Ecclesiastes 1
Old Testament · Brenton Septuagint with Greek parallel
Ecclesiastes chapter 1 is given here in full, verse by verse, in Sir Lancelot Brenton's classic English translation of the Septuagint (LXX), with the Greek text of the Septuagint set beneath each verse. The text follows the Septuagint tradition received throughout the Orthodox Church.
2 patristic excerpts are attached to this chapter, from 2 Fathers — Saint Gregory Thaumaturgus and Saint Dionysius the Great of Alexandria.
Ecclesiastes 1
1The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king of Israel in Jerusalem.ῬΗΜΑΤΑ Ἐκκλησιαστοῦ υἱοῦ Δαυὶδ βασιλέως Ἰσραὴλ ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ.
2Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.Ματαιότης ματαιοτήτων, εἶπεν ὁ Ἐκκλησιαστὴς, ματαιότης ματαιοτήτων, τὰ πάντα ματαιότης.
3What advantage is there to a man in all his labor that he takes under the sun?Τίς περίσσεια τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ ἐν παντὶ μόχθῳ αὐτοῦ ᾧ μοχθεῖ ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον;
4A generation goes, and a generation comes: but the earth stands for ever.Γενεὰ πορεύεται καὶ γενεὰ ἔρχεται, καὶ ἡ γῆ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ἕστηκε.
5And the sun arises, and the sun goes down and draws toward its place;Καὶ ἀνατέλλει ὁ ἥλιος καὶ δύνει ὁ ἥλιος καὶ εἰς τὸν τόπον αὐτοῦ ἕλκει·
6arising there it proceeds southward, and goes round toward the north. The wind goes round and round, and the wind returns to its circuits.αὐτὸς ἀνατέλλων ἐκεῖ πορεύεται πρὸς Νότον, καὶ κυκλοῖ πρὸς Βοῤῥᾶν· κυκλοῖ κυκλῶν πορεύεται τὸ πνεῦμα, καὶ ἐπὶ κύκλους αὐτοῦ ἐπιστρέφει τὸ πνεῦμα.
7All the rivers run into the sea; and yet the sea is not filled: to the place whence the rivers come, there they return again.Πάντες οἱ χείμαῤῥοι πορεύονται εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν, καὶ ἡ θάλασσα οὐκ ἔστιν ἐμπιμπλαμένη· εἰς τὸν τόπον οὗ οἱ χείμαῤῥοι πορεύονται, ἐκεῖ αὐτοὶ ἐπιστρέφουσι τοῦ πορευθῆναι.
8All things are full of labor; a man will not be able to speak of them: neither shall the eye be satisfied with seeing, neither shall the ear be filled with hearing.Πάντες οἱ λόγοι ἔγκοποι, οὐ δυνήσεται ἀνὴρ τοῦ λαλεῖν· καὶ οὐ πλησθήσεται ὀφθαλμὸς τοῦ ὁρᾷν, καὶ οὐ πληρωθήσεται οὖς ἀπὸ ἀκροάσεως.
9What is that which has been? the very thing which shall be: and what is that which has been done? the very thing which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.Τί τὸ γεγονός; αὐτὸ τὸ γενησόμενον· καὶ τί τὸ πεποιημένον; αὐτὸ τὸ ποιηθησόμενον· καὶ οὐκ ἔστι πᾶν πρόσφατον ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον.
10Who is he that shall speak and say, Behold, this is new? it has already been in the ages that have passed before us.Ὃς λαλήσει καὶ ἐρεῖ, ἴδε τοῦτο καινόν ἐστιν; ἤδη γέγονεν ἐν τοῖς αἰῶσι τοῖς γενομένοις ἀπὸ ἔμπροσθεν ἡμῶν.
11There is no memorial to the first things; neither to the things that have been last shall their memorial be with them that shall at the last time.Οὐκ ἔστι μνήμη τοῖς πρώτοις, καί γε τοῖς ἐσχάτοις γενομένοις οὐκ ἔσται αὐτῶν μνήμη μετὰ τῶν γενησομένων εἰς τὴν ἐσχάτην.
