Ecclesiastes 2
Old Testament · Brenton Septuagint with Greek parallel
Ecclesiastes chapter 2 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 2
1I said in my heart, Come now, I will prove you with mirth, and behold you good: and, behold, this is also vanity.Εἶπον ἐγὼ ἐν καρδίᾳ μου, δεῦρο δὴ πειράσω σε ἐν εὐφροσύνῃ, καὶ ἴδε ἐν ἀγαθῷ· καὶ ἰδοὺ καί γε τοῦτο ματαιότης.
2I said to laughter, Madness: and to mirth, Why do you this:Τῷ γέλωτι εἶπα, περιφορὰν, καὶ τῇ εὐφροσύνῃ, τί τοῦτο ποιεῖς;
3And I examined whether my heart would excite my flesh as with wine, (though my heart guided me in wisdom,) and I desired to lay hold of mirth, until I should see of what kind is the good to the sons of men, which they should do under the sun all the days of their life.Καὶ κατεσκεψάμην εἰ ἡ καρδία μου ἑλκύσει ὡς οἶνον τὴν σάρκα μου, καὶ καρδία μου ὡδήγησεν ἐν σοφίᾳ, καὶ τοῦ κρατῆσαι ἐπʼ εὐφροσύνην, ἕως οὗ ἴδω ποῖον τὸ ἀγαθὸν τοῖς υἱοῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ὃ ποιήσουσιν ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον, ἀριθμὸν ἡμερῶν ζωῆς αὐτῶν.
4I enlarged my work; I built me houses; I planted me vineyards.Ἐμεγάλυνα ποίημἀ μου, ᾠκοδόμησά μοι οἴκους, ἐφύτευσά μοι ἀμπελῶνας,
5I made me gardens and orchards, and planted in them every kind of fruit tree.ἐποίησά μοι κήπους καὶ παραδείσους, καὶ ἐφύτευσα ἐν αὐτοῖς ξύλον πᾶν καρποῦ.
6I made me pools of water, to water from them the timber-bearing wood.Ἐποίησά μοι κολυμβήθρας ὑδάτων τοῦ ποτίσαι ἀπʼ αὐτῶν δρυμὸν βλαστῶντα ξύλα.
7I got servants and maidens, and servants were born to me in the house: also I had abundant possession of flocks and herds, beyond all who were before me in Jerusalem.Ἐκτησάμην δούλους καὶ παιδίσκας, καὶ οἰκογενεῖς ἐγένοντό μοι, καί γε κτῆσις βουκολίου καὶ ποιμνίου πολλὴ ἐγένετό μοι ὑπὲρ πάντας τοὺς γενομένους ἔμπροσθέν μου ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ.
8Moreover I collected for myself both silver and gold also, and the peculiar treasures of kings and provinces: I procured me singing men and singing women, and delights of the sons of men, a butler and female cupbearers.Συνήγαγόν μοι καί γε ἀργύριον καί γε χρυσίον, καὶ περιουσιασμοὺς βασιλέων καὶ τῶν χωρῶν· ἐποίησά μοι ᾄδοντας καὶ ᾀδούσας, καὶ ἐντρυφήματα υἱῶν ἀνθρώπων, οἰνοχόον καὶ οἰνοχόας.
9So I became great, and advanced beyond all that were before in Jerusalem: also my wisdom was established to me.Καὶ ἐμεγαλύνθην καὶ προσέθηκα παρὰ πάντας τοὺς γενομένους ἀπὸ ἔμπροσθέν μου ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ, καί γε σοφία μου ἐστάθη μοι.
10And whatever my eyes desired, I withheld not from them, I withheld not my heart from all my mirth: for my heart rejoiced in all my labor; and this was my portion of all my labor.Καὶ πᾶν ὃ ᾔτησαν οἱ ὀφθαλμοί μου, οὐκ ἀφεῖλον ἀπʼ αὐτῶν· οὐκ ἀπεκώλυσα τὴν καρδίαν μου ἀπὸ πάσης εὐφροσύνης μου, ὅτι καρδία μου εὐφράνθη ἐν παντὶ μόχθῳ μου· καὶ τοῦτο ἐγένετο μερίς μου ἀπὸ παντὸς μόχθου μου.
