KJV ¹ Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour.

VULC ¹ [Muscæ morientes perdunt suavitatem unguenti.
Pretiosior est sapientia et gloria,
parva et ad tempus stultitia.

KJV ² A wise man's heart is at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left.

VULC ² Cor sapientis in dextera ejus,
et cor stulti in sinistra illius.

KJV ³ Yea also, when he that is a fool walketh by the way, his wisdom faileth him, and he saith to every one that he is a fool.

VULC ³ Sed et in via stultus ambulans,
cum ipse insipiens sit,
omnes stultos æstimat.

KJV ⁴ If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for yielding pacifieth great offences.

VULC ⁴ Si spiritus potestatem habentis ascenderit super te,
locum tuum ne dimiseris,
quia curatio faciet cessare peccata maxima.]

KJV ⁵ There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as an error which proceedeth from the ruler:

VULC ⁵ [Est malum quod vidi sub sole,
quasi per errorem egrediens a facie principis :

KJV ⁶ Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in low place.

VULC ⁶ positum stultum in dignitate sublimi,
et divites sedere deorsum.

KJV ⁷ I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth.

VULC ⁷ Vidi servos in equis,
et principes ambulantes super terram quasi servos.

KJV ⁸ He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him.

VULC ⁸ Qui fodit foveam incidet in eam,
et qui dissipat sepem mordebit eum coluber.

KJV ⁹ Whoso removeth stones shall be hurt therewith; and he that cleaveth wood shall be endangered thereby.

VULC ⁹ Qui transfert lapides affligetur in eis,
et qui scindit ligna vulnerabitur ab eis.

KJV ¹⁰ If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct.

VULC ¹⁰ Si retusum fuerit ferrum,
et hoc non ut prius, sed hebetatum fuerit,
multo labore exacuetur,
et post industriam sequetur sapientia.

KJV ¹¹ Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment; and a babbler is no better.

VULC ¹¹ Si mordeat serpens in silentio,
nihil eo minus habet qui occulte detrahit.

KJV ¹² The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.

VULC ¹² Verba oris sapientis gratia,
et labia insipientis præcipitabunt eum ;

KJV ¹³ The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.

VULC ¹³ initium verborum ejus stultitia,
et novissimum oris illius error pessimus.

KJV ¹⁴ A fool also is full of words: a man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him?

VULC ¹⁴ Stultus verba multiplicat.
Ignorat homo quid ante se fuerit ;
et quid post se futurum sit, quis ei poterit indicare ?

KJV ¹⁵ The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city.

VULC ¹⁵ Labor stultorum affliget eos,
qui nesciunt in urbem pergere.]

KJV ¹⁶ Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning!

VULC ¹⁶ [Væ tibi, terra, cujus rex puer est,
et cujus principes mane comedunt.

KJV ¹⁷ Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness!

VULC ¹⁷ Beata terra cujus rex nobilis est,
et cujus principes vescuntur in tempore suo,
ad reficiendum, et non ad luxuriam.

KJV ¹⁸ By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through.

VULC ¹⁸ In pigritiis humiliabitur contignatio,
et in infirmitate manuum perstillabit domus.

KJV ¹⁹ A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things.

VULC ¹⁹ In risum faciunt panem et vinum
ut epulentur viventes ;
et pecuniæ obediunt omnia.

KJV ²⁰ Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.

VULC ²⁰ In cogitatione tua regi ne detrahas,
et in secreto cubiculi tui ne maledixeris diviti :
quia et aves cæli portabunt vocem tuam,
et qui habet pennas annuntiabit sententiam.]

KJV ¹ Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.

VULC ¹ [Mitte panem tuum super transeuntes aquas,
quia post tempora multa invenies illum.

KJV ² Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth.

VULC ² Da partem septem necnon et octo,
quia ignoras quid futurum sit mali super terram.

KJV ³ If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be.

VULC ³ Si repletæ fuerint nubes,
imbrem super terram effundent.
Si ceciderit lignum ad austrum aut ad aquilonem,
in quocumque loco ceciderit, ibi erit.

