en
Old Testament
1 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men:
1 ΕΣΤΙ πονηρία, ἣν εἶδον ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον, καὶ πολλή ἐστιν ἐπὶ τὸ ἄνθρωπον·
2 A man to whom God has given riches and wealth and honor, so that he lacks nothing for himself of all he desires; yet God does not give him power to eat of it, but a foreigner consumes it. This is vanity, and it is an evil affliction.
2 ἀνήρ, ᾧ δώσει αὐτῷ ὁ Θεὸς πλοῦτον καὶ ὑπάρχοντα καὶ δόξαν, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ὑστερῶν τῇ ψυχῇ αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ πάντων, ὧν ἐπιθυμήσει, καὶ οὐκ ἐξουσιάσει αὐτῷ ὁ Θεὸς τοῦ φαγεῖν ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ἀνὴρ ξένος φάγεται αὐτόν· τοῦτο ματαιότης καὶ ἀρρωστία πονηρά ἐστι.
3 If a man begets a hundred children and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not satisfied with goodness, or indeed he has no burial, I say that a stillborn child is better than he—
3 ἐὰν γεννήσῃ ἀνὴρ ἑκατὸν καὶ ἔτη πολλὰ ζήσεται, καὶ πλῆθος ὅ,τι ἔσονται αἱ ἡμέραι ἐτῶν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ψυχὴ αὐτοῦ οὐ πλησθήσεται ἀπὸ τῆς ἀγαθωσύνης, καί γε ταφὴ οὐκ ἐγένετο αὐτῷ, εἶπα· ἀγαθὸν ὑπὲρ αὐτὸν τὸ ἔκτρωμα,
4 for it comes in vanity and departs in darkness, and its name is covered with darkness.
4 ὅτι ἐν ματαιότητι ἦλθε καὶ ἐν σκότει πορεύεται, καὶ ἐν σκότει ὄνομα αὐτοῦ καλυφθήσεται.
5 Though it has not seen the sun or known anything, this has more rest than that man,
5 καί γε ἥλιον οὐκ εἶδε καὶ οὐκ ἔγνω, ἀνάπαυσις τούτῳ ὑπὲρ τοῦτον.
6 even if he lives a thousand years twice—but has not seen goodness. Do not all go to one place?
6 καὶ εἰ ἔζησε χιλίων ἐτῶν καθόδους καὶ ἀγαθωσύνην οὐκ εἶδε, μὴ οὐκ εἰς τόπον ἕνα πορεύεται τὰ πάντα;
7 All the labor of man is for his mouth, And yet the soul is not satisfied.
7 Πᾶς μόχθος ἀνθρώπου εἰς στόμα αὐτοῦ, καί γε ἡ ψυχὴ οὐ πληρωθήσεται.
8 For what more has the wise man than the fool? What does the poor man have, Who knows how to walk before the living?
8 ὅτι τίς περισσεία τῷ σοφῷ ὑπὲρ τὸν ἄφρονα; διότι ὁ πένης οἶδε πορευθῆναι κατέναντι τῆς ζωῆς.
9 Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of desire. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind.
9 ἀγαθὸν ὅραμα ὀφθαλμῶν ὑπὲρ πορευόμενον ψυχῇ· καί γε τοῦτο ματαιότης καὶ προαίρεσις πνεύματος.
10 Whatever one is, he has been named already, For it is known that he is man; And he cannot contend with Him who is mightier than he.
10 Εἴ τι ἐγένετο, ἤδη κέκληται ὄνομα αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐγνώσθη ὅ ἐστιν ἄνθρωπος, καὶ οὐ δυνήσεται κριθῆναι μετὰ τοῦ ἰσχυροτέρου ὑπὲρ αὐτόν·
11 Since there are many things that increase vanity, How is man the better?
11 ὅτι εἰσὶ λόγοι πολλοὶ πληθύνοντες ματαιότητα. τί περισσὸν τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ;
12 For who knows what is good for man in life, all the days of his vain life which he passes like a shadow? Who can tell a man what will happen after him under the sun?
12 ὅτι τίς οἶδεν ἀγαθὸν τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ ἐν τῇ ζωῇ ἀριθμὸν ζωῆς ἡμερῶν ματαιότητος αὐτοῦ; καὶ ἐποίησεν αὐτὰ ἐν σκιᾷ· ὅτι τίς ἀπαγγελεῖ τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ, τί ἔσται ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον;
NKJV translation