¹Sapientia hominis lucet in vultu ejus,The wisdom of a man shines in his countenance,et potentissimus faciem illius commutabit.and even the expression of a most powerful man will change.

¹Sapientia hominis lucet in vultu ejus,The wisdom of a man shines in his countenance,et potentissimus faciem illius commutabit.and even the expression of a most powerful man will change.

²Ego os regis observo,I heed the mouth of the king,et præcepta juramenti Dei.and the commandment of an oath to God.

²Ego os regis observo,I heed the mouth of the king,et præcepta juramenti Dei.and the commandment of an oath to God.

³Ne festines recedere a facie ejus,You should not hastily withdraw from his presence,neque permaneas in opere malo:nor should you remain in an evil work.quia omne quod voluerit faciet.For all that pleases him, he will do.

³Ne festines recedere a facie ejus,You should not hastily withdraw from his presence,neque permaneas in opere malo:nor should you remain in an evil work.quia omne quod voluerit faciet.For all that pleases him, he will do.

⁴Et sermo illius potestate plenus est,And his word is filled with authority.nec dicere ei quisquam potest:Neither is anyone able to say to him:Quare ita facis?“Why are you acting this way?”

⁴Et sermo illius potestate plenus est,And his word is filled with authority.nec dicere ei quisquam potest:Neither is anyone able to say to him:Quare ita facis?“Why are you acting this way?”

⁵Qui custodit præceptum non experietur quidquam mali.Whoever keeps the commandment will not experience evil.Tempus et responsionem cor sapientis intelligit.The heart of a wise man understands the time to respond.

⁵Qui custodit præceptum non experietur quidquam mali.Whoever keeps the commandment will not experience evil.Tempus et responsionem cor sapientis intelligit.The heart of a wise man understands the time to respond.

⁶Omni negotio tempus est, et opportunitas:For every matter, there is a time and an opportunity,et multa hominis afflictio,as well as many difficulties, for man.

⁶Omni negotio tempus est, et opportunitas:For every matter, there is a time and an opportunity,et multa hominis afflictio,as well as many difficulties, for man.

⁷quia ignorat præterita,For he is ignorant of the past,et futura nullo scire potest nuntio.and he is able to know nothing of the future by means of a messenger.

⁷quia ignorat præterita,For he is ignorant of the past,et futura nullo scire potest nuntio.and he is able to know nothing of the future by means of a messenger.

⁸Non est in hominis potestate prohibere spiritum,It is not in the power of a man to prohibit the spirit,nec habet potestatem in die mortis:nor does he have authority over the day of death,nec sinitur quiescere ingruente bello,nor is he permitted to rest when war breaks out,neque salvabit impietas impium.and neither will impiety save the impious.

⁸Non est in hominis potestate prohibere spiritum,It is not in the power of a man to prohibit the spirit,nec habet potestatem in die mortis:nor does he have authority over the day of death,nec sinitur quiescere ingruente bello,nor is he permitted to rest when war breaks out,neque salvabit impietas impium.and neither will impiety save the impious.

⁹Omnia hæc consideravi,I have considered all these things,et dedi cor meum in cunctis operibus quæ fiunt sub sole.and I have applied my heart to all the works which are being done under the sun.Interdum dominatur homo homini in malum suum.Sometimes one man rules over another to his own harm.

⁹Omnia hæc consideravi,I have considered all these things,et dedi cor meum in cunctis operibus quæ fiunt sub sole.and I have applied my heart to all the works which are being done under the sun.Interdum dominatur homo homini in malum suum.Sometimes one man rules over another to his own harm.

¹⁰Vidi impios sepultos,I have seen the impious buried.qui etiam cum adhuc viverent in loco sancto erant,These same, while they were still living, were in the holy place,et laudabantur in civitate quasi justorum operum.and they were praised in the city as workers of justice.Sed et hoc vanitas est.But this, too, is emptiness.

¹⁰Vidi impios sepultos,I have seen the impious buried.qui etiam cum adhuc viverent in loco sancto erant,These same, while they were still living, were in the holy place,et laudabantur in civitate quasi justorum operum.and they were praised in the city as workers of justice.Sed et hoc vanitas est.But this, too, is emptiness.

¹¹Etenim quia non profertur cito contra malos sententia,For the sons of men perpetrate evils without any fear,absque timore ullo filii hominum perpetrant mala.because judgment is not pronounced quickly against the evil.

¹¹Etenim quia non profertur cito contra malos sententia,For the sons of men perpetrate evils without any fear,absque timore ullo filii hominum perpetrant mala.because judgment is not pronounced quickly against the evil.

