Ecclesiastes 8
Thomson 1808
Brenton 1851
Greek · Brenton
1
ThomsonDOTH anyone know wise men? Doth anyone know the solution of a matter? Wisdom will make his countenance shine; but one of an unblushing countenance will be hated.
BrentonA man's wisdom will lighten his countenance; but a man of shameless countenance will be hated.
GreekΣοφία ἀνθρώπου φωτιεῖ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀναιδὴς προσώπῳ αὐτοῦ μισηθήσεται.
2
ThomsonWatch the mouth of a king, and in regard to the oath of God be not impatient.
BrentonObserve the commandment of the king, and that because of the word of the oath of God.
GreekΣτόμα βασιλέως φύλαξον, καὶ περὶ λόγου ὅρκου Θεοῦ.
3
ThomsonFrom his presence thou mayst withdraw. Stay not when he giveth wicked orders; for he will do what he pleaseth,
BrentonBe not hasty; thou shalt go forth out of his presence: stand not in an evil matter; for he will do whatsoever he shall please,
GreekΜὴ σπουδάσῃς, ἀπὸ προσώπου αὐτοῦ πορεύσῃ· μὴ στῇς ἐν λόγῳ πονηρῷ, ὅτι πᾶν ὃ ἐὰν θελήσῃ ποιήσει,
4
Thomsonas a king is absolute; and who can say to him, What dost thou?
Brentoneven as a king having power: and who will say to him, What doest thou?
Greekκαθὼς βασιλεὺς ἐξουσιάζων. καὶ τίς ἐρεῖ αὐτῷ, τί ποιεῖς;
5
ThomsonHe who keepeth a command will not acknowledge it to be—a wicked order; but a wise man’s heart knoweth the time of judgment, that—there is a time and a judgment for everything.
BrentonHe that keeps the commandment shall not know an evil thing: and the heart of the wise knows the time of judgment.
GreekὉ φυλάσσων ἐντολὴν, οὐ γνώσεται ῥῆμα πονηρὸν, καὶ καιρὸν κρίσεως γινώσκει καρδία σοφοῦ.
6
ThomsonBecause the man’s determination may be much against him—
BrentonFor to every thing there is time and judgment; for the knowledge of a man is great to him.
GreekὍτι παντὶ πράγματί ἐστι καιρὸς καὶ κρίσις, ὅτι γνῶσις τοῦ ἀνθρώπου πολλὴ ἐπʼ αὐτόν.
7
Thomsonbecause none knoweth what may happen, who can tell him what may come to pass?
BrentonFor there is no one that knows what is going to be: for who shall tell him how it shall be?
GreekὍτι οὐκ ἔστι γινώσκων τί τὸ ἐσόμενον, ὅτι καθὼς ἔσται, τίς ἀναγγελεῖ αὐτῷ;
8
ThomsonNo man is absolute commander over wind to stop the current of it, and over the day of death he hath no authority; nor is there a discharge in the day of battle; nor can wickedness save him who is under its sway.
BrentonThere is no man that has power over the spirit to retain the spirit; and there is no power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in the day of battle; neither shall ungodliness save her votary.
GreekΟὐκ ἔστιν ἄνθρωπος ἐξουσιάζων ἐν πνεύματι, τοῦ κωλύσαι σὺν τὸ πνεῦμα. καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐξουσία ἐν ἡμέρᾳ θανάτου, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἀποστολὴ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ πολέμου, καὶ οὐ διασώσει ἀσέβεια τὸν παρʼ αὐτῆς.
9
ThomsonHaving taken a view of this as a whole, I applied my heart to every work which is done under the sun—to all those things in which man exerciseth authority over man to his hurt.
BrentonSo I saw all this, and I applied my heart to every work that has been done under the sun; all the things wherein man has power over man to afflict him.
GreekΚαὶ σύμπαν τοῦτο εἶδον, καὶ ἔδωκα τὴν καρδίαν μου εἰς πᾶν τὸ ποίημα ὃ πεποίηται ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον, τὰ ὅσα ἐξουσιάσατο ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐν ἀνθρώπῳ τοῦ κακῶσαι αὐτόν.
10
ThomsonAnd I then saw wicked men carried to their graves, even out of this holy place; and when they were gone, they were praised in the city, because they had done as they did. Surely this is vanity.
BrentonAnd then I saw the ungodly carried into the tombs, and that out of the holy place: and they departed, and were praised in the city, because they had done thus: this also is vanity.
GreekΚαὶ τότε εἶδον ἀσεβεῖς εἰς τάφους εἰσαχθέντας, καὶ ἐκ τοῦ ἁγίου· καὶ ἐπορεύθησαν καὶ ἐπῃνέθησαν ἐν τῇ πόλει, ὅτι οὕτως ἐποίησαν· καί γε τοῦτο ματαιότης.
11
ThomsonBecause those who do evil are not speedily called to an account, therefore the heart of the children of men is fully set in them to do evil.
BrentonBecause there is no contradiction made on the part of those who do evil quickly, therefore the heart of the children of men is fully determined in them to do evil.
