¹[] Εγω ειπα εν τη καρδια μου, Ελθε τωρα, να σε δοκιμασω δι' ευφροσυνης· και εντρυφα εις αγαθα· και ιδου, και τουτο ματαιοτης.

¹I said in my heart, Come now, I will try thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure. But behold, this also is vanity.

²Ειπα περι του γελωτος, Ειναι μωρια· και περι της χαρας, Τι ωφελει αυτη;

²I said of laughter, Madness! and of mirth, What availeth it?

³Εσκεφθην εν τη καρδια μου να ευφραινω την σαρκα μου με οινον, ενω ετι η καρδια μου ησχολειτο εις την σοφιαν· και να κρατησω την μωριαν, εωσου ιδω τι ειναι το αγαθον εις τους υιους των ανθρωπων, δια να καμνωσιν αυτο υπο τον ουρανον πασας τας ημερας της ζωης αυτων.

³I searched in my heart how to cherish my flesh with wine, while practising my heart with wisdom; and how to lay hold on folly, till I should see what was that good for the children of men which they should do under the heavens all the days of their life.

⁴Εκαμον πραγματα μεγαλα εις εμαυτον· ωκοδομησα εις εμαυτον οικιας· εφυτευσα δι' εμαυτον αμπελωνας.

⁴I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards;

⁵Εκαμον δι' εμαυτον κηπους και παραδεισους και εφυτευσα εν αυτοις δενδρα παντος καρπου.

⁵I made me gardens and parks, and I planted trees in them of every kind of fruit;

⁶Εκαμον δι' εμαυτον δεξαμενας υδατων, δια να ποτιζω εξ αυτων το αλσος το καταφυτον εκ δενδρων.

⁶I made me ponds of water, to water therewith the wood, where the trees are reared.

⁷Απεκτησα δουλους και δουλας και ειχον δουλους οικογενεις· απεκτησα ετι αγελας και ποιμνια περισσοτερα υπερ παντας τους υπαρξαντας προ εμου εν Ιερουσαλημ.

⁷I acquired servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of herds and flocks, above all that had been in Jerusalem before me.

⁸Συνηθροισα εις εμαυτον και αργυριον και χρυσιον και εκλεκτα κειμηλια βασιλεων και τοπων· απεκτησα εις εμαυτον αδοντας και αδουσας και τα εντρυφηματα των υιων των ανθρωπων, παν ειδος παλλακιδων.

⁸I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces; I got me men-singers and women-singers, and the delights of the children of men, a wife and concubines.

⁹Και εμεγαλυνθην και ηυξηνθην υπερ παντας τους υπαρξαντας προ εμου εν Ιερουσαλημ· και η σοφια μου εμενεν εν εμοι.

⁹And I became great, and increased more than all that had been before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.

¹⁰Και παν ο, τι εζητησαν οι οφθαλμοι μου, δεν ηρνηθην εις αυτους· δεν εμποδισα την καρδιαν μου απο πασης ευφροσυνης, διοτι η καρδια μου ευφραινετο εις παντας τους μοχθους μου· και τουτο ητο η μερις μου εκ παντος του μοχθου μου.

¹⁰And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them: I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour, and this was my portion from all my labour.

¹¹Και παρετηρησα εγω εν πασι τοις εργοις μου τα οποια εκαμον αι χειρες μου, και εν παντι τω μοχθω τον οποιον εμοχθησα, και ιδου, τα παντα ματαιοτης και θλιψις πνευματος, και ουδεν οφελος υπο τον ηλιον.

¹¹Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that it had cost me to do [them]; and behold, all was vanity and pursuit of the wind, and there was no profit under the sun.

¹²[] Και εστραφην εγω δια να παρατηρησω την σοφιαν και την μωριαν και την αφροσυνην· διοτι τι θελει καμει ανθρωπος ελθων μετα τον βασιλεα; ο, τι εκαμον ηδη.

¹²And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly; for what shall the man [do] that cometh after the king? -- that which hath already been done.

¹³Και εγω ειδον οτι η σοφια υπερεχει της αφροσυνης, καθως το φως υπερεχει του σκοτους.

¹³And I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as light excelleth darkness.

¹⁴Του σοφου οι οφθαλμοι ειναι εν τη κεφαλη αυτου, ο δε αφρων περιπατει εν τω σκοτει· πλην εγω εγνωρισα ετι οτι εν συναντημα θελει συναντησει εις παντας τουτους.