11And I looked on all my works which my hands had wrought, and on my labor which I laboured to perform: and behold, all was vanity and waywardness of spirit, and there is no advantage under the sun.Καὶ ἐπέβλεψα ἐγὼ ἐν πᾶσι ποιήμασί μου οἷς ἐποίησαν αἱ χεῖρές μου, καὶ ἐν μόχθῳ ᾧ ἐμόχθησα τοῦ ποιεῖν, καὶ ἰδοὺ τὰ πάντα ματαιότης καὶ προαίρεσις πνεύματος, καὶ οὐκ ἔστι περίσσεια ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον.
12Then I looked on to see wisdom, and madness, and folly: for who is the man who will follow after counsel, in all things where in he employs it?Καὶ ἐπέβλεψα ἐγὼ τοῦ ἰδεῖν σοφίαν καὶ παραφορὰν καὶ ἀφροσύνην, ὅτι τίς ἄνθρωπος ὅς ἐπελεύσεται ὀπίσω τῆς βουλῆς; τὰ ὅσα ἐποίησεν αὐτήν.
13And I saw that wisdom excels folly, as much as light excels darkness.Καὶ εἶδον ἐγὼ ὅτι ἐστὶ περίσσεια τῇ σοφίᾳ ὑπὲρ τὴν ἀφροσύνην, ὡς περίσσεια τοῦ φωτὸς ὑπὲρ τὸ σκότος.
14The wise man's eyes are in his head; but the fool walks in darkness: and I perceived, even I, that one event shall happen to them all.Τοῦ σοφοῦ οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ αὐτοῦ ἐν κεφαλῇ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὁ ἄφρων ἐν σκότει πορεύεται· καὶ ἔγνων καί γε ἐγὼ, ὅτι συνάντημα ἓν συναντήσεται τοῖς πᾶσιν αὐτοῖς.
15And I said in my heart, As the event of the fool is, so shall it be to me, even to me: and to what purpose have I gained wisdom? I said moreover in my heart, This is also vanity, because the fool speaks of his abundance.Καὶ εἶπα ἐγὼ ἐν καρδίᾳ μου, ὡς συνάντημα τοῦ ἄφρονος καί γε ἐμοὶ συναντήσεταί μοι, καὶ ἱνατί ἐσοφισάμην ἐγώ; περισσὸν ἐλάλησα ἐν καρδίᾳ μου, ὅτι καί γε τοῦτο ματαιότης, διότι ὁ ἄφρων ἐκ περισσεύματος λαλεῖ·
16For there is no remembrance of the wise man with the fool for ever; forasmuch as now in the coming days all things are forgotten: and how shall the wise man die with the fool?Ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἡ μνήμη τοῦ σοφοῦ μετὰ τοῦ ἄφρονος εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, καθότι ἤδη αἱ ἡμέραι ἐρχόμεναι τὰ πάντα ἐπελήσθη· καὶ πῶς ἀποθανεῖται ὁ σοφὸς μετὰ τοῦ ἄφρονος;
17So I hated life; because the work that was wrought under the sun was evil before me: for all is vanity and waywardness of spirit.Καὶ ἐμίσησα σὺν τὴν ζωήν· ὅτι πονηρὸν ἐπʼ ἐμὲ τὸ ποίημα τὸ πεποιημένον ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον, ὅτι πάντα ματαιότης καὶ προαίρεσις πνεύματος.
18And I hated the whole of my labor which I took under the sun; because I must leave it to the man who will come after me.Καὶ ἐμίσησα ἐγὼ σύμπαντα μόχθον μου ὃν ἐγὼ κοπιῶ ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον, ὅτι ἀφίω αὐτὸν τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ τῷ γινομένῳ μετʼ ἐμέ.
19And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? and whether he will have power over all my labor in which I laboured, and wherein I grew wise under the sun? this is also vanity.Καὶ τίς εἶδεν εἰ σοφὸς ἔσται ἢ ἄφρων; καὶ εἰ ἐξουσιάζεται ἐν παντὶ μόχθῳ μου, ᾧ ἐμόχθησα καὶ ᾧ ἐσοφισάμην ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον; καί γε τοῦτο ματαιότης.
