Qoelet 9

NOVA VULGATA	NEW JERUSALEM
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.	1 Yes, I have applied myself to all this and experienced all this to be so: that is to say, that the upright andthe wise, with their activities, are in the hands of God. We do not understand either love or hate, where we areconcerned, both of them are
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.	2 futile. And for all of us is reserved a common fate, for the upright and for the wicked, for the good andfor the bad; whether we are ritually pure or not, whether we offer sacrifice or not: it is the same for the good andfor the sinner, for someone who takes a vow, as for someone who fears to do so.
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.	3 This is another evil among those occurring under the sun: that there should be the same fate foreveryone. The human heart, however, is ful of wickedness; fol y lurks in our hearts throughout our lives, until weend among the dead.
4 Qui enim sociatur omnibus viventibus, habetfiduciam: melior est canis vivus leone mortuo.	4 But there is hope for someone stil linked to the rest of the living: better be a live dog than a dead lion.
5 Viventes enim sciunt se essemorituros; mortui vero nihil noverunt amplius nec habent ultra mercedem, quiaoblivioni tradita est memoria eorum.	5 The living are at least aware that they are going to die, but the dead know nothing whatever. No morewages for them, since their memory is forgotten.
6 Amor quoque eorum et odium et invidiaesimul perierunt, nec iam habent partem in hoc saeculo et in opere, quod sub solegeritur.	6 Their love, their hate, their jealousy, have perished long since, and they wil never have any further partin what goes on under the sun.
7 Vade ergo et comede in laetitia panem tuum et bibe cum gaudio vinum tuum, etenim iam diu placuerunt Deo opera tua.	7 So, eat your bread in joy, drink your wine with a glad heart, since God has already approved youractions.
8 Omni tempore sint vestimenta tua candida, et oleum de capite tuo non deficiat.	8 At al times, dress in white and keep your head wel scented.
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.	9 Spend your life with the woman you love, all the days of futile life God gives you under the sun,throughout your futile days, since this is your lot in life and in the effort you expend under the sun.
10 Quodcumque facere potestmanus tua, instanter operare, quia nec opus nec ratio nec sapientia nec scientiaerunt apud inferos, quo tu properas.	10 Whatever work you find to do, do it with al your might, for there is neither achievement, nor planning,nor science, nor wisdom in Sheol where you are going.
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.	11 Another thing I have observed under the sun: that the race is not won by the speediest, nor the battleby the champions; it is not the wise who get food, nor the intel igent wealth, nor the learned favour: chance andmischance befall them all.
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.	12 We do not know when our time will come: like fish caught in the treacherous net, like birds caught inthe snare, just so are we al trapped by misfortune when it suddenly overtakes us.
13 Hanc quoque sub sole vidi sapientiam et probavi maximam:	13 Here is another example of the wisdom I have acquired under the sun and it strikes me as important:
14 civitas parva, etpauci in ea viri; venit contra eam rex magnus et vallavit eam exstruxitquemunitiones magnas per gyrum.	14 There was once a smal town, with only a few inhabitants; a mighty king made war on it, laying siege toit and building great siege-works round it.
15 Inventusque est in ea vir pauper et sapiens etliberavit urbem per sapientiam suam; et nullus deinceps recordatus est hominisillius pauperis.	15 But there was in that town a poverty-stricken sage who by his wisdom saved the town. No oneremembered this poor man afterwards.
16 Et dicebam ego meliorem esse sapientiam fortitudine, sed sapientia pauperis contemnitur, et verba eius non sunt audita.	16 So I say: Wisdom is more effective than brute force, but the wisdom of a poor man is not valued: noone listens to what he has to say.
17 Verba sapientium cum lenitate audiuntur plus quam clamor principis inter stultos.	17 The calm words of the wise make themselves heard above the shouts of someone commanding anarmy of fools.
18 Melior est sapientia quam arma bellica; sed unus, qui peccaverit, multa bona perdet.	18 Wisdom is worth more than weapons of war, but a single sin undoes a deal of good.