Ecclesiastes 10
Old Testament · Brenton Septuagint with Greek parallel
Ecclesiastes chapter 10 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.
1 patristic excerpt is attached to this chapter, from Saint Gregory Thaumaturgus.
Ecclesiastes 10
1Pestilent flies will corrupt a preparation of sweet ointment: and a little wisdom is more precious than great glory of folly.Μυῖαι θανατοῦσαι σαπριοῦσι σκευασίαν ἐλαίου ἡδύσματος· τίμιον ὀλίγον σοφίας ὑπὲρ δόξαν ἀφροσύνης μεγάλην.
2A wise man's heart is at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left.Καρδία σοφοῦ εἰς δεξιὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ καρδία ἄφρονος εἰς ἀριστερὸν αὐτοῦ.
3Yes, and whenever a fool walks by the way, his heart will fail him, and all that he thinks of is folly.Καί γε ἐν ὁδῷ ὅταν ἄφρων πορεύηται, καρδία αὐτοῦ ὑστερήσει, καὶ ἃ λογιεῖται πάντα ἀφροσύνη ἐστίν.
4If the spirit of the ruler rise up against you, leave not your place; for soothing will put an end to great offenses.Ἐὰν πνεῦμα τοῦ ἐξουσιάζοντος ἀναβῇ ἐπὶ σὲ, τόπον σου μὴ ἀφῇς, ὅτι ἴαμα καταπαύσει ἁμαρτίας μεγάλας.
5There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, wherein an error has proceeded from the ruler.Ἔστι πονηρία ἣν εἶδον ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον, ὡς ἀκούσιον ἐξῆλθεν ἀπὸ προσώπου ἐξουσιάζοντος.
6The fool has been set in very high places, while rich men would sit in a low one.Ἐδόθη ὁ ἄφρων ἐν ὕψεσι μεγάλοις, καὶ πλούσιοι ἐν ταπεινῷ καθήσονται.
7I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants on the earth.Εἶδον δούλους ἐφʼ ἵππους, καὶ ἄρχοντας πορευομένους ὡς δούλους ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς.
8He that digs a pit shall fall into it; and him that breaks down a hedge a serpent shall bite.Ὁ ὀρύσσων βόθρον, εἰς αὐτὸν ἐμπεσεῖται· καὶ καθαιροῦντα φραγμὸν, δήξεται αὐτὸν ὄφις,
9He that removes stones shall be troubled thereby; he that cleaves wood shall be endangered thereby.Ἐξαίρων λίθους, διαπονηθήσεται ἐν αὐτοῖς· σχίζων ξύλα, κινδυνεύσει ἐν αὐτοῖς.
10If the axe-head should fall off, then the man troubles his countenance, and he must put forth more strength: and in that case skill is of no advantage to a man.Ἐὰν ἐκπέσῃ τὸ σιδήριον, καὶ αὐτὸς πρόσωπον ἐτάραξε· καὶ δυνάμεις δυναμώσει, καὶ περίσσεια τῷ ἀνδρὶ οὐ σοφία.
11If a serpent bite when there is no charmer's whisper, then there is no advantage to the charmer.Ἐὰν δάκῃ ὄφις ἐν οὐ ψιθυρισμῷ, καὶ οὐκ ἔστι περίσσεια τῷ ἐπᾴδοντι.
12The words of a wise mouth are gracious: but the lips of a fool will swallow him up.Λόγοι στόματος σοφοῦ χάρις, καὶ χείλη ἄφρονος καταποντιοῦσιν αὐτόν.
13The beginning of the words of his mouth is folly: and the end of his talk mischievous madness.Ἀρχὴ λόγων στόματος αὐτοῦ ἀφροσύνη, καὶ ἐσχάτη στόματος αὐτοῦ περιφέρεια πονηρὰ,
14A fool moreover multiplies words: man knows not what has been, nor what will be: who shall tell him what will come after him?καὶ ὁ ἄφρων πληθύνει λόγους· οὐκ ἔγνω ἄνθρωπος τί τὸ γενόμενον, καὶ τί τὸ ἐσόμενον, ὅ, τι ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ τίς ἀναγγελεῖ αὐτῷ;
15The labor of fools will afflict them, as that of one who knows not to go to the city.Μόχθος τῶν ἀφρόνων κακώσει αὐτοὺς, ὃς οὐκ ἔγνω τοῦ πορευθῆναι εἰς πόλιν.
16Woe to you, O city, whose king is young, and your princes eat in the morning!Οὐαί σοι πόλις ἧς ὁ βασιλεύς σου νεώτερος, καὶ οἱ ἄρχοντές σου πρωῒ ἐσθίουσι.
17Blessed are you, O land, whose king is a son of nobles, and whose princes shall eat seasonably, for strength, and shall not be ashamed.Μακαρία σὺ γῆ, ἧς ὁ βασιλεύς σου υἱὸς ἐλευθέρων, καὶ οἱ ἄρχοντές σου πρὸς καιρὸν φάγονται ἐν δυνάμει, καὶ οὐκ αἰσχυνθήσονται.
18By slothful neglect a building will be brought low: and by idleness of the hands the house will fall to pieces.Ἐν ὀκνηρίαις ταπεινωθήσεται ἡ δόκωσις, καὶ ἐν ἀργίᾳ χειρῶν στάξει ἡ οἰκία.
19Men prepare bread for laughter, and wine and oil that the living should rejoice: but to money all things will humbly yield obedience.Εἰς γέλωτα ποιοῦσιν ἄρτον, καὶ οἶνον καὶ ἔλαιον τοῦ εὐφρανθῆναι ζῶντας, καὶ τοῦ ἀργυρίου ταπεινώσει ἐπακούσεται τὰ πάντα.
20Even in your conscience, curse not the king; and curse not the rich in your bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry your voice, and that which has wings shall report your speech.Καί γε ἐν συνειδήσει σου βασιλέα μὴ καταράσῃ, καὶ ἐν ταμιείοις κοιτώνων σου μὴ καταράσῃ πλούσιον· ὅτι πετεινὸν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἀποίσει τὴν φωνήν σου, καὶ ὁ ἔχων τὰς πτέρυγας ἀπαγγελεῖ λόγον σου.
The Fathers on Ecclesiastes 10
Saint Gregory Thaumaturgus comments 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 10Open Ecclesiastes 10 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 Gregory ThaumaturgusChapter X. Moreover, flies falling into myrrh, and suffocated therein, make both the appearance of that pleasant ointment and the anointing therewith an unseemly thing; and to be mindful of wisdom and of folly together is in no way proper. The wise man, indeed, is his own leader to right actions; but the fool inclines to erring courses, and will never make…
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