Ecclesiastes 12, Catholic Public Domain Version
Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the time of affliction arrives and the years draw near, about which you will say, “These do not please me.”
Memento Creatoris tui in diebus juventutis tuæ, antequam veniat tempus afflictionis, et appropinquent anni de quibus dicas: Non mihi placent;
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Before the sun, and the light, and the moon, and the stars are darkened and the clouds return after the rain,†
antequam tenebrescat sol, et lumen, et luna, et stellæ, et revertantur nubes post pluviam;
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when the guardians of the house will tremble, and the strongest men will waver, and those who grind grain will be idle, except for a small number, and those who look through the keyholes will be darkened.
quando commovebuntur custodes domus, et nutabunt viri fortissimi, et otiosæ erunt molentes in minuto numero, et tenebrescent videntes per foramina;
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And they will close the doors to the street, when the voice of he who grinds the grain will be humbled, and they will be disturbed at the sound of a flying thing, and all the daughters of song shall become deaf.
et claudent ostia in platea, in humilitate vocis molentis, et consurgent ad vocem volucris, et obsurdescent omnes filiæ carminis:
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Likewise, they will fear the things above them, and they will dread the way. The almond tree will flourish; the locust will be fattened; and the caper plant will be scattered, because man shall go into the house of his eternity, and the mourners shall wander around in the street.
excelsa quoque timebunt, et formidabunt in via. Florebit amygdalus, impinguabitur locusta, et dissipabitur capparis, quoniam ibit homo in domum æternitatis suæ, et circuibunt in platea plangentes.
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Before the silver cord is broken, and the golden band pulls away, and the pitcher is crushed over the fountain, and the wheel is broken above the cistern,
Antequam rumpatur funiculus argenteus, et recurrat vitta aurea, et conteratur hydria super fontem, et confringatur rota super cisternam,
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and the dust returns to its earth, from which it was, and the spirit returns to God, who granted it.
et revertatur pulvis in terram suam unde erat, et spiritus redeat ad Deum, qui dedit illum.
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Vanity of vanities, said Ecclesiastes, and all is vanity!
Vanitas vanitatum, dixit Ecclesiastes, et omnia vanitas.
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And since Ecclesiastes was very wise, he taught the people, and he described what he had accomplished. And while searching, he composed many parables.
Cumque esset sapientissimus Ecclesiastes, docuit populum, et enarravit quæ fecerat; et investigans composuit parabolas multas.
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He sought useful words, and he wrote most righteous words, which were full of truth.
Quæsivit verba utilia, et conscripsit sermones rectissimos ac veritate plenos.
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The words of the wise are like a goad, and like nails deeply fastened, which, through the counsel of teachers, are set forth by one pastor.
Verba sapientium sicut stimuli, et quasi clavi in altum defixi, quæ per magistrorum consilium data sunt a pastore uno.
- 12
You should require no more than this, my son. For there is no end to the making of many books. And excessive study is an affliction to the flesh.
His amplius, fili mi, ne requiras. Faciendi plures libros nullus est finis; frequensque meditatio, carnis afflictio est.
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Let us all listen together to the end of the discourse. Fear God, and observe his commandments. This is everything for man.†
Finem loquendi pariter omnes audiamus. Deum time, et mandata ejus observa: hoc est enim omnis homo,
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And so, for all that is done and for each error, God will bring judgment: whether it was good or evil.†
et cuncta quæ fiunt adducet Deus in judicium pro omni errato, sive bonum, sive malum illud sit.
Catholic Public Domain Version (Ronald L. Conte Jr., 2009), public domain · Latin: Clementine Vulgate (1592)