12I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.Ἐγὼ ἐκκλησιαστὴς ἐγενόμην βασιλεὺς ἐπὶ Ἰσραὴλ ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ.
13And I applied my heart to seek out and examine by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven, for God has given to the sons of men an evil trouble to be troubled therewith.Καὶ ἔδωκα τὴν καρδίαν μου τοῦ ἐκζητῆσαι καὶ τοῦ κατασκέψασθαι ἐν τῇ σοφίᾳ περὶ πάντων τῶν γινομένων ὑπὸ τὸν οὐρανόν, ὅτι περισπασμὸν πονηρὸν ἔδωκεν ὁ Θεὸς τοῖς υἱοῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων τοῦ περισπᾶσθαι ἐν αὐτῷ.
14I saw all the works that were done under the sun; and, behold, all were vanity and waywardness of spirit.Εἶδον σύμπαντα τὰ ποιήματα τὰ πεποιημένα ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον· καὶ ἰδοὺ τὰ πάντα ματαιότης καὶ προαίρεσις πνεύματος.
15That which is crooked can’t be made straight: and deficiency can’t be numbered.Διεστραμμένον οὐ δυνήσεται ἐπικοσμηθῆναι, καὶ ὑστέρημα οὐ δυνήσεται ἀριθμηθῆναι.
16I spoke in my heart, saying, Behold, I am increased, and have acquired wisdom beyond all who were before me in Jerusalem: also I applied my heart to know wisdom and knowledge.Ἐλάλησα ἐγὼ ἐν καρδίᾳ μου, τῷ λέγειν, ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἐμεγαλύνθην, καὶ προσέθηκα σοφίαν ἐπὶ πᾶσιν οἳ ἐγένοντο ἔμπροσθέν μου ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ· καὶ ἔδωκα καρδίαν μου τοῦ γνῶναι σοφίαν καὶ γνῶσιν.
17And my heart knew much—wisdom, and knowledge, parables and understanding: I perceived that this also is waywardness of spirit.Καὶ καρδία μου εἶδε πολλὰ, σοφίαν καὶ γνῶσιν, παραβολὰς καὶ ἐπιστήμην· ἔγνων ἐγώ ὅτι καί γε τοῦτό ἐστι προαίρεσις πνεύματος·
18For in the abundance of wisdom is abundance of knowledge; and he that increases knowledge will increase sorrow.Ὅτι ἐν πλήθει σοφίας πλῆθος γνώσεως, καὶ ὁ προστιθεὶς γνῶσιν, προσθήσει ἄλγημα.
The Fathers on Ecclesiastes 1
Saint Gregory Thaumaturgus and Saint Dionysius the Great of Alexandria comment on this chapter. Each excerpt below is drawn from the full text held in the Fathers Library; follow the link on any entry to read the whole work.
On Ecclesiastes 1Saint Gregory ThaumaturgusChapter I. 9A Metaphrase of the Book of Ecclesiastes. Chapter I. These words speaketh Solomon, the son of David the king and prophet, to the whole Church of God, a prince most honoured, and a prophet most wise above all men. How vain and fruitless are the affairs of men, and all pursuits that occupy man! For there is not one who can tell of any profit…
Read Metaphrase of Ecclesiastes →
On Ecclesiastes 1Open Ecclesiastes 1 in the interactive reader Switch translations, hear the chapter read aloud, tap any verse for its patristic commentary, and study the Greek word by word.Saint Dionysius the Great of AlexandriaChapter I. Exegetical Fragments. I.—A Commentary on the Beginning of Ecclesiastes. Chapter I. Ver. 1. “The words of the son of David, king of Israel in Jerusalem.” In like manner also Matthew calls the Lord the son of David. 3. “What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?” For what man is there who, although he may have become…
Read Commentary on the Beginning of Ecclesiastes →