Ecclesiastes 5

Be not hasty with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be swift to utter anything before God; for God is in heaven above, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.

Μὴ σπεῦδε ἐπὶ στόματί σου, καὶ καρδία σου μὴ ταχυνάτω τοῦ ἐξενέγκαι λόγον πρὸ προσώπου τοῦ Θεοῦ· ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ ἄνω, καὶ σὺ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς· διὰ τοῦτο ἔστωσαν οἱ λόγοι σου ὀλίγοι.

For through the multitude of trial a dream comes; and a fool's voice is with a multitude of words.

Ὅτι παραγίνεται ἐνύπνιον ἐν πλήθει πειρασμοῦ, καὶ φωνὴ ἄφρονος ἐν πλήθει λόγων.

Whenever thou shalt vow a vow to God, defer not to pay it; for he has no pleasure in fools: pay thou therefore whatsoever thou shalt have vowed.

Καθὼς εὔξῃ εὐχὴν τῷ Θεῷ, μὴ χρονίσῃς τοῦ ἀποδοῦναι αὐτήν· ὅτι οὐκ ἔστι θέλημα ἐν ἄφροσι· σὺ οὖν ὅσα ἐὰν εὔξῃ, ἀπόδος.

It is better that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.

Ἀγαθὸν τὸ μὴ εὔξασθαί σε, ἢ τὸ εὔξασθαί σε καὶ μὴ ἀποδοῦναι.

Suffer not thy mouth to lead thy flesh to sin; and say not in the presence of God, It was an error: lest God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the works of thy hands.

Μὴ δῷς τὸ στόμα σου τοῦ ἐξαμαρτῆσαι τὴν σάρκα σου, καὶ μὴ εἴπῃς πρὸ προσώπου τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὅτι ἄγνοιά ἐστιν· ἵνα μὴ ὀργισθῇ ὁ Θεὸς ἐπὶ φωνῇ σου, καὶ διαφθείρῃ τὰ ποιήματα χειρῶν σου.

For there is evil in a multitude of dreams and vanities and many words: but fear thou God.

Ὅτι ἐν πλήθει ἐνυπνίων καὶ ματαιοτήτων καὶ λόγων πολλῶν, ὅτι σὺ τὸν Θεὸν φοβοῦ.

If thou shouldest see the oppression of the poor, and the wresting of judgment and of justice in the land, wonder not at the matter: for there is a high one to watch over him that is high, and high ones over them.

Ἐὰν συκοφαντίαν πένητος καὶ ἁρπαγὴν κρίματος καὶ δικαιοσύνης ἴδῃς ἐν χώρᾳ, μὴ θαυμάσῃς ἐπὶ τῷ πράγματι· ὅτι ὑψηλὸς ἐπάνω ὑψηλοῦ φυλάξαι, καὶ ὑψηλοὶ ἐπʼ αὐτοῖς.

Also the abundance of the earth is for every one: the king is dependent on the tilled field.

Καὶ περίσσεια γῆς ἐπὶ παντί ἐστι, βασιλεὺς τοῦ ἀγροῦ εἰργασμένου.

He that loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver: and who has loved gain, in the abundance thereof? this is also vanity.

Ἀγαπῶν ἀργύριον οὐ πλησθήσεται ἀργυρίου· καὶ τίς ἠγάπησεν ἐν πλήθει αὐτῶν γέννημα; καί γε τοῦτο ματαιότης.

In the multitude of good they are increased that eat it: and what virtue has the owner, but the right of beholding it with his eyes?

Ἐν πλήθει ἀγαθωσύνης ἐπληθύνθησαν ἔσθοντες αὐτήν· καὶ τί ἀνδρεία τῷ παρʼ αὐτῆς; ὅτι ἀρχὴ τοῦ ὁρᾷν ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτοῦ.

The sleep of a servant is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but to one who is satiated with wealth, there is none that suffers him to sleep.

