Delphi Septuagint

by Lancelot C L Brenton (ed)

  [7] All the labour of a man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite shall not be satisfied. [8] For what advantage has the wise man over the fool, since even the poor knows how to walk in the direction of life? [9] The sight of the eyes is better than that which wanders in soul: this is also vanity, and waywardness of spirit.

  [10] If anything has been, its name has already been called: and it is known what man is; neither can he contend with him who is stronger than he. [11] For there are many things which increase vanity.

  Chapter 7

  [1] What advantage has a man? for who knows what is good for a man in his life, during the number of the life of the days of his vanity? and he has spent them as a shadow; for who shall tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?

  [2] A good name is better than good oil; and the day of death than the day of birth. [3] It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the banquet house: since this is the end of every man; and the living man will apply good warning to his heart. [4] Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart will be made better. [5] The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

  [6] It is better to hear a reproof of a wise man, than for a man to hear the song of fools. [7] As the sound of thorns under a caldron, so is the laughter of fools: this is also vanity.

  [8] for oppression makes a wise man mad, and destroys his noble heart. [9] The end of a matter is better than the beginning thereof: the patient is better than the high-minded. [10] Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger will rest in the bosom of fools. [11] Say not, What has happened, that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire in wisdom concerning this.

  [12] Wisdom is good with an inheritance: and there is an advantage by it to them that see the sun. [13] For wisdom in its shadow is as the shadow of silver: and the excellence of the knowledge of wisdom will give life to him that has it.

  [14] Behold the works of God: for who shall be able to straighten him whom God has made crooked? [15] In the day of prosperity live joyfully, and consider in the day of adversity: consider, I say, God also has caused the one to agree with the other for this reason, that man should find nothing after him.

  [16] I have seen all things in the days of my vanity: there is a just man perishing in his justice, and there is an ungodly man remaining in his wickedness. [17] Be not very just; neither be very wise: lest thou be confounded. [18] Be not very wicked; and be not stubborn: lest thou shouldest die before thy time. [19] It is well for thee to hold fast by this; also by this defile not thine hand: for to them that fear God all things shall come forth well.

  [20] Wisdom will help the wise man more than ten mighty men which are in the city. [21] For there is not a righteous man in the earth, who will do good, and not sin [22] Also take no heed to all the words which ungodly men shall speak; lest thou hear thy servant cursing thee. [23] For many times he shall trespass against thee, and repeatedly shall he afflict thine heart; for thus also hast thou cursed others.

  24All these things have I proved in wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me. [25] That which is far beyond what was, and a great depth, who shall find it out?

  [26] I and my heart went round about to know, and to examine, and to seek wisdom, and the account of things, and to know the folly and trouble and madness of the ungodly man.

  [27] And I find her to be, and I will pronounce to be more bitter than death the woman which is a snare, and her heart nets, who has a band in her hands: he that is good in the sight of God shall be delivered from her; but the sinner shall be caught by her. [28] Behold, this have I found, said the Preacher, seeking by one at a time to find out the account, [29] which my soul sought after, but I found not: for I have found one man of a thousand; but a woman in all these I have not found. [30] But, behold, this have I found, that God made man upright; but they have sought out many devices.

  Chapter 8

  [1] Who knows the wise? and who knows the interpretation of a saying?

  A man’s wisdom will lighten his countenance; but a man of shameless countenance will be hated.

  [2] Observe the commandment of the king, and that because of the word of the oath of God. [3] Be not hasty; thou shalt go forth out of his presence: stand not in an evil matter; for he will do whatsoever he shall please, [4] even as a king having power: and who will say to him, What doest thou?

  [5] He that keeps the commandment shall not know an evil thing: and the heart of the wise knows the time of judgement. [6] For to every thing there is time and judgement; for the knowledge of a man is great to him. [7] For there is no one that knows what is going to be: for who shall tell him how it shall be?

  [8] There 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 the battle; neither shall ungodliness save her votary.

  [9] So 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. [10] And 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.

  [11] Because 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. [12] He 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: [13] but 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.

  [14] There 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. [15] Then 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.

  [16] Whereupon 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. [17] And 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.

