Ecclesiastes 4
Berean Standard BibleTranslation
Berean Standard Bible
Septuagint (Brenton Greek text, with Apocrypha)
1Again I looked, and I considered all the oppression taking place under the sun. I saw the tears of the oppressed, and they had no comforter; the power lay in the hands of their oppressors, and there was no comforter.
1Καὶ ἐπέστρεψα ἐγὼ, καὶ εἶδον συμπάσας τὰς συκοφαντίας τὰς γενομένας ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον· καὶ ἰδοὺ δάκρυον τῶν συκοφαντουμένων, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν αὐτοῖς παρακαλῶν, καὶ ἀπὸ χειρὸς συκοφαντούντων αὐτοῖς ἰσχὺς, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν αὐτοῖς παρακαλῶν.
2So I admired the dead, who had already died, above the living, who are still alive.
2Καὶ ἐπῄνεσα ἐγὼ σύμπαντας τοὺς τεθνηκότας τοὺς ἤδη ἀποθανόντας ὑπὲρ τοὺς ζῶντας, ὅσοι αὐτοὶ ζῶσιν ἕως τοῦ νῦν.
3But better than both is he who has not yet existed, who has not seen the evil that is done under the sun.
3Καὶ ἀγαθὸς ὑπὲρ τοὺς δύο τούτους ὅστις οὔπω ἐγένετο, ὃς οὐκ εἶδε σὺν πᾶν τὸ ποίημα τὸ πονηρὸν τὸ πεποιημένον ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον.
4I saw that all labor and success spring from a man’s envy of his neighbor. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.
4Καὶ εἶδον ἐγὼ σύμπαντα τὸν μόχθον, καὶ σύμπασαν ἀνδρίαν τοῦ ποιήματος, ὅτι αὐτὸ ζῆλος ἀνδρὸς ἀπὸ τοῦ ἑταίρου αὐτοῦ· καί γε τοῦτο ματαιότης καὶ προαίρεσις πνεύματος.
5The fool folds his hands and consumes his own flesh.
5Ὁ ἄφρων περιέβαλε τὰς χεῖρας αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔφαγε τὰς σάρκας αὐτοῦ.
6Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and pursuit of the wind.
6Ἀγαθὸν πλήρωμα δρακὸς ἀναπαύσεως ὑπὲρ πληρώματα δύο δρακῶν μόχθου καὶ προαιρέσεως πνεύματος.
7Again, I saw futility under the sun.
7Καὶ ἐπέστρεψα ἐγὼ, καὶ εἶδον ματαιότητα ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον.
8There is a man all alone, without even a son or brother. And though there is no end to his labor, his eyes are still not content with his wealth: “For whom do I toil and bereave my soul of enjoyment?” This too is futile—a miserable task.
8Ἔστιν εἷς, καὶ οὐκ ἔστι δεύτερος· καί γε υἱὸς καί γε ἀδελφὸς οὐκ ἔστιν αὐτῷ· καὶ οὐκ ἔστι περασμὸς τῷ παντὶ μόχθῳ αὐτοῦ· καί γε ὀφθαλμὸς αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἐμπίμπλαται πλούτου· καὶ τίνι ἐγὼ μοχθῶ, καὶ στερίσκω τὴν ψυχήν μου ἀπὸ ἀγαθωσύνης; καί γε τοῦτο ματαιότης καὶ περισπασμὸς πονηρός ἐστιν.
9Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor.
9Ἀγαθοὶ οἱ δύο ὑπὲρ τὸν ἕνα, οἷς ἐστὶν αὐτοῖς μισθὸς ἀγαθὸς ἐν μόχθῳ αὐτῶν·
10For if one falls down, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to help him up!
10Ὅτι ἐὰν πέσωσιν, ὁ εἷς ἐγερεῖ τὸν μέτοχον αὐτοῦ· καὶ οὐαὶ αὐτῷ τῷ ἑνὶ, ὅταν πέσῃ καὶ μὴ ᾖ δεύτερος ἐγεῖραι αὐτόν.
11Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one keep warm alone?
11Καί γε ἐὰν κοιμηθῶσι δύο, καὶ θέρμη αὐτοῖς, καὶ ὁ εἷς πῶς θερμανθῇ;
12And though one may be overpowered, two can resist. Moreover, a cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
12Καὶ ἐὰν ἐπικραταιωθῇ ὁ εἷς, οἱ δύο στήσονται κατέναντι αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὸ σπαρτίον τὸ ἔντριτον οὐ ταχέως ἀποῤῥαγήσεται.
13Better is a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to take a warning.
13Ἀγαθὸς παῖς πένης καὶ σοφὸς ὑπὲρ βασιλέα πρεσβύτερον καὶ ἄφρονα, ὃς οὐκ ἔγνω τοῦ προσέχειν ἔτι·
14For the youth has come from the prison to the kingship, though he was born poor in his own kingdom.
14Ὅτι ἐξ οἴκου τῶν δεσμίων ἐξελεύσεται τοῦ βασιλεῦσαι, ὅτι καί γε ἐν βασιλείᾳ αὐτοῦ ἐγενήθη πένης.
15I saw that all who lived and walked under the sun followed this second one, the youth who succeeded the king.
15Εἶδον σύμπαντας τοὺς ζῶντας τοὺς περιπατοῦντας ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον μετὰ τοῦ νεανίσκου τοῦ δευτέρου, ὃς στήσεται ἀντʼ αὐτοῦ.
16There is no limit to all the people who were before them. Yet the successor will not be celebrated by those who come even later. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.
16Οὐκ ἔστι περασμὸς τῷ παντὶ λαῷ, τοῖς πᾶσιν οἳ ἐγένοντο ἔμπροσθεν αὐτῶν· καί γε οἱ ἔσχατοι οὐκ εὐφρανθήσονται ἐπʼ αὐτῷ· ὅτι καί γε τοῦτο ματαιότης καὶ προαίρεσις πνεύματος.
no verse 17 in this text
17Φύλαξον τὸν πόδα σου, ἐν ᾧ ἐὰν πορεύῃ εἰς οἶκον τοῦ Θεοῦ· καὶ ἐγγὺς τοῦ ἀκούειν, ὑπὲρ δόμα τῶν ἀφρόνων θυσία σου, ὅτι οὐκ εἰσὶν εἰδότες τοῦ ποιῆσαι κακόν.
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