Γλυκὺς ὕπνος τοῦ δούλου εἰ ὀλίγον καὶ εἰ πολὺ φάγεται, καὶ τῷ ἐμπλησθέντι τοῦ πλουτῆσαι, οὐκ ἔστιν ἀφίων αὐτὸν τοῦ ὑπνῶσαι.

There is an infirmity which I have seen under the sun, namely, wealth kept for its owner to his hurt.

Ἔστιν ἀῤῥωστία ἣν εἶδον ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον, πλοῦτον φυλασσόμενον τῷ παρʼ αὐτοῦ εἰς κακίαν αὐτῷ,

And that wealth shall perish in an evil trouble: and the man begets a son, and there is nothing in his hand.

καὶ ἀπολεῖται ὁ πλοῦτος ἐκεῖνος ἐν περισπασμῷ πονηρῷ, καὶ ἐγέννησεν υἱὸν, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν χειρὶ αὐτοῦ οὐδέν.

As he came forth naked from his mother's womb, he shall return back as he came, and he shall receive nothing for his labour, that it should go with him in his hand.

Καθὼς ἐξῆλθεν ἀπὸ γαστρὸς μητρὸς αὐτοῦ γυμνὸς, ἐπιστρέψει τοῦ πορευθῆναι ὡς ἥκει, καὶ οὐδὲν οὐ λήψεται ἐν μόχθῳ αὐτοῦ, ἵνα πορευθῇ ἐν χειρὶ αὐτοῦ.

And this is also an evil infirmity: for as he came, so also shall he return: and what is his gain, for which he vainly labours?

Καί γε τοῦτο πονηρὰ ἀῤῥωστία· ὥσπερ γὰρ παρεγένετο, οὕτως καὶ ἀπελεύσεται· καὶ τίς ἡ περίσσεια αὐτοῦ ᾗ μοχθεῖ εἰς ἄνεμον;

Yea, all his days are in darkness, and in mourning, and much sorrow, and infirmity, and wrath.

Καί γε πᾶσαι αἱ ἡμέραι αὐτοῦ ἐν σκότει, καὶ ἐν πένθει, καὶ θυμῷ πολλῷ, καὶ ἀῤῥωστίᾳ, καὶ χόλῳ.

Behold, I have seen good, that it is a fine thing for a man to eat and to drink, and to see good in all his labour in which he may labour under the sun, all the number of the days of his life which God has given to him: for it is his portion.

Ἰδοὺ, εἶδον ἐγὼ ἀγαθὸν, ὅ ἐστι καλὸν, τοῦ φαγεῖν καὶ τοῦ πιεῖν καὶ τοῦ ἰδεῖν ἀγαθωσύνην ἐν παντὶ μόχθῳ αὐτοῦ, ᾧ ἐὰν μοχθῇ ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον ἀριθμὸν ἡμερῶν ζωῆς αὐτοῦ ὧν ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ ὁ Θεὸς, ὅτι αὐτὸ μερὶς αὐτοῦ.

Yea, and as for every man to whom God has given wealth and possessions, and has given him power to eat thereof, and to receive his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God.

Καί γε πᾶς ἄνθρωπος ᾧ ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ ὁ Θεὸς πλοῦτον καὶ ὑπάρχοντα, καὶ ἐξουσίασεν αὐτῷ φαγεῖν ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ, καὶ λαβεῖν τὸ μέρος αὐτοῦ, καὶ τοῦ· εὐφρανθῆναι ἐν μόχθῳ αὐτοῦ, τοῦτο δόμα Θεοῦ ἐστιν.

For he shall not much remember the days of his life; for God troubles him in the mirth of his heart.

Ὅτι οὐ πολλὰ μνησθήσεται τὰς ἡμέρας τῆς ζωῆς αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς περισπᾷ αὐτὸν ἐν εὐφροσύνῃ καρδίας αὐτοῦ.