1 A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one’s birth.
2 ¶ It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart. 3 Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better. 4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth. 5 It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools. 6 For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool: this also is vanity.
7 ¶ Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad; and a gift destroyeth the heart. 8 Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. 9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools. 10 Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this.
11 ¶ Wisdom is good with an inheritance: and by it there is profit to them that see the sun. 12 For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it. 13 Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked? 14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him. 15 All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness. 16 Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself? 17 Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time? 18 It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from this withdraw not thine hand: for he that feareth God shall come forth of them all. 19 Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city. 20 For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not. 21 Also take no heed unto all words that are spoken; lest thou hear thy servant curse thee: 22 For oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.
23 ¶ All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me. 24 That which is far off, and exceeding deep, who can find it out? 25 I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things , and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness: 26 And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her. 27 Behold, this have I found, saith the preacher, counting one by one, to find out the account: 28 Which yet my soul seeketh, but I find not: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found. 29 Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.
1 Ἀγαθὸν ὄνομα ὑπὲρ ἔλαιον ἀγαθὸν
καὶ ἡμέρα τοῦ θανάτου ὑπὲρ ἡμέραν γενέσεως αὐτοῦ.
2 ἀγαθὸν πορευθῆναι εἰς οἶκον πένθους
ἢ ὅτι πορευθῆναι εἰς οἶκον πότου,
καθότι τοῦτο τέλος παντὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου,
καὶ ὁ ζῶν δώσει εἰς καρδίαν αὐτοῦ.
3 ἀγαθὸν θυμὸς ὑπὲρ γέλωτα,
ὅτι ἐν κακίᾳ προσώπου ἀγαθυνθήσεται καρδία.
4 καρδία σοφῶν ἐν οἴκῳ πένθους,
καὶ καρδία ἀφρόνων ἐν οἴκῳ εὐφροσύνης.
5 ἀγαθὸν τὸ ἀκοῦσαι ἐπιτίμησιν σοφοῦ
ὑπὲρ ἄνδρα ἀκούοντα ᾆσμα ἀφρόνων·
6 ὅτι ὡς φωνὴ τῶν ἀκανθῶν ὑπὸ τὸν λέβητα,
οὕτως γέλως τῶν ἀφρόνων·
καί γε τοῦτο ματαιότης.
7 ὅτι ἡ συκοφαντία περιφέρει σοφὸν
καὶ ἀπόλλυσι τὴν καρδίαν εὐτονίας αὐτοῦ.
8 ἀγαθὴ ἐσχάτη λόγων ὑπὲρ ἀρχὴν αὐτοῦ,
ἀγαθὸν μακρόθυμος ὑπὲρ ὑψηλὸν πνεύματι.
9 μὴ σπεύσῃς ἐν πνεύματί σου τοῦ θυμοῦσθαι,
ὅτι θυμὸς ἐν κόλπῳ ἀφρόνων ἀναπαύσεται.
10 μὴ εἴπῃς Τί ἐγένετο
ὅτι αἱ ἡμέραι αἱ πρότεραι ἦσαν ἀγαθαὶ ὑπὲρ ταύτας;
ὅτι οὐκ ἐν σοφίᾳ ἐπηρώτησας περὶ τούτου.
11 ἀγαθὴ σοφία μετὰ κληροδοσίας
καὶ περισσεία τοῖς θεωροῦσιν τὸν ἥλιον·
12 ὅτι ἐν σκιᾷ αὐτῆς ἡ σοφία ὡς σκιὰ τοῦ ἀργυρίου,
καὶ περισσεία γνώσεως τῆς σοφίας
ζωοποιήσει τὸν παρ᾽ αὐτῆς.
13 ἰδὲ τὰ ποιήματα τοῦ θεοῦ·
ὅτι τίς δυνήσεται τοῦ κοσμῆσαι
ὃν ἂν ὁ θεὸς διαστρέψῃ αὐτόν;
14 ἐν 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.
15 Σὺν τὰ πάντα εἶδον ἐν ἡμέραις ματαιότητός μου·
ἔστιν δίκαιος ἀπολλύμενος ἐν δικαίῳ αὐτοῦ,
καὶ ἔστιν ἀσεβὴς μένων ἐν κακίᾳ αὐτοῦ.
16 μὴ γίνου δίκαιος πολὺ
καὶ μὴ σοφίζου περισσά, μήποτε ἐκπλαγῇς.
17 μὴ ἀσεβήσῃς πολὺ καὶ μὴ γίνου σκληρός,
ἵνα μὴ ἀποθάνῃς ἐν οὐ καιρῷ σου.
18 ἀγαθὸν τὸ ἀντέχεσθαί σε ἐν τούτῳ,
καί γε ἀπὸ τούτου μὴ ἀνῇς τὴν χεῖρά σου,
ὅτι φοβούμενος τὸν θεὸν ἐξελεύσεται τὰ πάντα.
19 Ἡ σοφία βοηθήσει τῷ σοφῷ
ὑπὲρ δέκα ἐξουσιάζοντας τοὺς ὄντας ἐν τῇ πόλει·
20 ὅτι ἄνθρωπος οὐκ ἔστιν δίκαιος ἐν τῇ γῇ,
ὃς ποιήσει ἀγαθὸν καὶ οὐχ ἁμαρτήσεται.
21 καί γε εἰς πάντας τοὺς λόγους, οὓς λαλήσουσιν,
μὴ θῇς καρδίαν σου,
ὅπως μὴ ἀκούσῃς τοῦ δούλου σου καταρωμένου σε,
22 ὅτι πλειστάκις πονηρεύσεταί σε
καὶ καθόδους πολλὰς κακώσει καρδίαν σου,
ὅπως καί γε σὺ κατηράσω ἑτέρους.
23 Πάντα ταῦτα ἐπείρασα ἐν τῇ σοφίᾳ·
εἶπα Σοφισθήσομαι,
24 καὶ αὐτὴ ἐμακρύνθη ἀπ᾽ ἐμοῦ μακρὰν ὑπὲρ ὃ ἦν,
καὶ βαθὺ βάθος, τίς εὑρήσει αὐτό;
25 ἐκύκλωσα ἐγώ, καὶ ἡ καρδία μου τοῦ γνῶναι
καὶ τοῦ κατασκέψασθαι καὶ ζητῆσαι σοφίαν καὶ ψῆφον
καὶ τοῦ γνῶναι ἀσεβοῦς ἀφροσύνην
καὶ σκληρίαν καὶ περιφοράν.
26 καὶ 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.
27 ἰδὲ τοῦτο εὗρον, εἶπεν ὁ Ἐκκλησιαστής,
μία τῇ μιᾷ τοῦ εὑρεῖν λογισμόν,
28 ὃν ἔτι ἐζήτησεν ἡ ψυχή μου καὶ οὐχ εὗρον·
ἄνθρωπον ἕνα ἀπὸ χιλίων εὗρον
καὶ γυναῖκα ἐν πᾶσι τούτοις οὐχ εὗρον.
29 πλὴν ἰδὲ τοῦτο εὗρον, ὃ ἐποίησεν ὁ θεὸς
σὺν τὸν ἄνθρωπον εὐθῆ,
καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐζήτησαν λογισμοὺς πολλούς.