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7 ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙΑΣΤΗΣECCLESIASTES - Brenton|RSVReference
1τί περισσὸν τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ;
(12) ὅτι τίς οἶδεν τί ἀγαθὸν τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ ἐν τῇ ζωῇ ἀριθμὸν ἡμερῶν ζωῆς ματαιότητος αὐτοῦ;
καὶ ἐποίησεν αὐτὰς ἐν σκιᾷ·
ὅτι τίς ἀπαγγελεῖ τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ τί ἔσται ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον;
for who knows [what is] good for a man in his life, [during] the number of the life of the days of his vanity?
and he has spent them as a shadow;
for who shall tell a man what shall be after him under he sun?
Thoughts about life. Ec.7.1-8.1
2Ἀγαθὸν ὄνομα ὑπὲρ ἔλαιον ἀγαθὸν
καὶ ἡμέρα τοῦ θανάτου ὑπὲρ ἡμέραν γενέσεως αὐτοῦ.
A good name is better than good oil;
and the day of death than the day of birth.
 
3ἀγαθὸν πορευθῆναι εἰς οἶκον πένθους ἢ ὅτι πορευθῆναι εἰς οἶκον πότου,
καθότι τοῦτο τέλος παντὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου,
καὶ ὁ ζῶν δώσει εἰς καρδίαν αὐτοῦ.
[It is] better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the banquet house:
since this is the end of every man;
and the living man will apply good [warning] to his heart.
 
4ἀγαθὸν θυμὸς ὑπὲρ γέλωτα,
ὅτι ἐν κακίᾳ προσώπου ἀγαθυνθήσεται καρδία.
Sorrow is better than laughter:
for by the sadness of the countenance the heart will be made better.
 
5καρδία σοφῶν ἐν οἴκῳ πένθους,
καὶ καρδία ἀφρόνων ἐν οἴκῳ εὐφροσύνης.
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning;
but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
 
6ἀγαθὸν τὸ ἀκοῦσαι ἐπιτίμησιν σοφοῦ
ὑπὲρ ἄνδρα ἀκούοντα ᾆσμα ἀφρόνων·
[It is] better to hear a reproof of a wise man,
than for a man to hear the song of fools.
 
7ὅτι ὡς φωνὴ τῶν ἀκανθῶν ὑπὸ τὸν λέβητα, οὕτως γέλως τῶν ἀφρόνων·
καί γε τοῦτο ματαιότης.
As the sound of thorns under a caldron, so is the laughter of fools:
this is also vanity.
 
8ὅτι ἡ συκοφαντία περιφέρει σοφὸν καὶ ἀπόλλυσι τὴν καρδίαν εὐτονίας αὐτοῦ.
for oppression makes a wise man mad, and destroys his noble heart. 
9ἀγαθὴ ἐσχάτη λόγων ὑπὲρ ἀρχὴν αὐτοῦ,
ἀγαθὸν μακρόθυμος ὑπὲρ ὑψηλὸν πνεύματι.
The end of a matter is better than the beginning thereof:
the patient is better than the high-minded.
 
10μὴ σπεύσῃς ἐν πνεύματί σου τοῦ θυμοῦσθαι,
ὅτι θυμὸς ἐν κόλπῳ ἀφρόνων ἀναπαύσεται.
Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry:
for anger will rest in the bosom of fools.
 
11μὴ εἴπῃς Τί ἐγένετο ὅτι αἱ ἡμέραι αἱ πρότεραι ἦσαν ἀγαθαὶ ὑπὲρ ταύτας;
ὅτι οὐκ ἐν σοφίᾳ ἐπηρώτησας περὶ τούτου.
Say not, What has happened, that the former days were better than these?
for thou dost not enquire in wisdom concerning this.
 
12ἀγαθὴ σοφία μετὰ κληροδοσίας
καὶ περισσεία τοῖς θεωροῦσιν τὸν ἥλιον·
Wisdom is good with an inheritance:
and [there is] an advantage [by it] to them that see the sun.
 
