, must die.
17 Et idcirco taeduit me vitae meae, quia malum mihi est, quod sub sole fit;cuncta enim vanitas et afflictio spiritus.	17 Life I have come to hate, for what is done under the sun disgusts me, since al is futility and chasingafter the wind.
18 Rursus detestatus sum omnemlaborem meum, quo sub sole laboravi, quem relicturus sum homini, qui erit postme;	18 All I have toiled for under the sun and now bequeath to my successor I have come to hate;
19 et quis scit utrum sapiens an stultus futurus sit? Et dominabitur inlaboribus meis, quibus desudavi et sollicitus fui sub sole. Hoc quoque vanitas.	19 who knows whether he wil be wise or a fool? Yet he wil be master of al the work into which I have putmy efforts and wisdom under the sun. That is futile too.
20 Verti me exasperans cor meum de omni labore, quo laboravi sub sole.	20 I have come to despair of all the efforts I have expended under the sun.
21 Namest qui laborat in sapientia et doctrina et sollicitudine, et homini, qui nonlaboraverit, dabit portionem suam; et hoc ergo vanitas et magnum malum.	21 For here is one who has laboured wisely, skilfully and successful y and must leave what is his own tosomeone who has not toiled for it at al . This is futile too, and grossly unjust;
22 Quid enim proderit homini de universo labore suo et afflictione cordis, quasub sole laboravit?	22 for what does he gain for al the toil and strain that he has undergone under the sun-
23 Cuncti dies eius dolores sunt, et aerumnae occupatioeius, nec per noctem cor eius requiescit; et hoc quoque vanitas est.	23 since his days are ful of sorrow, his work is ful of stress and even at night he has no peace of mind?This is futile too.
24 Nihilmelius est homini quam comedere et bibere et ostendere animae suae bona delaboribus suis. Et hoc vidi de manu Dei esse.	24 There is no happiness except in eating and drinking, and in enjoying one's achievements; and I seethat this too comes from God's hand;
25 Quis enim comedet et deliciisaffluet sine eo?	25 for who would get anything to eat or drink, unless al this came from him?
26 Quia homini bono in conspectu suo dedit sapientiam et scientiam et laetitiam;peccatori autem dedit afflictionem colligendi et congregandi, ut tradat ei, quiplacuit Deo; sed et hoc vanitas est et afflictio spiritus.	26 Wisdom, knowledge and joy, God gives to those who please him, but on the sinner he lays the task ofgathering and storing up for someone else who is pleasing to him. This too is futility and chasing after the wind.