Verba Ecclesiastæ, filii David, regis Jerusalem. Vanitas vanitatum, dixit Ecclesiastes; vanitas vanitatum, et omnia vanitas. Quid habet amplius homo de universo labore suo quo laborat sub sole? Generatio præterit, et generatio advenit; terra autem in æternum stat. Oritur sol et occidit, et ad locum suum revertitur; ibique renascens, gyrat per meridiem, et flectitur ad aquilonem. Lustrans universa in circuitu pergit spiritus, et in circulos suos revertitur. Omnia flumina intrant in mare, et mare non redundat; ad locum unde exeunt flumina revertuntur ut iterum fluant. Cunctæ res difficiles; non potest eas homo explicare sermone. Non saturatur oculus visu, nec auris auditu impletur. Quid est quod fuit? Ipsum quod futurum est. Quid est quod factum est? Ipsum quod faciendum est. Nihil sub sole novum, nec valet quisquam dicere: Ecce hoc recens est: jam enim præcessit in sæculis quæ fuerunt ante nos. Non est priorum memoria; sed nec eorum quidem quæ postea futura sunt erit recordatio apud eos qui futuri sunt in novissimo. Ego Ecclesiastes fui rex Israël in Jerusalem; et proposui in animo meo quærere et investigare sapienter de omnibus quæ fiunt sub sole. Hanc occupationem pessimam dedit Deus filiis hominum, ut occuparentur in ea. Vidi cuncta quæ fiunt sub sole, et ecce universa vanitas et afflictio spiritus. Perversi difficile corriguntur, et stultorum infinitus est numerus. Locutus sum in corde meo, dicens: Ecce magnus effectus sum, et præcessi omnes sapientia qui fuerunt ante me in Jerusalem; et mens mea contemplata est multa sapienter, et didici. Dedique cor meum ut scirem prudentiam atque doctrinam, erroresque et stultitiam; et agnovi quod in his quoque esset labor et afflictio spiritus: eo quod in multa sapientia multa sit indignatio; et qui addit scientiam, addit et laborem.
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