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Ecclesiastes · Brenton's English Septuagint

Ecclesiastes 2 Brenton's English Septuagint

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About Brenton
  • Individual translator
  • OT: Septuagint (Greek)
  • Septuagint Old Testament (no New Testament)
  • Formal (word for word)
  • 1844
  • Public domain

Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings

Notes on this text (2)
Brenton Brenton's English Septuagint
RV1909 Reina-Valera 1909
1 I said in my heart, Come now, I will prove thee with mirth, and behold thou good: and, behold, this is also vanity.
1 DIJE yo en mi corazón: Ven ahora, te probaré con alegría, y gozarás de bienes. Mas he aquí esto también era vanidad.
2 I said to laughter, Madness: and to mirth, Why doest thou this?
2 A la risa dije: Enloqueces; y al placer: ¿De qué sirve esto?
3 And I examined whether my heart would excite my flesh as [with] wine, (though my heart guided [me] in wisdom,) and [I desired] to lay hold of mirth, until I should see of what kind is the good to the sons of men, which they should do under the sun all the days of their life.
3 Propuse en mi corazón agasajar mi carne con vino, y que anduviese mi corazón en sabiduría, con retención de la necedad, hasta ver cuál fuese el bien de los hijos de los hombres, en el cual se ocuparan debajo del cielo todos los días de su vida.
4 I enlarged my work; I built me houses; I planted me vineyards.
4 Engrandecí mis obras, edifiquéme casas, plantéme viñas;
5 I made me gardens and orchards, and planted in them every kind of fruit-tree.
5 Híceme huertos y jardines, y planté en ellos árboles de todos frutos;
6 I made me pools of water, to water from them the timber-bearing wood.
6 Híceme estanques de aguas, para regar de ellos el bosque donde los árboles crecían.
7 I got servants and maidens, and servants were born to me in the house: also I had abundant possession of flocks and herds, beyond all who were before me in Jerusalem.
7 Poseí siervos y siervas, y tuve hijos de familia; también tuve posesión grande de vacas y ovejas, sobre todos los que fueron antes de mí en Jerusalem;
8 Moreover I collected for myself both silver and gold also, and the peculiar treasures of kings and provinces: I procured me singing men and singing women, and delights of the sons of men, a butler and female cupbearers.
8 Alleguéme también plata y oro, y tesoro preciado de reyes y de provincias; híceme de cantores y cantoras, y los deleites de los hijos de los hombres, instrumentos músicos y de todas suertes.
9 So I became great, and advanced beyond all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom was established to me.
9 Y fuí engrandecido, y aumentado más que todos los que fueron antes de mí en Jerusalem: á más de esto perseveró conmigo mi sabiduría.
10 And whatever mine eyes desired, I withheld not from them, I withheld not my heart from all my mirth: for my heart rejoiced in all my labour; and this was my portion of all my labour.
10 No negué á mis ojos ninguna cosa que desearan, ni aparté mi corazón de placer alguno, porque mi corazón gozó de todo mi trabajo: y ésta fué mi parte de toda mi faena.
11 And I looked on all my works which my hands had wrought, and on my labour which I laboured to perform: and, behold, all was vanity and waywardness of spirit, and there is no advantage under the sun.
11 Miré yo luego todas las obras que habían hecho mis manos, y el trabajo que tomé para hacer[las]: y he aquí, todo vanidad y aflicción de espíritu, y no hay provecho debajo del sol.
12 Then I looked on to see wisdom, and madness, and folly: for who is the man who will follow after counsel, in all things wherein he employs it?
12 Después torné yo á mirar para ver la sabiduría y los desvaríos y la necedad; (porque ¿qué hombre [hay] que [pueda] seguir al rey [en] lo que ya hicieron?)
13 And I saw that wisdom excels folly, as much as light excels darkness.
13 Y he visto que la sabiduría sobrepuja á la necedad, como la luz á las tinieblas.
