Ecclesiastes 2

VULGATA	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Dixi ego in corde meo : Vadam, et affluam deliciis, et fruar bonis ; et vidi quod hoc quoque esset 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 Risum reputavi errorem, et gaudio dixi : Quid frustra deciperis ?	2 Laughter, I considered an error. And to rejoicing, I said: “Why are you being deceived, to no purpose?”
3 Cogitavi in corde meo abstrahere a vino carnem meam, ut animam meam transferrem ad sapientiam, devitaremque stultitiam, donec viderem quid esset utile filiis hominum, quo facto opus est sub sole numero dierum vitæ suæ.	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, ædificavi 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 ea cuncti generis arboribus ;	5 I made gardens and orchards. And I planted them with trees of every kind.
6 et exstruxi mihi piscinas aquarum, ut irrigarem 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, multamque familiam habui : armenta quoque, et magnos ovium greges, ultra omnes qui fuerunt ante me in Jerusalem ;	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 argentum et aurum, et substantias regum ac provinciarum ; feci mihi cantores et cantatrices, et delicias filiorum 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 supergressus sum opibus omnes qui ante me fuerunt in Jerusalem : sapientia quoque perseveravit mecum.	9 And I surpassed in opulence all who were before me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also persevered with me.
10 Et omnia quæ desideraverunt oculi mei non negavi eis, nec prohibui cor meum quin omni voluptate frueretur, et oblectaret se in his quæ præparaveram ; et hanc ratus sum partem meam si uterer labore meo.	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 me convertissem ad universa opera quæ fecerant manus meæ, et ad labores in quibus frustra sudaveram, vidi in omnibus vanitatem et afflictionem animi, et nihil permanere 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 Transivi ad contemplandam sapientiam, erroresque, et stultitiam. (Quid est, inquam, homo, ut sequi possit regem, factorem suum ?)	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 Et vidi quod tantum præcederet sapientia stultitiam, quantum differt lux a tenebris.	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 ejus ; 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 mihi prodest quod majorem sapientiæ 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 sapientis similiter ut stulti in perpetuum, et futura tempora oblivione cuncta pariter 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 tæduit me vitæ meæ, videntem mala universa esse sub sole, et cuncta vanitatem et afflictionem 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 omnem industriam meam, qua sub sole studiosissime laboravi, habiturus hæredem post me,	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 quem ignoro utrum sapiens an stultus futurus sit, et dominabitur in laboribus meis, quibus desudavi et sollicitus fui : et est quidquam tam vanum ?	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 Unde cessavi, renuntiavitque cor meum ultra laborare sub sole.	20 Therefore, I ceased, and my heart renounced further laboring under the sun.
21 Nam cum alius laboret in sapientia, et doctrina, et sollicitudine, homini otioso quæsita dimittit ; 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 spiritus, qua sub sole cruciatus est ?	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 ejus doloribus et ærumnis pleni sunt, nec per noctem mente requiescit. Et hoc nonne 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 Nonne melius est comedere et bibere, et ostendere animæ suæ bona de laboribus suis ? et hoc de manu Dei est.	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 ita devorabit et deliciis affluet ut ego ?	25 So who will feast and overflow with delights as much as I have?
26 Homini bono in conspectu suo dedit Deus sapientiam, et scientiam, et lætitiam ; peccatori autem dedit afflictionem et curam superfluam, ut addat, et congreget, et tradat ei qui placuit Deo ; sed et hoc vanitas est, et cassa sollicitudo mentis.	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.