13ὅτι ἐν σκιᾷ αὐτῆς ἡ σοφία ὡς σκιὰ τοῦ ἀργυρίου,
καὶ περισσεία γνώσεως τῆς σοφίας ζωοποιήσει τὸν παρ' αὐτῆς.
For wisdom in its shadow is as the shadow of silver:
and the excellence of the knowledge of wisdom will give life to him that has it.
 
14ἰδὲ τὰ ποιήματα τοῦ θεοῦ·
ὅτι τίς δυνήσεται τοῦ κοσμῆσαι ὃν ἂν ὁ θεὸς διαστρέψῃ αὐτόν;
Behold the works of God:
for who shall be able to straighten him whom God has made crooked?
 
15ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ἀγαθωσύνης ζῆθι ἐν ἀγαθῷ καὶ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κακίας ἰδέ·
καί γε σὺν τοῦτο σύμφωνον τούτῳ ἐποίησεν ὁ θεὸς περὶ λαλιᾶς, ἵνα μὴ εὕρῃ ὁ ἄνθρωπος ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ μηδέν.
In the day of prosperity live joyfully, and consider in the day of adversity:
consider, [I say], God also has caused the one to agree with the other for [this] reason, that man should find nothing after him.
 
16Σὺν τὰ πάντα εἶδον ἐν ἡμέραις ματαιότητός μου·
ἔστιν δίκαιος ἀπολλύμενος ἐν δικαίῳ αὐτοῦ,
καὶ ἔστιν ἀσεβὴς μένων ἐν κακίᾳ αὐτοῦ.
I have seen all things in the days of my vanity:
there is a just man perishing in his justice,
and there is an ungodly man remaining in his wickedness.
 
17μὴ γίνου δίκαιος πολὺ
καὶ μὴ σοφίζου περισσά,
μήποτε ἐκπλαγῇς.
Be not very just;
neither be very wise:
lest thou be confounded.
 
18μὴ ἀσεβήσῃς πολὺ
καὶ μὴ γίνου σκληρός,
ἵνα μὴ ἀποθάνῃς ἐν οὐ καιρῷ σου.
Be not very wicked;
and be not stubborn:
lest thou shouldest die before thy time.
 
19ἀγαθὸν τὸ ἀντέχεσθαί σε ἐν τούτῳ,
καί γε ἀπὸ τούτου μὴ ἀνῇς τὴν χεῖρά σου,
ὅτι φοβούμενος τὸν θεὸν ἐξελεύσεται τὰ πάντα.
It is well for thee to hold fast by this;
also by this defile not thine hand:
for to them tat fear God all things shall come forth [well].
 
