The Latin Vulgate VUL
New Century Version NCV
1 dixi ego in corde meo vadam et affluam deliciis et fruar bonis et vidi quod hoc quoque esset vanitas
1
I said to myself, "I will try having fun. I will enjoy myself." But I found that this is also useless.
2 risum reputavi errorem et gaudio dixi quid frustra deciperis
2
It is foolish to laugh all the time, and having fun doesn't accomplish anything.
3 cogitavi in corde meo abstrahere a vino carnem meam ut animum meum transferrem ad sapientiam devitaremque stultitiam donec viderem quid esset utile filiis hominum quod facto opus est sub sole numero dierum vitae suae
3
I decided to cheer myself up with wine while my mind was still thinking wisely. I wanted to find a way to enjoy myself and see what was good for people to do during their few days of life.
4 magnificavi opera mea aedificavi mihi domos plantavi vineas
4
Then I did great things: I built houses and planted vineyards for myself.
5 feci hortos et pomeria et consevi ea cuncti generis arboribus
5
I made gardens and parks, and I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them.
6 extruxi mihi piscinas aquarum ut inrigarem silvam lignorum germinantium
6
I made pools of water for myself and used them to water my growing trees.
7 possedi servos et ancillas multamque familiam habui armenta quoque et magnos ovium greges ultra omnes qui fuerunt ante me in Hierusalem
7
I bought male and female slaves, and slaves were also born in my house. I had large herds and flocks, more than anyone in Jerusalem had ever had before.
8 coacervavi mihi argentum et aurum et substantias regum ac provinciarum feci mihi cantores et cantrices et delicias filiorum hominum scyphos et urceos in ministerio ad vina fundenda
8
I also gathered silver and gold for myself, treasures from kings and other areas. I had male and female singers and all the women a man could ever want.
9 et supergressus sum opibus omnes qui fuerunt ante me in Hierusalem sapientia quoque perseveravit mecum
9
I became very famous, even greater than anyone who had lived in Jerusalem before me. My wisdom helped me in all this.
10 et omnia quae desideraverunt oculi mei non negavi eis nec prohibui cor quin omni voluptate frueretur et oblectaret se in his quae paraveram et hanc ratus sum partem meam si uterer labore meo
10
Anything I saw and wanted, I got for myself; I did not miss any pleasure I desired. I was pleased with everything I did, and this pleasure was the reward for all my hard work.
11 cumque me convertissem ad universa opera quae fecerant manus meae et ad labores in quibus frustra sudaveram vidi in omnibus vanitatem et adflictionem animi et nihil permanere sub sole
11
But then I looked at what I had done, and I thought about all the hard work. Suddenly I realized it was useless, like chasing the wind. There is nothing to gain from anything we do here on earth.
12 transivi ad contemplandam sapientiam erroresque et stultitiam quid est inquam homo ut sequi possit regem factorem suum
12
Then I began to think again about being wise, and also about being foolish and doing crazy things. But after all, what more can anyone do? He can't do more than what the other king has already done.
13 et vidi quia tantum praecederet sapientia stultitiam quantum differt lux tenebris
13
I saw that being wise is certainly better than being foolish, just as light is better than darkness.
14 sapientis oculi in capite eius stultus in tenebris ambulat et didici quod unus utriusque esset interitus
14
Wise people see where they are going, but fools walk around in the dark. Yet I saw that both wise and foolish people end the same way.
15 et dixi in corde meo si unus et stulti et meus occasus erit quid mihi prodest quod maiorem sapientiae dedi operam locutusque cum mente mea animadverti quod hoc quoque esset vanitas
15
I thought to myself, "What happens to a fool will happen to me, too, so what is the reward for being wise?" I said to myself, "Being wise is also useless."
16 non enim erit memoria sapientis similiter ut stulti in perpetuum et futura tempora oblivione cuncta pariter obruent moritur doctus similiter et indoctus
16
The wise person and the fool will both die, and no one will remember either one for long. In the future, both will be forgotten.
17 et idcirco taeduit me vitae meae videntem mala esse universa sub sole et cuncta vanitatem atque adflictionem spiritus
17
So I hated life. It made me sad to think that everything here on earth is useless, like chasing the wind.
18 rursum detestatus sum omnem industriam meam quae sub sole studiosissime laboravi habiturus heredem post me
18
I hated all the things I had worked for here on earth, because I must leave them to someone who will live after me.
19 quem ignoro utrum sapiens an stultus futurus sit et dominabitur in laboribus meis quibus desudavi et sollicitus fui et est quicquam tam vanum
19
Someone else will control everything for which I worked so hard here on earth, and I don't know if he will be wise or foolish. This is also useless.
20 unde cessavi renuntiavitque cor meum ultra laborare sub sole
20
So I became sad about all the hard work I had done here on earth.
21 nam cum alius laboret in sapientia et doctrina et sollicitudine homini otioso quaesita dimittit et hoc ergo vanitas et magnum malum
21
People can work hard using all their wisdom, knowledge, and skill, but they will die, and other people will get the things for which they worked. They did not do the work, but they will get everything. This is also unfair and useless.
22 quid enim proderit homini de universo labore suo et adflictione spiritus qua sub sole cruciatus est
22
What do people get for all their work and struggling here on earth?
23 cuncti dies eius doloribus et aerumnis pleni sunt nec per noctem mente requiescit et haec non vanitas est
23
All of their lives their work is full of pain and sorrow, and even at night their minds don't rest. This is also useless.
24 nonne melius est comedere et bibere et ostendere animae suae bona de laboribus suis et hoc de manu Dei est
24
The best that people can do is eat, drink, and enjoy their work. I saw that even this comes from God,
25 quis ita vorabit et deliciis affluet ut ego
25
because no one can eat or enjoy life without him.
26 homini bono in conspectu suo dedit Deus sapientiam et scientiam et laetitiam peccatori autem dedit adflictionem et curam superfluam ut addat et congreget et tradat ei qui placuit Deo sed et hoc vanitas et cassa sollicitudo mentis
26
If people please God, God will give them wisdom, knowledge, and joy. But sinners will get only the work of gathering and storing wealth that they will have to give to the ones who please God. So all their work is useless, like chasing the wind.
The Latin Vulgate is in the public domain.
Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.