Ecclesiastes 12
Old Testament · Brenton Septuagint with Greek parallel
Ecclesiastes chapter 12 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 12
1And remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of evil come, and the years overtake you in which you shall say, I have no pleasure in them.Καὶ μνήσθητι τοῦ κτίσαντός σε ἐν ἡμέραις νεότητός σου, ἕως ὅτου μὴ ἔλθωσιν αἱ ἡμέραι τῆς κακίας, καὶ φθάσουσιν ἔτη ἐν οἷς ἐρεῖς, οὐκ ἔστι μοι ἐν αὐτοῖς θέλημα.
2While the sun and light are not darkened, nor the moon and the stars; nor the clouds return after the rain:Ἕως οὗ μὴ σκοτισθῇ ὁ ἥλιος καὶ τὸ φῶς, καὶ ἡ σελήνη καὶ οἱ ἀστέρες, καὶ ἐπιστρέψουσι τὰ νέφη ὀπίσω τοῦ ὑετοῦ.
3in 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;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·
4and they shall shut the doors in the marketplace, 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;Καὶ κλείσουσι θύρας ἐν ἀγορᾷ, ἐν ἀσθενείᾳ φωνῆς τῆς ἀληθούσης· καὶ ἀναστήσεται εἰς φωνὴν τοῦ στρουθίου, καὶ ταπεινωθήσονται πᾶσαι αἱ θυγατέρες τοῦ ᾄσματος·
5and 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:Καὶ εἰς τὸ ὕψος ὄψονται, καὶ θάμβοι ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ, καὶ ἀνθήσῃ τὸ ἀμύγδαλον, καὶ παχυνθῇ ἡ ἀκρὶς, καὶ διασκεδασθῇ ἡ κάππαρις, ὅτι ἐπορεύθη ὁ ἄνθρωπος εἰς οἶκον αἰῶνος αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐκύκλωσαν ἐν ἀγορᾷ οἱ κοπτόμενοι.
6before 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;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·
7before the dust also return to the earth as it was, and the spirit return to God who gave it.Καὶ ἐπιστρέψῃ ὁ χοῦς ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν ὡς ἦν, καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα ἐπιστρέψῃ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν ὃς ἔδωκεν αὐτό.
8Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher; all is vanity.Ματαιότης ματαιοτήτων, εἶπεν ὁ Ἐκκλησιαστὴς, τὰ πάντα ματαιότης.
9And because the Preacher was wise above others, so it was that he taught man excellent knowledge, and the ear will trace out the parables.Καὶ περισσὸν ὅτι ἐγένετο Ἐκκλησιαστὴς σοφὸς, ὅτι ἐδίδαξε γνῶσιν σὺν τὸν ἄνθρωπον, καὶ οὖς ἐξιχνιάσεται κόσμιον παραβολῶν.
10The Preacher sought diligently to find out acceptable words, and a correct writing, even words of truth.Πολλὰ ἐζήτησεν Ἐκκλησιαστὴς τοῦ εὑρεῖν λόγους θελήματος, καὶ γεγραμμένον εὐθύτητος, λόγους ἀληθείας.
11The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails firmly fastened, which have been given from one shepherd by agreement.Λόγοι σοφῶν ὡς τὰ βούκεντρα, καὶ ὡς ἧλοι πεφυτευμένοι, οἳ παρὰ τῶν συνθεμάτων ἐδόθησαν ἐκ ποιμένος ἑνός.
12And moreover, my son, guard yourself by means of them: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.Καὶ περισσὸν ἐξ αὐτῶν υἱέ μου φύλαξαι· τοῦ ποιῆσαι βιβλία πολλὰ οὐκ ἔστι περασμὸς, καὶ μελέτη πολλὴ κόπωσις σαρκός.
13Hear the end of the matter, the sun: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole man.Τέλος λόγου, τὸ πᾶν ἄκουε· τὸν Θεὸν φοβοῦ, καὶ τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ φύλασσε· ὅτι τοῦτο πᾶς ὁ ἄνθρωπος.
14For God will bring every work into judgment, with everything that has been overlooked, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.Ὅτι σύμπαν τὸ ποίημα ὁ Θεὸς ἄξει ἐν κρίσει, ἐν παντὶ παρεωραμένῳ, ἐὰν ἀγαθὸν καὶ ἐὰν πονηρόν.
The Fathers on Ecclesiastes 12
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 12Open Ecclesiastes 12 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 XII. Moreover, it is right that thou shouldest fear God while thou art yet young, before thou givest thyself over to evil things, and before the great and terrible day of God cometh, when the sun shall no longer shine, neither the moon, nor the rest of the stars, but when in that storm and commotion of all things, the powers above shall be moved,…
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