  Chapter 9

  [1] I saw that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: yea, there is no man that knows either love or hatred, though all are before their face. [2] Vanity is in all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good, and to the bad; both to the pure, and to the impure; both to him that sacrifices, and to him that sacrifice not: as is the good, so is the sinner: as is the swearer, even so is he that fears an oath.

  [3] There is this evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one event to all: yea, the heart of the sons of men is filled with evil, and madness is in their heart during their life, and after that they go to the dead. [4] for who is he that has fellowship with all the living? there is hope of him: for a living dog is better than a dead lion. [5] For the living will know that they shall die: but the dead know nothing, and there is no longer any reward to them; for their memory is lost. [6] also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, have now perished; yea, there is no portion for them any more for ever in all that is done under the sun.

  [7] Go, eat thy bread with mirth, and drink thy wine with a joyful heart; for now God has favourably accepted thy works. [8] Let thy garments be always white; and let not oil be wanting on thine head. [9] And see life with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy
vanity, which are given thee under the sun: for that is thy portion in thy life, and in thy labour wherein thou labourest under the sun.

  [10] Whatsoever thine hand shall find to do, do with all thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Hades wither thou goest.

  [11] I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor yet bread to the wise, nor yet wealth to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of knowledge; for time and chance will happen to them all. [12] For surely man also knows not his time: as fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as birds that are caught in a snare; even thus the sons of men are snared at an evil time, when it falls suddenly upon them.

  [13] This I also saw to be wisdom under the sun, and it is great before me: [14] suppose there were a little city, and few men in it; and there should come against it a great king, and surround it, and build great mounds against it; [15] and should find in it a poor wise man, and he should save the city through his wisdom: yet no man would remember that poor man. [16] And I said Wisdom is better than power: yet the wisdom of the poor man is set at nought, and his words not listened to.

  [17] The words of the wise are heard in quiet more than the cry of them that rule in folly.

  [18] Wisdom is better than weapons of war: and one sinner will destroy much good.

  Chapter 10

  [1] Pestilent flies will corrupt a preparation of sweet ointment: and a little wisdom is more precious than great glory of folly.

  [2] A wise man’s heart is at his right hand; but a fool’s heart at his left. [3] Yea, and whenever a fool walks by the way, his heart will fail him, and all that he thinks of is folly.

  [4] If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for soothing will put an end to great offences. [5] There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, wherein an error has proceeded from the ruler. [6] The fool has been set in very high places, while rich men would sit in a low one. [7] I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants on the earth.

  [8] He that digs a pit shall fall into it; and him that breaks down a hedge a serpent shall bite.

  [9] He that removes stones shall be troubled thereby; he that cleaves wood shall be endangered thereby.

  [10] If the axe-head should fall off, then the man troubles his countenance, and he must put forth more strength: and in that case skill is of no advantage to a man.

  [11] If a serpent bite when there is no charmer’s whisper, then there is no advantage to the charmer.

  [12] The words of a wise mouth are gracious: but the lips of a fool will swallow him up. [13] The beginning of the words of his mouth is folly: and the end of his talk mischievous madness. [14] A fool moreover multiplies words: man knows not what has been, nor what will be: who shall tell him what will come after him? [15] The labour of fools will afflict them, as that of one who knows not to go to the city.

  [16] Woe to thee, O city, whose king is young, and thy princes eat in the morning! [17] Blessed art thou, O land, whose king is a son of nobles, and whose princes shall eat seasonably, for strength, and shall not be ashamed.

  [18] By slothful neglect a building will be brought low: and by idleness of the hands the house will fall to pieces.

  [19] Men prepare bread for laughter, and wine and oil that the living should rejoice: but to money all things will humbly yield obedience.

  [20] Even in thy conscience, curse not the king; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry thy voice, and that which has wings shall report thy speech.

  Chapter 11

  [1] Send forth thy bread upon the face of the water: for thou shalt find it after many days. [2] Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil there shall be upon the earth. [3] If the clouds be filled with rain, they pour it out upon the earth: and if a tree fall southward, or if it fall northward, in the place where the tree shall fall, there it shall be. [4] He that observes the wind sows not; and he that looks at the clouds will not reap. [5] Among whom none knows what is the way of the wind: as the bones are hid in the womb of a pregnant woman, so thou shalt not know the works of God, even all things whatsoever he shall do. [6] In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening let not thine hand be slack: for thou knowest not what sort shall prosper, whether this or that, or whether both shall be good alike.