20Ἡ σοφία βοηθήσει τῷ σοφῷ ὑπὲρ δέκα ἐξουσιάζοντας τοὺς ὄντας ἐν τῇ πόλει·
Wisdom will help the wise man more than ten mighty men which are in the city. 
21ὅτι ἄνθρωπος οὐκ ἔστιν δίκαιος ἐν τῇ γῇ, ὃς ποιήσει ἀγαθὸν καὶ οὐχ ἁμαρτήσεται.
For there is not a righteous man in the earth, who will do good, and not sin 
22καί γε εἰς πάντας τοὺς λόγους, οὓς λαλήσουσιν, μὴ θῇς καρδίαν σου, ὅπως μὴ ἀκούσῃς τοῦ δούλου σου καταρωμένου σε,
Also take no heed to all the words which ungodly men shall speak; lest thou hear thy servant cursing thee. 
23ὅτι πλειστάκις πονηρεύσεταί σε καὶ καθόδους πολλὰς κακώσει καρδίαν σου, ὅπως καί γε σὺ κατηράσω ἑτέρους.
For many times he shall trespass against thee, and repeatedly shall he afflict thine heart; for thus also hast thou cursed others. 
24Πάντα ταῦτα ἐπείρασα ἐν τῇ σοφίᾳ· εἶπα Σοφισθήσομαι,
All these things have I proved in wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me. 
25καὶ αὐτὴ ἐμακρύνθη ἀπ' ἐμοῦ μακρὰν ὑπὲρ ὃ ἦν, καὶ βαθὺ βάθος, τίς εὑρήσει αὐτό;
[That which is] far beyond what was, and a great depth, who shall find it out? 
26ἐκύκλωσα ἐγώ, καὶ ἡ καρδία μου τοῦ γνῶναι καὶ τοῦ κατασκέψασθαι καὶ ζητῆσαι σοφίαν καὶ ψῆφον καὶ τοῦ γνῶναι ἀσεβοῦς ἀφροσύνην καὶ σκληρίαν καὶ περιφοράν.
I and my heart went round about to know, and to examine, and to seek wisdom, and the account [of things], and to know the folly and trouble and madness of the ungodly man. 
27καὶ εὑρίσκω ἐγὼ πικρότερον ὑπὲρ θάνατον, σὺν τὴν γυναῖκα, ἥτις ἐστὶν θηρεύματα καὶ σαγῆναι καρδία αὐτῆς, δεσμοὶ χεῖρες αὐτῆς· ἀγαθὸς πρὸ προσώπου τοῦ θεοῦ ἐξαιρεθήσεται ἀπ' αὐτῆς, καὶ ἁμαρτάνων συλλημφθήσεται ἐν αὐτῇ.
And I find her [to be], and I will pronounce [to be] more bitter than death the woman which is a snare, and her heart nets, [who has] a band in her hands: [he that is] good in the sight of God shall be delivered from her; but the sinner shall be caught by her. 
28ἰδὲ τοῦτο εὗρον, εἶπεν ὁ Ἑκκλησιαστής, μία τῇ μιᾷ τοῦ εὑρεῖν λογισμόν,
Behold, this have I found, said the Preacher, [seeking] by one at a time to find out the account, 
29ὃν ἔτι ἐζήτησεν ἡ ψυχή μου καὶ οὐχ εὗρον·
ἄνθρωπον ἕνα ἀπὸ χιλίων εὗρον
καὶ γυναῖκα ἐν πᾶσι τούτοις οὐχ εὗρον.
which my soul sought after, but I found not:
for I have found one man of a thousand;
but a woman in all these I have not found.
 
30πλὴν ἰδὲ τοῦτο εὗρον, ὃ ἐποίησεν ὁ θεὸς σὺν τὸν ἄνθρωπον εὐθῆ,
καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐζήτησαν λογισμοὺς πολλούς.
But, behold, this have I found, that God made man upright;
but they have sought out many devices.
 
    << | Ecclesiastes: 7 | >>  

Notes:

The Old Testament in Greek is Rahlf's LXX available in Word format at the Tyndale website, adapted to database format.
The alternative readings of the LXX - Judges (Alexandrinus), Daniel, Susanna & Bel (LXX received text), and Tobit (Sinaiticus [not printed in Swete]) as separate book references so that they can be viewed as an alternative text in parallel with the primary text.
(I have reversed the Swete presentation for Daniel, Susanna, Bel by listing in the later Theodotion LXX text as the main text. )
The LXX cross references to the Hebrew Bible have been extensively revised using those set out in Swete's 'Old Testament in Greek' publications between 1894 and 1909, amended in part to agree with verses as printed in the Biblia Hebraica (1937 publication).
Some verse cross references in Swete's had to be amended to agree with the BHS verse numbering, and there may well be some mismatches that I haven't yet picked up on. (If you find any errors please e-mail me.)
Hebrew Bible has been adapted from the BHS in Word format at Tyndale.
The Septuagint in English ( translated by Sir Lancelot CL Brenton) - is used here only for the books of the Hebrew Bible.
The Revised Standard Version: This generally follows the Hebrew Bible for the canonical OT so I have included the RSV Aprocrypha for the Greek books not covered by Brenton.
Ecclesiasticus - Sirach Chs.30-36: The text of these chapters from 30.24 to 36.16, is disordered.
I have followed Swete's verse numbering for the greek text.
Also, the RSV verse numbering differs from the NRSV.
The NRSV appears to have followed Swete's numbering here, so I have re-ordered the RSV to agree with both the NRSV & Swete for these chapters.
The katapi New Study Bible reference section: displays links to parallel passages.
Passage headings are generally as printed in the Bible Society's "Good News Bible", 1976.
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© Paul Ingram 2006.