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omnia haec tractavi in corde meo ut curiose intellegerem sunt iusti atque sapientes et opera eorum in manu Dei et tamen nescit homo utrum amore an odio dignus sit
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:
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| 2 |
sed omnia in futuro servantur incerta eo quod universa aeque eveniant iusto et impio bono et malo mundo et inmundo immolanti victimas et sacrificia contemnenti sicut bonus sic et peccator ut periurus ita et ille qui verum deierat
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.
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| 3 |
hoc est pessimum inter omnia quae sub sole fiunt quia eadem cunctis eveniunt unde et corda filiorum hominum implentur malitia et contemptu in vita sua et post haec ad inferos deducentur
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.
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| 4 |
nemo est qui semper vivat et qui huius rei habeat fiduciam melior est canis vivens leone mortuo
There is no man that liveth always, or that hopeth for this: a living dog is better than a dead lion.
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| 5 |
viventes enim sciunt se esse morituros mortui vero nihil noverunt amplius nec habent ultra mercedem quia oblivioni tradita est memoria eorum
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.
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| 6 |
amor quoque et odium et invidia simul perierunt nec habent partem in hoc saeculo et in opere quod sub sole geritur
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.
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| 7 |
vade ergo et comede in laetitia panem tuum et bibe cum gaudio vinum tuum quia Deo placent opera tua
Go then, and eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with gladness: because thy works please God.
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| 8 |
omni tempore sint vestimenta tua candida et oleum de capite tuo non deficiat
At all times let thy garments be white, and let not oil depart from thy head.
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| 9 |
perfruere vita cum uxore quam diligis cunctis diebus vitae instabilitatis tuae qui dati sunt tibi sub sole omni tempore vanitatis tuae haec est enim pars in vita et in labore tuo quod laboras sub sole
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.
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| 10 |
quodcumque potest manus tua facere instanter operare quia nec opus nec ratio nec scientia nec sapientia erunt apud inferos quo tu properas
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.
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| 11 |
verti me alio vidique sub sole nec velocium esse cursum nec fortium bellum nec sapientium panem nec doctorum divitias nec artificum gratiam sed tempus casumque in omnibus
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.
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| 12 |
nescit homo finem suum sed sicut pisces capiuntur hamo et sicut aves conprehenduntur laqueo sic capiuntur homines tempore malo cum eis extemplo supervenerit
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.
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| 13 |
hanc quoque vidi sub sole sapientiam et probavi maximam
This wisdom also I have seen under the sun, and it seemed to me to be very great:
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| 14 |
civitas parva et pauci in ea viri venit contra eam rex magnus et vallavit eam extruxitque munitiones per gyrum et perfecta est obsidio
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.
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| 15 |
inventusque in ea vir pauper et sapiens liberavit urbem per sapientiam suam et nullus deinceps recordatus est hominis illius pauperis
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.
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| 16 |
et dicebam ego meliorem esse sapientiam fortitudine quomodo ergo sapientia pauperis contempta est et verba eius non sunt audita
And I said that wisdom is better than strength: how then is the wisdom of the poor man slighted, and his words not heard?
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| 17 |
verba sapientium audiuntur in silentio plus quam clamor principis inter stultos
The words of the wise are heard in silence, more than the cry of a prince among fools.
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| 18 |
melior est sapientia quam arma bellica et qui in uno peccaverit multa bona perdet
Better is wisdom, than weapons of war: and he that shall offend in one, shall lose many good things.
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