¹²Attamen peccator ex eo quod centies facit malum,But although a sinner may do evil of himself one hundred times,et per patientiam sustentatur;and by patience still endure,ego cognovi quod erit bonum timentibus Deum,I realize that it will be well with those who fear God,qui verentur faciem ejus.who revere his face.

¹²Attamen peccator ex eo quod centies facit malum,But although a sinner may do evil of himself one hundred times,et per patientiam sustentatur;and by patience still endure,ego cognovi quod erit bonum timentibus Deum,I realize that it will be well with those who fear God,qui verentur faciem ejus.who revere his face.

¹³Non sit bonum impio,So, may it not go well with the impious,nec prolongentur dies ejus,and may his days not be prolonged.sed quasi umbra transeant qui non timent faciem Domini.And let those who do not fear the face of the Lord pass away like a shadow.

¹³Non sit bonum impio,So, may it not go well with the impious,nec prolongentur dies ejus,and may his days not be prolonged.sed quasi umbra transeant qui non timent faciem Domini.And let those who do not fear the face of the Lord pass away like a shadow.

¹⁴Est et alia vanitas quæ fit super terram:There is also another vanity, which is done upon the earth.sunt justi quibus mala proveniunt quasi opera egerint impiorum:There are the just, to whom evils happen, as though they had done the works of the impious.et sunt impii qui ita securi sunt quasi justorum facta habeant.And there are the impious, who are very secure, as though they possess the deeds of the just.Sed et hoc vanissimum judico.But this, too, I judge to be a very great vanity.

¹⁴Est et alia vanitas quæ fit super terram:There is also another vanity, which is done upon the earth.sunt justi quibus mala proveniunt quasi opera egerint impiorum:There are the just, to whom evils happen, as though they had done the works of the impious.et sunt impii qui ita securi sunt quasi justorum facta habeant.And there are the impious, who are very secure, as though they possess the deeds of the just.Sed et hoc vanissimum judico.But this, too, I judge to be a very great vanity.

¹⁵Laudavi igitur lætitiam;And so,quod non esset homini bonum sub sole,I praised rejoicing,nisi quod comederet,because there was no good for a man under the sun,et biberet,except to eat and drink,atque gauderet,and to be cheerful,et hoc solum secum auferret de labore suo,and because he may take nothing with him from his labor in the days of his life,in diebus vitæ suæ quos dedit ei Deus sub sole.which God has given to him under the sun.

¹⁵Laudavi igitur lætitiam;And so,quod non esset homini bonum sub sole,I praised rejoicing,nisi quod comederet,because there was no good for a man under the sun,et biberet,except to eat and drink,atque gauderet,and to be cheerful,et hoc solum secum auferret de labore suo,and because he may take nothing with him from his labor in the days of his life,in diebus vitæ suæ quos dedit ei Deus sub sole.which God has given to him under the sun.

¹⁶Et apposui cor meum ut scirem sapientiam,And I applied my heart, so that I might know wisdom,et intelligerem distentionem quæ versatur in terra.and so that I might understand a disturbance that turns upon the earth:Est homo qui diebus et noctibus somnum non capit oculis.it is a man, who takes no sleep with his eyes, day and night.

¹⁶Et apposui cor meum ut scirem sapientiam,And I applied my heart, so that I might know wisdom,et intelligerem distentionem quæ versatur in terra.and so that I might understand a disturbance that turns upon the earth:Est homo qui diebus et noctibus somnum non capit oculis.it is a man, who takes no sleep with his eyes, day and night.

¹⁷Et intellexi quod omnium operum Dei nullam possit homo invenire rationem eorum quæ fiunt sub sole;And I understood that man is able to find no explanation for all those works of God which are done under the sun.et quanto plus laboraverit ad quærendum,And so, the more that he labors to seek,tanto minus inveniat:so much the less does he find.etiam si dixerit sapiens se nosse,Yes, even if a wise man were to claim that he knows,non poterit reperire.he would not be able to discover it.

¹⁷Et intellexi quod omnium operum Dei nullam possit homo invenire rationem eorum quæ fiunt sub sole;And I understood that man is able to find no explanation for all those works of God which are done under the sun.et quanto plus laboraverit ad quærendum,And so, the more that he labors to seek,tanto minus inveniat:so much the less does he find.etiam si dixerit sapiens se nosse,Yes, even if a wise man were to claim that he knows,non poterit reperire.he would not be able to discover it.