Septuagint Bible w/ Apocrypha LXX
New Revised Standard w/ Apocrypha NRSA
1 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, all are before their face.
1
All this I laid to heart, examining it all, how the righteous and the wise and their deeds are in the hand of God; whether it is love or hate one does not know. Everything that confronts them
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.
2
is vanity, since the same fate comes to all, to the righteous and the wicked, to the good and the evil, to the clean and the unclean, to those who sacrifice and those who do not sacrifice. As are the good, so are the sinners; those who swear are like those who shun 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 to the dead.
3
This is an evil in all that happens under the sun, that the same fate comes to everyone. Moreover, the hearts of all are full of evil; madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead.
4 for who is he that has fellowship with all the living? there is hope : for a living dog is better than a dead lion.
4
But whoever is joined with all the living has hope, 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.
5
The living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no more reward, and even the memory of them 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.
6
Their love and their hate and their envy have already perished; never again will they have any share in all that happens 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.
7
Go, eat your bread with enjoyment, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has long ago approved what you do.
8 Let thy garments be always white; and let not oil be wanting on thine head.
8
Let your garments always be white; do not let oil be lacking on your 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.
9
Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your vain life that are given you under the sun, because that is your portion in life and in your toil at which you toil 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.
10
Whatever your hand finds to do, do with your might; for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.
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.
11
Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to the skillful; but time and chance 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.
12
For no one can anticipate the time of disaster. Like fish taken in a cruel net, and like birds caught in a snare, so mortals are snared at a time of calamity, when it suddenly falls upon them.
13 This I also saw wisdom under the sun, and it is great before me:
13
I have also seen this example of wisdom under the sun, and it seemed great to me.
14 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;
14
There was a little city with few people in it. A great king came against it and besieged it, building great siegeworks 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.
15
Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered 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.
16
So I said, "Wisdom is better than might; yet the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heeded."
17 The words of the wise are heard in quiet more than the cry of them that rule in folly.
17
The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded than the shouting of a ruler among fools.
18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war: and one sinner will destroy much good.
18
Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one bungler destroys much good.
The Brenton translation of the Septuagint is in the public domain.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.