KJV ⁴ He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.

VULC ⁴ Qui observat ventum non seminat ;
et qui considerat nubes numquam metet.

KJV ⁵ As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.

VULC ⁵ Quomodo ignoras quæ sit via spiritus,
et qua ratione compingantur ossa in ventre prægnantis,
sic nescis opera Dei,
qui fabricator est omnium.

KJV ⁶ In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.

VULC ⁶ Mane semina semen tuum,
et vespere ne cesset manus tua :
quia nescis quid magis oriatur, hoc aut illud ;
et si utrumque simul, melius erit.]

KJV ⁷ Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun:

VULC ⁷ [Dulce lumen,
et delectabile est oculis videre solem.

KJV ⁸ But if a man live many years, and rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity.

VULC ⁸ Si annis multis vixerit homo,
et in his omnibus lætatus fuerit,
meminisse debet tenebrosi temporis, et dierum multorum,
qui cum venerint, vanitatis arguentur præterita.

KJV ⁹ Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.

VULC ⁹ Lætare ergo, juvenis, in adolescentia tua,
et in bono sit cor tuum in diebus juventutis tuæ :
et ambula in viis cordis tui,
et in intuitu oculorum tuorum,
et scito quod pro omnibus his adducet te Deus in judicium.

KJV ¹⁰ Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity.

VULC ¹⁰ Aufer iram a corde tuo,
et amove malitiam a carne tua :
adolescentia enim et voluptas vana sunt.]

KJV ¹ Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;

VULC ¹ [Memento Creatoris tui in diebus juventutis tuæ,
antequam veniat tempus afflictionis,
et appropinquent anni de quibus dicas :
Non mihi placent ;

KJV ² While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:

VULC ² antequam tenebrescat sol, et lumen, et luna, et stellæ,
et revertantur nubes post pluviam ;

KJV ³ In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened,

VULC ³ quando commovebuntur custodes domus,
et nutabunt viri fortissimi,
et otiosæ erunt molentes in minuto numero,
et tenebrescent videntes per foramina ;

KJV ⁴ And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low;

VULC ⁴ et claudent ostia in platea,
in humilitate vocis molentis,
et consurgent ad vocem volucris,
et obsurdescent omnes filiæ carminis :

KJV ⁵ Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:

VULC ⁵ 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.

KJV ⁶ Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.

VULC ⁶ Antequam rumpatur funiculus argenteus,
et recurrat vitta aurea,
et conteratur hydria super fontem,
et confringatur rota super cisternam,

KJV ⁷ Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

VULC ⁷ et revertatur pulvis in terram suam unde erat,
et spiritus redeat ad Deum, qui dedit illum.

KJV ⁸ Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity.

VULC ⁸ Vanitas vanitatum, dixit Ecclesiastes,
et omnia vanitas.]

KJV ⁹ And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.

VULC ⁹ [Cumque esset sapientissimus Ecclesiastes,
docuit populum, et enarravit quæ fecerat ;
et investigans composuit parabolas multas.

KJV ¹⁰ The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth.

VULC ¹⁰ Quæsivit verba utilia,
et conscripsit sermones rectissimos ac veritate plenos.

KJV ¹¹ The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.

VULC ¹¹ Verba sapientium sicut stimuli,
et quasi clavi in altum defixi,
quæ per magistrorum consilium data sunt a pastore uno.

KJV ¹² And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

VULC ¹² His amplius, fili mi, ne requiras.
Faciendi plures libros nullus est finis ;
frequensque meditatio, carnis afflictio est.

KJV ¹³ Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

VULC ¹³ Finem loquendi pariter omnes audiamus.
Deum time, et mandata ejus observa :
hoc est enim omnis homo,

KJV ¹⁴ For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

VULC ¹⁴ et cuncta quæ fiunt adducet Deus in judicium
pro omni errato, sive bonum, sive malum illud sit.]