  [7] Moreover the light is sweet, and it is good for the eyes to see the sun. [8] For even if a man should live many years, and rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many. All that comes is vanity.

  [9] Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thy heart blameless, but not in the sight of thine eyes: yet know that for all these things God will bring thee into judgement. [10] Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for youth and folly are vanity.

  Chapter 12

  [1] And remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before the days of evil come, and the years overtake thee in which thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them. [2] While the sun and light are not darkened, nor the moon and the stars; nor the clouds return after the rain: [3] in the day wherein the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the mighty men shall become bent, and the grinding women cease because they have become few, and the women looking out at the windows be dark; [4] and they shall shut the doors in the market-place, because of the weakness of the voice of her that grinds at the mill; and he shall rise up at the voice of the sparrow, and all the daughters of song shall be brought low; [5] and they shall look up, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall blossom, and the locust shall increase, and the caper shall be scattered: because man has gone to his eternal home, and the mourners have gone about the market: [6] before the silver cord be let go, or the choice gold be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel run down to the cistern; [7] before the dust also return to the earth as it was, and the spirit return to God who gave it. [8] Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher; all is vanity. [9] And because the Preacher was wise above others, so it was that he taught man excellent knowledge, and the ear will trace out the parables. [10] The Preacher sought diligently to find out acceptable words, and a correct writing, even words of truth. [11] The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails firmly fastened, which have been given from one shepherd by agreement. [12] And moreover, my son, guard thyself by means of them: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

  [13] Hear the end of the matter, the sun: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole man. [14] For God will bring every work into judgment, with everything that has been overlooked, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

  Song of Solomon

  Chapter 1

  [1] The Song of songs, which is Solomon’s. [2] Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy breasts are better than wine. [3] And the smell of thine ointments is better than all spices: thy name is ointment poured forth; therefore do the young maidens love thee. [4] They have drawn thee: we will run after thee, for the smell of thine ointments: the king has brought me into closet: let us rejoice and be glad in thee; we will love thy breasts more than wine: righteousness loves thee.

  [5] I am black, but beautiful, ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon. [6] Look not upon me, because I am dark, because the sun has looked unfavourably upon me: my mother’s sons strove with me; they made me keeper in the vineyards; I have not kept my own vineyard.

  [7] Tell me, thou whom my soul loves, where thou tendest thy flock, where thou causest them to rest at noon, lest I become as one that is veiled by the flocks of thy companions.

  [8] If thou know not thyself, thou fair one among women, go thou forth by the footsteps of the flocks, and feed thy kids by the shepherd’s tents. [9] I have likened thee, my companion, to my horses in the
chariots of Pharao. [10] How are thy cheeks beautiful as those of a dove, thy neck as chains! [11] We will make thee figures of gold with studs of silver.

  [12] So long as the king was at table, my spikenard gave forth its smell. [13] My kinsman is to me a bundle of myrrh; he shall lie between my breasts. [14] My kinsman is to me a cluster of camphor in the vineyards of Engaddi.

  [15] Behold, thou art fair, my companion; behold, thou art fair; thine eyes are doves. [16] Behold, thou art fair, my kinsman, yea, beautiful, overshadowing our bed. [17] The beams of our house are cedars, our ceilings are of cypress.

  Chapter 2

  [1] I am a flower of the plain, a lily of the valleys.

  [2] As a lily among thorns, so is my companion among the daughters.

  [3] As the apple among the trees of the wood, so is my kinsman among the sons. I desired his shadow, and sat down, and his fruit was sweet in my throat. [4] Bring me into the wine house; set love before me. [5] Strengthen me with perfumes, stay me with apples: for I am wounded with love. [6] His left hand shall be under my head, and his right hand shall embrace me.

  [7] I have charged you, ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the powers and by the virtues of the field, that ye do not rouse or wake my love, until he please.

  [8] The voice of my kinsman! behold, he comes leaping over the mountains, bounding over the hills.