14 The wise man's eyes are in his head; but the fool walks in darkness: and I perceived, even I, that one event shall happen to them all.
14 El sabio tiene sus ojos en su cabeza, mas el necio anda en tinieblas: empero también entendí yo que un mismo suceso acaecerá al uno que al otro.
15 And I said in my heart, As the event of the fool is, so shall it be to me, even to me; and to what purpose have I gained wisdom? I said moreover in my heart, This is also vanity, because the fool speaks of his abundance.
15 Entonces dije yo en mi corazón: Como sucederá al necio me sucederá también á mí: ¿para qué pues he trabajado hasta ahora por hacerme más sabio? Y dije en mi corazón, que también esto era vanidad.
16 For there is no remembrance of the wise man with the fool for ever; forasmuch as now [in] the coming days all things are forgotten: and how shall the wise man die with the fool?
16 Porque ni del sabio ni del necio habrá memoria para siempre; pues en los días venideros ya todo será olvidado, y también morirá el sabio como el necio.
17 So I hated life; because the work that was wrought under the sun was evil before me: for all is vanity and waywardness of spirit.
17 Aborrecí por tanto la vida; porque la obra que se hace debajo del sol me era fastidiosa; por cuanto todo es vanidad y aflicción de espíritu.
18 And I hated the whole of my labour which I took under the sun; because I must leave it to the man who will come after me.
18 Yo asimismo aborrecí todo mi trabajo que había puesto por obra debajo del sol; el cual dejaré á otro que vendrá después de mí.
19 And who knows whether he will be a wise [man] or a fool? and whether he will have power over all my labour in which I laboured, and wherein I grew wise under the sun? this is also vanity.
19 ¿Y quién sabe si será sabio, ó necio, el que se enseñoreará de todo mi trabajo en que yo me afané, y en que ocupé debajo del sol mi sabiduría? Esto también es vanidad.
20 So I went about to dismiss from my heart all my labour wherein I had laboured under the sun.
20 Tornéme por tanto á desesperanzar mi corazón acerca de todo el trabajo en que me afané, y en que había ocupado debajo del sol mi sabiduría.
21 For there is [such] a man that his labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in fortitude; yet [this] man shall give his portion to one who has not laboured therein. This is also vanity and great evil.
21 ¡Que el hombre trabaje con sabiduría, y con ciencia, y con rectitud, y que haya de dar su hacienda á hombre que nunca trabajó en ello! También es esto vanidad y mal grande.
22 For it happens to a man in all his labour, and in the purpose of his heart wherein he labours under the sun.
22 Porque ¿qué tiene el hombre de todo su trabajo, y fatiga de su corazón, con que debajo del sol él se afanara?
23 For all his days [are days] of sorrows, and vexation of spirit is his; in the night also his heart rests not. This is also vanity.
23 Porque todos sus días [no] son [sino] dolores, y sus trabajos molestias: aun de noche su corazón no reposa. Esto también es vanidad.
24 A man has nothing [really] good to eat, and to drink, and to shew his soul [as] good in his trouble. This also I saw, that it is from the hand of God.
24 No hay cosa mejor para el hombre [sino] que coma y beba, y que su alma vea el bien de su trabajo. También tengo yo visto que esto es de la mano de Dios.
25 For who shall eat, or who shall drink, without him?
25 Porque ¿quién comerá, y quién se cuidará, mejor que yo?
26 For [God] has given to the man who is good in his sight, wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but he has given to the sinner trouble, to add and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God; for this is also vanity and waywardness of spirit.
26 Porque al hombre que le agrada, [Dios] le da sabiduría y ciencia y gozo: mas al pecador da trabajo, el que allegue y amontone, para que dé al que agrada á Dios. También esto es vanidad y aflicción de espíritu.
Cross references (26)

Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.

  1. 1 Luke 12:19; Ecclesiastes 8:15; James 5:1; James 5:5; Psalm 27:8
  2. 2 Proverbs 14:13; Ecclesiastes 7:2–6; 1 Peter 4:2–4; Amos 6:3–6; Isaiah 22:12–13
  3. 3 Proverbs 20:1; Ecclesiastes 1:17; Proverbs 31:4–5; Ecclesiastes 6:12; Ecclesiastes 12:13
  4. 4 1 Kings 7:1–12; 2 Chronicles 8:11; 2 Chronicles 8:1–6; Psalm 49:11; 1 Kings 9:1
  5. 5 Song of Songs 6:2; Luke 17:27–29; Song of Songs 4:12–5:1; Genesis 2:8–9; Jeremiah 39:4
  6. 6 Nehemiah 2:14; Song of Songs 7:4; Psalm 1:3; Jeremiah 17:8
  7. 7 2 Chronicles 32:27–29; Genesis 13:2; 2 Kings 3:4; 1 Kings 9:20–22; 2 Chronicles 26:10
  8. 8 1 Kings 10:10; 1 Kings 9:28; 2 Samuel 19:35; 1 Kings 10:14; 1 Chronicles 25:6
  9. 9 1 Chronicles 29:25; Ecclesiastes 1:16; 1 Kings 10:23; 2 Chronicles 9:22–23; 1 Kings 3:12
  10. 10 Ecclesiastes 9:9; Ecclesiastes 5:18; Ecclesiastes 3:22; Psalm 119:37; Psalm 128:2
  11. 11 Ecclesiastes 1:14; 1 John 2:16–17; Ecclesiastes 1:3; Genesis 1:31; Exodus 39:43
  12. 12 Ecclesiastes 1:17; Ecclesiastes 7:25; Ecclesiastes 1:9–10
  13. 13 Ephesians 5:8; Ecclesiastes 7:11–12; Matthew 6:23; Ecclesiastes 11:7; Malachi 3:18–4:2
  14. 14 Psalm 49:10; Proverbs 17:24; Ecclesiastes 9:11; Ecclesiastes 9:1–3; 1 John 2:11
  15. 15 Ecclesiastes 6:8; Ecclesiastes 1:14; Ecclesiastes 1:18–2:1; 1 Kings 3:12; Ecclesiastes 1:16
  16. 16 Ecclesiastes 1:11; Ecclesiastes 9:5; Malachi 3:16; Exodus 1:8; Psalm 88:12
  17. 17 Ecclesiastes 2:11; Ecclesiastes 4:2; Jonah 4:8; 1 Kings 19:4; Numbers 11:15
  18. 18 Psalm 39:6; Psalm 49:10; Luke 16:27–28; Luke 12:20; Ecclesiastes 5:18
  19. 19 Ecclesiastes 3:22; James 3:17; 1 Kings 14:25–28; Ecclesiastes 9:13; James 1:17
  20. 20 1 Thessalonians 3:3–4; Job 17:11–15; Psalm 39:6–7; Genesis 43:14; 2 Corinthians 1:8–10
  21. 21 Ecclesiastes 2:17–18; Ecclesiastes 9:18; Jeremiah 22:15; 2 Chronicles 31:20–21; 2 Chronicles 35:18
  22. 22 Psalm 127:2; Ecclesiastes 1:3; Ecclesiastes 3:9; Ecclesiastes 4:6; Philippians 4:6
  23. 23 Job 14:1; Job 5:7; Job 7:13–14; Psalm 127:2; Psalm 6:6–7
  24. 24 Ecclesiastes 3:22; 1 Timothy 6:17; Ecclesiastes 8:15; Ecclesiastes 3:12–13; Ecclesiastes 5:18–19
  25. 25 Ecclesiastes 2:1–12
  26. 26 Proverbs 13:22; Job 27:16–17; Proverbs 28:8; John 16:24; Isaiah 3:10–11

Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences

What the Fathers said

Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).

How these were chosen

“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).

  1. Quotes verse 2:13 Augustine of Hippo, The City of God (Book XX, Chapters 3–5)

    … is nothing substantial, nothing lasting, he bewails, among the other vanities that are under the sun, this also, that though wisdom excelleth folly as light excelleth darkness, and though the eyes of the wise man are in his head, while the fool walketh in darkness, yet one event happeneth to them all, that is to say, in this life under …

    Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)

  2. Quotes verse 2:13 John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew (Homily LXXXIII)

    Listen to Solomon, saying, "As far as light excelleth darkness, so doth wisdom excel folly." But how shall we instruct him that is in darkness?

    Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)