GreekὍτι οὐκ ἔστι γινομένη ἀντίῤῥησις ἀπὸ τῶν ποιούντων τὸ πονηρὸν ταχὺ, διὰ τοῦτο ἐπληροφορήθη καρδία υἱῶν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐν αὐτοῖς τοῦ ποιῆσαι τὸ πονηρόν.
12
ThomsonHe who sinned continued thenceforward to do evil, even because of the forbearance shewn to them. Now as I know that it is good for them who fear God, that they should be awed by His presence;
BrentonHe that has sinned has done evil from that time, and long from beforehand: nevertheless I know, that it is well with them that fear God, that they may fear before him:
GreekὋς ἥμαρτεν ἐποίησε τὸ πονηρὸν ἀπὸ τότε καὶ ἀπὸ μακρότητος αὐτῶν· ὅτι καὶ γινώσκω ἐγὼ, ὅτι ἐστὶν ἀγαθὸν τοῖς φοβουμένοις τὸν Θεὸν, ὅπως φοβῶνται ἀπὸ προσώπου αὐτοῦ·
13
Thomsonand that it cannot be well with the wicked; and that he who is not awed by the presence of God cannot prolong his days at ease;
Brentonbut it shall not be well with the ungodly, and he shall not prolong his days, which are as a shadow; forasmuch as he fears not before God.
GreekΚαὶ ἀγαθὸν οὐκ ἔσται τῷ ἀσεβεῖ, καὶ οὐ μακρυνεῖ ἡμέρας ἐν σκιᾷ, ὃς οὐκ ἔστι φοβούμενος ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ Θεοῦ.
14
Thomsonthis which is practised on earth is vanity. Because there are righteous men on whom cometh as it were the work of the wicked; and because there are wicked men on whom cometh, as it were, the work of the righteous, I said that this is also surely vanity;
BrentonThere is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there are righteous persons to whom it happens according to the doing of the ungodly; and there are ungodly men, to whom it happens according to the doing of the just: I said, This is also vanity.
GreekἜστι ματαιότης ἣ πεποίηται ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ὅτι εἰσὶ δίκαιοι, ὅτι φθάνει ἐπʼ αὐτοὺς ὡς ποίημα τῶν ἀσεβῶν, καί εἰσιν ἀσεβεῖς, ὅτι φθάνει πρὸς αὐτοὺς ὡς ποίημα τῶν δικαίων· εἶπα, ὅτι καί γε τοῦτο ματαιότης.
15
Thomsonand I praised pleasurable enjoyment, because there is nothing good for men under the sun---nothing save eating and drinking and being made glad; and this one may have conjoined with his labour all the days of his life which God giveth him under the sun.
BrentonThen I praised mirth, because there is no good for a man under the sun, but to eat, and drink, and be merry: and this shall attend him in his labour all the days of his life, which God has given him under the sun.
GreekΚαὶ ἐπῄνεσα ἐγὼ σὺν τὴν εὐφροσύνην, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἀγαθὸν τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον, ὅτι εἰ μὴ φαγεῖν καὶ τοῦ πιεῖν καὶ τοῦ εὐφρανθῆναι· καὶ αὐτὸ συμπροσέσται αὐτῷ ἐν μόχθῳ αὐτοῦ ἡμέρας ζωῆς αὐτοῦ, ὅσας ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ ὁ Θεὸς ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον.
16
ThomsonIn all those things to which I applied my heart to know wisdom and to take a view of the business which is done on the earth; because day and night this is never at rest,
BrentonWhereupon I set my heart to know wisdom, and to perceive the trouble that was wrought upon the earth: for there is that neither by day nor night sees sleep with his eyes.
GreekἘν οἷς ἔδωκα τὴν καρδίαν μου τοῦ γνῶναι τὴν σοφίαν, καὶ τοῦ ἰδεῖν τὸν περισπασμὸν τὸν πεποιημένον ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ὅτι καὶ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ καὶ ἐν νυκτὶ ὕπνον ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἔστι βλέπων.
17
Thomsontherefore I took a view of all the works of God in classes; for man is incapable of finding out the whole system of things under the sun. Let a man labour ever so much in the search he cannot find it out; and let a wise man say ever so much of knowing, he cannot find it; for this cause I laid this whole system before my heart, and my heart took a view of it.
BrentonAnd I beheld all the works of God, that a man shall not be able to discover the work which is wrought under the sun; whatsoever things a man shall endeavour to seek, however a man may labour to seek it, yet he shall not find it; yea, how much soever a wise man may speak of knowing it, he shall not be able to find it: for I applied all this to my heart, and my heart has seen all this.
GreekΚαὶ εἶδον σύμπαντα τὰ ποιήματα τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὅτι οὐ δυνήσεται ἄνθρωπος τοῦ εὑρεῖν σὺν τὸ ποίημα τὸ πεποιημένον ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον· ὅσα ἂν μοχθήσῃ ἄνθρωπος τοῦ ζητῆσαι, καὶ οὐχ εὑρήσει· καί γε ὅσα ἂν εἴπῃ σοφὸς τοῦ γνῶναι, οὐ δυνήσεται τοῦ εὑρεῖν· ὅτι σύμπαν τοῦτο ἔδωκα εἰς καρδίαν μου, καὶ καρδία μου σύμπαν εἶδε τοῦτο.