The Latin Vulgate VUL
Good News Translation GNT
1 memento creatoris tui in diebus iuventutis tuae antequam veniat tempus adflictionis et adpropinquent anni de quibus dicas non mihi placent
1
So remember your Creator while you are still young, before those dismal days and years come when you will say, "I don't enjoy life."
2 antequam tenebrescat sol et lumen et luna et stellae et revertantur nubes post pluviam
2
That is when the light of the sun, the moon, and the stars will grow dim for you, and the rain clouds will never pass away.
3 quando commovebuntur custodes domus et nutabuntur viri fortissimi et otiosae erunt molentes inminuto numero et tenebrescent videntes per foramina
3
Then your arms, that have protected you, will tremble, and your legs, now strong, will grow weak. Your teeth will be too few to chew your food, and your eyes too dim to see clearly.
4 et claudent ostia in platea in humilitate vocis molentis et consurgent ad vocem volucris et obsurdescent omnes filiae carminis
4
Your ears will be deaf to the noise of the street. You will barely be able to hear the mill as it grinds or music as it plays, but even the song of a bird will wake you from sleep.
5 excelsa quoque timebunt et formidabunt in via florebit amigdalum inpinguabitur lucusta et dissipabitur capparis quoniam ibit homo in domum aeternitatis suae et circumibunt in platea plangentes
5
You will be afraid of high places, and walking will be dangerous. Your hair will turn white; you will hardly be able to drag yourself along, and all desire will be gone. We are going to our final resting place, and then there will be mourning in the streets.
6 antequam rumpatur funis argenteus et recurrat vitta aurea et conteratur hydria super fontem et confringatur rota super cisternam
6
The silver chain will snap, and the golden lamp will fall and break; the rope at the well will break, and the water jar will be shattered.
7 et revertatur pulvis in terram suam unde erat et spiritus redeat ad Deum qui dedit illum
7
Our bodies will return to the dust of the earth, and the breath of life will go back to God, who gave it to us.
8 vanitas vanitatum dixit Ecclesiastes omnia vanitas
8
Useless, useless, said the Philosopher. It is all useless.
9 cumque esset sapientissimus Ecclesiastes docuit populum et enarravit quae fecerit et investigans conposuit parabolas multas
9
But because the Philosopher was wise, he kept on teaching the people what he knew. He studied proverbs and honestly tested their truth.
10 quaesivit verba utilia et conscripsit sermones rectissimos ac veritate plenos
10
The Philosopher tried to find comforting words, but the words he wrote were honest.
11 verba sapientium sicut stimuli et quasi clavi in altum defixi quae per magistrorum concilium data sunt a pastore uno
11
The sayings of the wise are like the sharp sticks that shepherds use to guide sheep, and collected proverbs are as lasting as firmly driven nails. They have been given by God, the one Shepherd of us all.
12 his amplius fili mi ne requiras faciendi plures libros nullus est finis frequensque meditatio carnis adflictio est
12
My child, there is something else to watch out for. There is no end to the writing of books, and too much study will wear you out.
13 finem loquendi omnes pariter audiamus Deum time et mandata eius observa hoc est enim omnis homo
13
After all this, there is only one thing to say: Have reverence for God, and obey his commands, because this is all that we were created for.
14 et cuncta quae fiunt adducet Deus in iudicium pro omni errato sive bonum sive malum sit
14
God is going to judge everything we do, whether good or bad, even things done in secret.
The Latin Vulgate is in the public domain.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.