¹⁴The wise man's eyes are in his head, and the fool walketh in darkness; but I myself also perceived that one event happeneth to them all.

¹⁵Δια τουτο ειπα εγω εν τη καρδια μου, Καθως συμβαινει εις τον αφρονα, ουτω θελει συμβη και εις εμε· δια τι λοιπον εγω να γεινω σοφωτερος; οθεν εσυμπερανα παλιν εν τη καρδια μου, οτι και τουτο ειναι ματαιοτης.

¹⁵And I said in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool so will it happen even to me; and why was I then so wise? Then I said in my heart that this also is vanity.

¹⁶Διοτι δεν θελει μενει διαπαντος η μνημη του σοφου ουδε του αφρονος· επειδη εν ταις επερχομεναις ημεραις τα παντα θελουσι πλεον λησμονηθη. Και πως θελει αποθανει ο σοφος μετα του αφρονος;

¹⁶For there shall be no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; because everything is already forgotten in the days which come. And how dieth the wise even as the fool?

¹⁷[] Δια τουτο εμισησα την ζωην, διοτι μοχθηρα εφανησαν εις εμε τα εργα τα γενομενα υπο τον ηλιον· επειδη τα παντα ματαιοτης και θλιψις πνευματος.

¹⁷And I hated life; for the work that is wrought under the sun was grievous unto me; for all is vanity and pursuit of the wind.

¹⁸Εμισησα ετι εγω παντα τον μοχθον μου, τον οποιον ειχον μοχθησει υπο τον ηλιον· διοτι αφινω αυτον εις τον ανθρωπον οστις θελει σταθη μετ' εμε.

¹⁸And I hated all my labour wherewith I had been toiling under the sun, because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me.

¹⁹Και τις οιδεν αν θελη εισθαι σοφος η αφρων; και ομως θελει εξουσιασει επι παντος του μοχθου μου, τον οποιον εμοχθησα και εις τον οποιον εδειξα την σοφιαν μου υπο τον ηλιον· ματαιοτης και τουτο.

¹⁹And who knoweth whether he will be a wise [man] or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour at which I have laboured, and wherein I have been wise under the sun. This also is vanity.

²⁰Οθεν εγω στραφεις απηλπισα την καρδιαν μου περι παντος του μοχθου, τον οποιον εμοχθησα υπο τον ηλιον.

²⁰Then I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour wherewith I had laboured under the sun.

²¹Διοτι ειναι ανθρωπος, του οποιου ο μοχθος εσταθη εν σοφια και γνωσει και εν ορθοτητι· και ομως αφινει αυτον εις αλλον δια μεριδα αυτου, οστις δεν εκοπιασεν εις αυτον· και τουτο ματαιοτης και κακον μεγα.

²¹For there is a man whose labour hath been with wisdom, and with knowledge, and with skill, and who leaveth it to a man that hath not laboured therein, to be his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.

²²Διοτι τις ωφελεια εις τον ανθρωπον απο παντος του μοχθου αυτου και απο της θλιψεως της καρδιας αυτου, εις τα οποια μοχθει υπο τον ηλιον;

²²For what will man have of all his labour and of the striving of his heart, wherewith he hath wearied himself under the sun?

²³Επειδη πασαι αι ημεραι αυτου ειναι πονος, και οι μοχθοι αυτου λυπη· και την νυκτα ετι η καρδια αυτου δεν κοιμαται· ειναι και τουτο ματαιοτης.

²³For all his days are sorrows, and his travail vexation: even in the night his heart taketh no rest. This also is vanity.

²⁴Δεν ειναι αγαθον εις τον ανθρωπον να τρωγη και να πινη και να καμνη την ψυχην αυτου να απολαμβανη καλον εκ του μοχθου αυτου; και τουτο ειδον εγω, οτι ειναι απο της χειρος του Θεου.

²⁴There is nothing good for man, but that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.

²⁵Διοτι τις θελει φαγει και τις θελει εντρυφησει υπερ εμε;

²⁵For who can eat, or who be eager, more than I?

²⁶Επειδη ο Θεος εις τον ανθρωπον τον αρεστον ενωπιον αυτου διδει σοφιαν και γνωσιν και χαραν· εις δε τον αμαρτωλον διδει περισπασμον, εις το να προσθετη και να επισωρευη, δια να δωση αυτα εις τον αρεστον ενωπιον αυτου· και τουτο ματαιοτης και θλιψις πνευματος.

²⁶For he giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner he giveth travail to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good in God's sight. This also is vanity and pursuit of the wind.