Ecclesiastes 4

1 Καὶ 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.

2 Καὶ ἐπῄνεσα ἐγὼ σύμπαντας τοὺς τεθνηκότας τοὺς ἤδη ἀποθανόντας ὑπὲρ τοὺς ζῶντας, ὅσοι αὐτοὶ ζῶσιν ἕως τοῦ νῦν.

3 Καὶ ἀγαθὸς ὑπὲρ τοὺς δύο τούτους ὅστις οὔπω ἐγένετο, ὃς οὐκ εἶδε σὺν πᾶν τὸ ποίημα τὸ πονηρὸν τὸ πεποιημένον ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον.

4 Καὶ 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.

5 Ὁ ἄφρων περιέβαλε τὰς χεῖρας αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔφαγε τὰς σάρκας αὐτοῦ.

6 Ἀγαθὸν πλήρωμα δρακὸς ἀναπαύσεως ὑπὲρ πληρώματα δύο δρακῶν μόχθου καὶ προαιρέσεως πνεύματος.

7 Καὶ ἐπέστρεψα ἐγὼ, καὶ εἶδον ματαιότητα ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον.

8 Ἔστιν 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.

9 Ἀγαθοὶ οἱ δύο ὑπὲρ τὸν ἕνα, οἷς ἐστὶν αὐτοῖς μισθὸς ἀγαθὸς ἐν μόχθῳ αὐτῶν·

10 Ὅτι ἐὰν πέσωσιν, ὁ εἷς ἐγερεῖ τὸν μέτοχον αὐτοῦ· καὶ οὐαὶ αὐτῷ τῷ ἑνὶ, ὅταν πέσῃ καὶ μὴ ᾖ δεύτερος ἐγεῖραι αὐτόν.

11 Καί γε ἐὰν κοιμηθῶσι δύο, καὶ θέρμη αὐτοῖς, καὶ ὁ εἷς πῶς θερμανθῇ;

12 Καὶ ἐὰν ἐπικραταιωθῇ ὁ εἷς, οἱ δύο στήσονται κατέναντι αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὸ σπαρτίον τὸ ἔντριτον οὐ ταχέως ἀποῤῥαγήσεται.

13 Ἀγαθὸς παῖς πένης καὶ σοφὸς ὑπὲρ βασιλέα πρεσβύτερον καὶ ἄφρονα, ὃς οὐκ ἔγνω τοῦ προσέχειν ἔτι·

14 Ὅτι ἐξ οἴκου τῶν δεσμίων ἐξελεύσεται τοῦ βασιλεῦσαι, ὅτι καί γε ἐν βασιλείᾳ αὐτοῦ ἐγενήθη πένης.

15 Εἶδον σύμπαντας τοὺς ζῶντας τοὺς περιπατοῦντας ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον μετὰ τοῦ νεανίσκου τοῦ δευτέρου, ὃς στήσεται ἀντʼ αὐτοῦ.

16 Οὐκ 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.

17 Φύλαξον 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.

1 So I returned, and saw all the oppressions that were done under the sun: and behold the tear of the oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of them that oppressed them was power; but they had no comforter:

2 and I praised all the dead that had already died more than the living, as many as are alive until now.

3 Better also than both these is he who has not yet been, who has not seen all the evil work that is done under the sun.

4 And I saw all labour, and all the diligent work, that this is a man's envy from his neighbour. This is also vanity and waywardness of spirit.

5 The fool folds his hands together, and eats his own flesh.

6 Better is a handful of rest than two handfuls of trouble and waywardness of spirit.

7 So I returned, and saw vanity under the sun.

8 There is one alone , and there is not a second; yea, he has neither son nor brother: yet there is no end to all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with wealth; and for whom do I labour, and deprive my soul of good? this is also vanity, and an evil trouble.

9 Two are better than one, seeing they have a good reward for their labour.

10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falls, and there is not a second to lift him up.

11 Also if two should lie together, they also get heat: but how shall one be warmed alone ?

12 And if one should prevail against him , the two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord shall not be quickly broken.

13 Better is a poor and wise child than an old and foolish king, who knows not how to take heed any longer.

14 For he shall come forth out of the house of the prisoners to reign, because he also that was in his kingdom has become poor.

15 I beheld all the living who were walking under the sun, with the second youth who shall stand up in each one's place.

16 There is no end to all the people, to all who were before them: and the last shall not rejoice in him: for this also is vanity and waywardness of spirit.

17 Keep thy foot, whensoever thou goest to the house of God; and when thou art near to hear, let thy sacrifice be better than the gift of fools: for they know not that they are doing evil.