Ecclesiastes 12
1 Remember also thy Creators in days of thy youth, While that the evil days come not, Nor the years have arrived, that thou sayest, 'I have no pleasure in them.'
καὶ μνήσθητι τοῦ κτίσαντός σε ἐν ἡμέραις νεότητός σου ἕως ὅτου μὴ ἔλθωσιν ἡμέραι τῆς κακίας καὶ φθάσωσιν ἔτη ἐν οἷς ἐρεῖς οὐκ ἔστιν μοι ἐν αὐτοῖς θέλημα
2 While that the sun is not darkened, and the light, And the moon, and the stars, And the thick clouds returned after the rain.
ἕως οὗ μὴ σκοτισθῇ ὁ ἥλιος καὶ τὸ φῶς καὶ ἡ σελήνη καὶ οἱ ἀστέρες καὶ ἐπιστρέψωσιν τὰ νέφη ὀπίσω τοῦ ὑετοῦ
3 In the day that keepers of the house tremble, And men of strength have bowed themselves, And grinders have ceased, because they have become few. And those looking out at the windows have become dim,
ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ᾗ ἐὰν σαλευθῶσιν φύλακες τῆς οἰκίας καὶ διαστραφῶσιν ἄνδρες τῆς δυνάμεως καὶ ἤργησαν αἱ ἀλήθουσαι ὅτι ὠλιγώθησαν καὶ σκοτάσουσιν αἱ βλέπουσαι ἐν ταῖς ὀπαῖς
4 And doors have been shut in the street. When the noise of the grinding is low, And [one] riseth at the voice of the bird, And all daughters of song are bowed down.
καὶ κλείσουσιν θύρας ἐν ἀγορᾷ ἐν ἀσθενείᾳ φωνῆς τῆς ἀληθούσης καὶ ἀναστήσεται εἰς φωνὴν τοῦ στρουθίου καὶ ταπεινωθήσονται πᾶσαι αἱ θυγατέρες τοῦ ᾄσματος
5 Also of that which is high they are afraid, And of the low places in the way, And the almond-tree is despised, And the grasshopper is become a burden, And want is increased, For man is going unto his home age-during, And the mourners have gone round through the street.
καί γε 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 While that the silver cord is not removed, And the golden bowl broken, And the pitcher broken by the fountain, And the wheel broken at the well.
ἕως ὅτου μὴ ἀνατραπῇ σχοινίον τοῦ ἀργυρίου καὶ συνθλιβῇ ἀνθέμιον τοῦ χρυσίου καὶ συντριβῇ ὑδρία ἐπὶ τὴν πηγήν καὶ συντροχάσῃ ὁ τροχὸς ἐπὶ τὸν λάκκον
7 And the dust returneth to the earth as it was, And the spirit returneth to God who gave it.
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, the whole [is] vanity.
ματαιότης ματαιοτήτων εἶπεν ὁ Ἐκκλησιαστής τὰ πάντα ματαιότης
9 And further, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge, and gave ear, and sought out — he made right many similes.
καὶ περισσὸν ὅτι ἐγένετο Ἐκκλησιαστὴς σοφός ἔτι ἐδίδαξεν γνῶσιν σὺν τὸν λαόν καὶ οὖς ἐξιχνιάσεται κόσμιον παραβολῶν
10 The preacher sought to find out pleasing words, and, written [by] the upright, words of truth.
πολλὰ ἐζήτησεν Ἐκκλησιαστὴς τοῦ εὑρεῖν λόγους θελήματος καὶ γεγραμμένον εὐθύτητος λόγους ἀληθείας
11 Words of the wise [are] as goads, and as fences planted [by] the masters of collections, they have been given by one shepherd.
λόγοι σοφῶν ὡς τὰ βούκεντρα καὶ ὡς ἧλοι πεφυτευμένοι οἳ παρὰ τῶν συναγμάτων ἐδόθησαν ἐκ ποιμένος ἑνὸς καὶ περισσὸν ἐξ αὐτῶν
12 And further, from these, my son, be warned; the making of many books hath no end, and much study [is] a weariness of the flesh.
υἱέ μου φύλαξαι ποιῆσαι βιβλία πολλά οὐκ ἔστιν περασμός καὶ μελέτη πολλὴ κόπωσις σαρκός
13 The end of the whole matter let us hear: — 'Fear God, and keep His commands, for this [is] the whole of man.
τέλος λόγου τὸ πᾶν ἀκούεται τὸν θεὸν φοβοῦ καὶ τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ φύλασσε ὅτι τοῦτο πᾶς ὁ ἄνθρωπος
14 For every work doth God bring into judgment, with every hidden thing, whether good or bad.'
ὅτι σὺν πᾶν τὸ ποίημα ὁ θεὸς ἄξει ἐν κρίσει ἐν παντὶ παρεωραμένῳ ἐὰν ἀγαθὸν καὶ ἐὰν πονηρόν