20so I went about to dismiss from my heart all my labor wherein I had laboured under the sun.Καὶ ἐπέστρεψα ἐγὼ τοῦ ἀποτάξασθαι τὴν καρδίαν μου ἐν παντὶ μόχθῳ μου ᾧ ἐμόχθησα ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον·
21For there is such a man that his labor is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in fortitude; yet this man shall give his portion to one who has not laboured therein. This is also vanity and great evil.Ὅτι ἐστὶν ἄνθρωπος ὅτι μόχθος αὐτοῦ ἐν σοφίᾳ καὶ ἐν γνώσει καὶ ἐν ἀνδρίᾳ· καὶ ἄνθρωπος ᾧ οὐκ ἐμόχθησεν ἐν αὐτῷ, δώσει αὐτῷ μερίδα αὐτοῦ· καί γε τοῦτο ματαιότης καὶ πονηρία μεγάλη.
22For it happens to a man in all his labor, and in the purpose of his heart wherein he labors under the sun.ὅτι γίνεται ἐν τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ ἐν παντὶ μόχθῳ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐν προαιρέσει καρδίας αὐτοῦ ᾧ αὐτὸς μοχθεῖ ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον.
23For all his days are days of sorrows, and vexation of spirit is his; in the night also his heart rests not. This is also vanity.Ὅτι πᾶσαι αἱ ἡμέραι αὐτοῦ ἀλγημάτων καὶ θυμοῦ περισπασμὸς αὐτοῦ, καί γε ἐν νυκτὶ οὐ κοιμᾶται ἡ καρδία αὐτοῦ· καί γε τοῦτο ματαιότης ἐστίν.
24A man has nothing really good to eat, and to drink, and to show his soul as good in his trouble. This also I saw, that it is from the hand of God.Οὐκ ἔστιν ἀγαθὸν ἀνθρώπῳ, ὃ φάγεται καὶ ὃ πίεται καὶ ὃ δείξει τῇ ψυχῇ αὐτοῦ ἀγαθὸν ἐν μόχθῳ αὐτοῦ· καί γε τοῦτο εἶδον ἐγὼ ὅτι ἀπὸ χειρὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐστιν·
25For who shall eat, or who shall drink, without him?Ὅτι τίς φάγεται καὶ τίς πίεται πάρεξ αὐτοῦ;
26For God has given to the man who is good in his sight, wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but he has given to the sinner trouble, to add and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God; for this is also vanity and waywardness of spirit.Ὅτι τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ τῷ ἀγαθῷ πρὸ προσώπου αὐτοῦ ἔδωκε σοφίαν καὶ γνῶσιν καὶ εὐφροσύνην, καὶ τῷ ἁμαρτάνοντι ἔδωκε περισπασμὸν τοῦ προσθεῖναι καὶ τοῦ συναγαγεῖν, τοῦ δοῦναι τῷ ἀγαθῷ πρὸ προσώπου τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὅτι καί γε τοῦτο ματαιότης καὶ προαίρεσις πνεύματος.
The Fathers on Ecclesiastes 2
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 2Saint Gregory ThaumaturgusChapter II. Judging, therefore, that it stood thus with this matter, I decided to turn to another manner of life, and to give myself to pleasure, and to take experience of various delights. And now I learned that all such things are vain; and I put a check on laughter, when it ran on carelessly; and restrained pleasure, according to the rule of moderation,…
Read Metaphrase of Ecclesiastes →
On Ecclesiastes 2Open Ecclesiastes 2 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 II. Ver. 1. “I said in mine heart, Go to now, make trial as in mirth, and behold in good. And this, too, is vanity.” For it was for the sake of trial, and in accordance with what comes by the loftier and the severe life, that he entered into pleasure. And he makes mention of the mirth, which men call so. And he says, “in good,” referring to what men…
Read Commentary on the Beginning of Ecclesiastes →