¹

And remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before the days of evil come, and the years overtake thee in which thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them.

¹

ΚΑΙ μνήσθητι τοῦ κτίσαντός σε ἐν ἡμέραις νεότητός σου, ἕως ὅτου μὴ ἔλθωσιν ἡμέραι τῆς κακίας καὶ φθάσωσιν ἔτη, ἐν οἷς ἐρεῖς· οὐκ ἔστι μοι ἐν αὐτοῖς θέλημα·

²

While the sun and light are not darkened, nor the moon and the stars; nor the clouds return after the rain:

²

ἕως οὗ μὴ σκοτισθῇ ὁ ἥλιος καὶ τὸ φῶς καὶ ἡ σελήνη καὶ οἱ ἀστέρες, καὶ ἐπιστρέψωσι τὰ νέφη ὀπίσω τοῦ ὑετοῦ·

³

in the day wherein the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the mighty men shall become bent, and the grinding women cease because they have become few, and the women looking out at the windows be dark;

³

ἐν ἡμέρᾳ, ᾗ ἐὰν σαλευθῶσι φύλακες τῆς οἰκίας καὶ διαστραφῶσιν ἄνδρες τῆς δυνάμεως, καὶ ἤργησαν αἱ ἀλήθουσαι, ὅτι ὠλιγώθησαν, καὶ σκοτάσουσιν αἱ βλέπουσαι ἐν ταῖς ὀπαῖς·

⁴

and they shall shut the doors in the market-place, because of the weakness of the voice of her that grinds at the mill; and he shall rise up at the voice of the sparrow, and all the daughters of song shall be brought low;

⁴

καὶ κλείσουσι θύρας ἐν ἀγορᾷ, ἐν ἀσθενείᾳ φωνῆς τῆς ἀληθούσης, καὶ ἀναστήσεται εἰς φωνὴν τοῦ στρουθίου, καὶ ταπεινωθήσονται πᾶσαι αἱ θυγατέρες τοῦ ᾄσματος·

⁵

and they shall look up, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall blossom, and the locust shall increase, and the caper shall be scattered: because man has gone to his eternal home, and the mourners have gone about the market:

⁵

καὶ ἀπὸ ὕψους ὄψονται, καὶ θάμβοι ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ· καὶ ἀνθήσῃ τὸ ἀμύγδαλον, καὶ παχυνθῇ ἡ ἀκρίς, καὶ διασκεδασθῇ ἡ κάππαρις, ὅτι ἐπορεύθη ὁ ἄνθρωπος εἰς οἶκον αἰῶνος αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐκύκλωσαν ἐν ἀγορᾷ οἱ κοπτόμενοι·

⁶

before the silver cord be let go, or the choice gold be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel run down to the cistern;

⁶

ἕως ὅτου μὴ ἀνατραπῇ τὸ σχοινίον τοῦ ἀργυρίου, καὶ συντριβῇ τὸ ἀνθέμιον τοῦ χρυσίου, καὶ συντριβῇ ὑδρία ἐπὶ τῇ πηγῇ, καὶ συντροχάσῃ ὁ τροχὸς ἐπὶ τὸν λάκκον,

⁷

before the dust also return to the earth as it was, and the spirit return to God who gave it.

⁷

καὶ ἐπιστρέψῃ ὁ χοῦς ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, ὡς ἦν, καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα ἐπιστρέψῃ πρὸς τὸν Θεόν, ὃς ἔδωκεν αὐτό.

⁸

Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher; all is vanity.

⁸

ματαιότης ματαιοτήτων, εἶπεν ὁ ἐκκλησιαστής, τὰ πάντα ματαιότης.

⁹

And because the Preacher was wise above others, so it was that he taught man excellent knowledge, and the ear will trace out the parables.

⁹

Καὶ περισσὸν ὅτι ἐγένετο ἐκκλησιαστὴς σοφός, ὅτι ἐδίδαξε γνῶσιν σὺν τὸν λαόν, καὶ οὖς ἐξιχνιάσεται κόσμιον παραβολῶν.

¹⁰

The Preacher sought diligently to find out acceptable words, and a correct writing, even words of truth.

¹⁰

πολλὰ ἐζήτησεν ἐκκλησιαστὴς τοῦ εὑρεῖν λόγους θελήματος καὶ γεγραμμένον εὐθύτητος, λόγους ἀληθείας.

¹¹

The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails firmly fastened, which have been given from one shepherd by agreement.

¹¹

Λόγοι σοφῶν ὡς τὰ βούκεντρα καὶ ὡς ἧλοι πεφυτευμένοι, οἳ παρὰ τῶν συνθεμάτων ἐδόθησαν ἐκ ποιμένος ἑνὸς

¹²

And moreover, my son, guard thyself by means of them: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

¹²

καὶ περισσὸν ἐξ αὐτῶν. υἱὲ μου, φύλαξαι, τοῦ ποιῆσαι βιβλία πολλά· οὐκ ἔστι περασμός, καὶ μελέτη πολλὴ κόπωσις σαρκός.

¹³

Hear the end of the matter, the sum: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole man.

¹³

Τέλος λόγου, τὸ πᾶν ἄκουε· τὸν Θεὸν φοβοῦ καὶ τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ φύλασσε, ὅτι τοῦτο πᾶς ὁ ἄνθρωπος.

¹⁴

For God will bring every work into judgment, with everything that has been overlooked, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

¹⁴

ὅτι σύμπαν τὸ ποίημα ὁ Θεὸς ἄξει ἐν κρίσει, ἐν παντὶ παρεωραμένῳ, ἐὰν ἀγαθὸν καὶ ἐὰν πονηρόν.