Qoelet 2

NOVA VULGATA	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Dixi ego in corde meo: “ Veni, tentabo te gaudio: fruere bo nis ”; etecce hoc quoque vanitas.	1 I said in my heart: “I will go forth and overflow with delights, and I will enjoy good things.” And I saw that this, too, is emptiness.
2 De risu dixi: “ Insania ” et de gaudio: “ Quid prodest? ”.	2 Laughter, I considered an error. And to rejoicing, I said: “Why are you being deceived, to no purpose?”
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 in my heart to withdraw my flesh from wine, so that I might bring my mind to wisdom, and turn away from foolishness, until I see what is useful for the sons of men, and what they ought to do under the sun, during the number of the days of their life.
4 Magnificavi opera mea:aedificavi mihi domos et plantavi vineas,	4 I magnified my works. I built houses for myself, and I planted vineyards.
5 feci hortos et pomaria et consevi eaarboribus cuncti generis fructuum	5 I made gardens and orchards. And I planted them with trees of every kind.
6 et exstruxi mihi piscinas aquarum, utirrigarem silvam lignorum germinantium.	6 And I dug out fishponds of water, so that I might irrigate the forest of growing trees.
7 Possedi servos et ancillas et habuimultam familiam, habui armenta quoque et magnos ovium greges ultra omnes, quifuerunt ante me in Ierusalem.	7 I obtained men and women servants, and I had a great family, as well as herds of cattle and great flocks of sheep, beyond all who were before me in Jerusalem.
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 for myself silver and gold, and the wealth of kings and governors. I chose men and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, bowls and pitchers for the purpose of pouring wine.
9 et crevi,supergressus sum omnes, qui ante me fuerunt in Ierusalem; sapientia quoque meaperseveravit mecum.	9 And I surpassed in opulence all who were before me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also persevered with 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 And all that my eyes desired, I did not refuse them. Neither did I prohibit my heart from enjoying every pleasure, and from amusing itself in the things that I had prepared. And I regarded this as my share, as if I were making use of my own labors.
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 But when I turned myself toward all the works that my hands had made, and to the labors in which I had perspired to no purpose, I saw emptiness and affliction of the soul in all things, and that nothing is permanent 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 I continued on, so as to contemplate wisdom, as well as error and foolishness. “What is man,” I said, “that he would be able to follow his Maker, the King?”
13 Etvidi quod tantum praecederet sapientia stultitiam, quantum lux praecedittenebras.	13 And I saw that wisdom surpasses foolishness, so much so that they differ as much as light from darkness.
14 “ Sapientis oculi in capite eius, stultus in tenebris ambulat ”; et didici quod unus utriusque esset interitus.	14 The eyes of a wise man are in his head. A foolish man walks in darkness. Yet I learned that one would pass away like the other.
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 And I said in my heart: “If the death of both the foolish and myself will be one, how does it benefit me, if I have given myself more thoroughly to the work of wisdom?” And as I was speaking within my own mind, I perceived that this, too, is emptiness.
16 Non enim erit memoria sapientissimiliter ut stulti in perpetuum; siquidem futura tempora oblivione cunctapariter operient: moritur doctus similiter ut indoctus.	16 For there will not be a remembrance in perpetuity of the wise, nor of the foolish. And the future times will cover everything together, with oblivion. The learned die in a manner similar to the unlearned.
17 Et idcirco taeduit me vitae meae, quia malum mihi est, quod sub sole fit;cuncta enim vanitas et afflictio spiritus.	17 And, because of this, my life wearied me, since I saw that everything under the sun is evil, and everything is empty and an affliction of the spirit.
18 Rursus detestatus sum omnemlaborem meum, quo sub sole laboravi, quem relicturus sum homini, qui erit postme;	18 Again, I detested all my efforts, by which I had earnestly labored under the sun, to be taken up by an heir after me,
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 though I know not whether he will be wise or foolish. And yet he will have power over my labors, in which I have toiled and been anxious. And is there anything else so empty?
20 Verti me exasperans cor meum de omni labore, quo laboravi sub sole.	20 Therefore, I ceased, and my heart renounced further laboring 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 when someone labors in wisdom, and doctrine, and prudence, he leaves behind what he has obtained to one who is idle. So this, too, is emptiness and a great burden.
22 Quid enim proderit homini de universo labore suo et afflictione cordis, quasub sole laboravit?	22 For how can a man benefit from all his labor and affliction of spirit, by which he has been tormented under the sun?
23 Cuncti dies eius dolores sunt, et aerumnae occupatioeius, nec per noctem cor eius requiescit; et hoc quoque vanitas est.	23 All his days have been filled with sorrows and hardships; neither does he rest his mind, even in the night. And is this not emptiness?
24 Nihilmelius est homini quam comedere et bibere et ostendere animae suae bona delaboribus suis. Et hoc vidi de manu Dei esse.	24 Is it not better to eat and drink, and to show his soul the good things of his labors? And this is from the hand of God.
25 Quis enim comedet et deliciisaffluet sine eo?	25 So who will feast and overflow with delights as much as I have?
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 God has given, to the man who is good in his sight, wisdom, and knowledge, and rejoicing. But to the sinner, he has given affliction and needless worrying, so as to add, and to gather, and to deliver, to him who has pleased God. But this, too, is emptiness and a hollow worrying of the mind.