Ecclesiastes 3:9-15 (Based on the Greek Koinê)

“What does someone gain from the work of their toil?
I have seen the weight which God gives to burden the children of the human race.
He made everything beautiful in its own season.
But he also put time in the human heart
so that no person can discover creation, what god made, from the beginning to its end.

I know that there is nothing good for people
except from being happy and doing good in life.
So it is God’s gift
that every person eats and drinks and sees the good in their own toil.

I know that everything which god has done will last this lifetime.
It is not possible to add anything to it,
It is not possible to take anything away.

God did this so we might turn from his face.
What is, has happened already.
All that may happen, has happened before.
God will find the place where they meet.”

τίς περισσεία τοῦ ποιοῦντος ἐν οἷς αὐτὸς μοχθεῖ;
εἶδον σὺν τὸν περισπασμόν, ὃν ἔδωκεν ὁ θεὸς
τοῖς υἱοῖς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τοῦ περισπᾶσθαι ἐν αὐτῷ.
σὺν τὰ πάντα ἐποίησεν καλὰ ἐν καιρῷ αὐτοῦ
καί γε σὺν τὸν αἰῶνα ἔδωκεν ἐν καρδίᾳ αὐτῶν,
ὅπως μὴ εὕρῃ ὁ ἄνθρωπος
τὸ ποίημα, ὃ ἐποίησεν ὁ θεός, ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς καὶ μέχρι τέλους.
ἔγνων ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἀγαθὸν ἐν αὐτοῖς
εἰ μὴ τοῦ εὐφρανθῆναι καὶ τοῦ ποιεῖν ἀγαθὸν ἐν ζωῇ αὐτοῦ·
καί γε πᾶς ὁ ἄνθρωπος, ὃς φάγεται καὶ πίεται
καὶ ἴδῃ ἀγαθὸν ἐν παντὶ μόχθῳ αὐτοῦ,
δόμα θεοῦ ἐστιν.
ἔγνων ὅτι πάντα, ὅσα ἐποίησεν ὁ θεός,
αὐτὰ ἔσται εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα·
ἐπ’ αὐτῷ οὐκ ἔστιν προσθεῖναι,
καὶ ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἔστιν ἀφελεῖν,
καὶ ὁ θεὸς ἐποίησεν, ἵνα φοβηθῶσιν ἀπὸ προσώπου αὐτοῦ.
τὸ γενόμενον ἤδη ἐστίν,
καὶ ὅσα τοῦ γίνεσθαι, ἤδη γέγονεν,
καὶ ὁ θεὸς ζητήσει τὸν διωκόμενον.

The Latin Vulgate

9 [Quid habet amplius homo de labore suo?
10 Vidi afflictionem quam dedit Deus filiis hominum,
ut distendantur in ea.
11 Cuncta fecit bona in tempore suo,
et mundum tradidit disputationi eorum,
ut non inveniat homo opus
quod operatus est Deus ab initio usque ad finem.
12 Et cognovi quod non esset melius nisi lætari,
et facere bene in vita sua;
13 omnis enim homo qui comedit et bibit,
et videt bonum de labore suo,
hoc donum Dei est.
14 Didici quod omnia opera quæ fecit Deus perseverent in perpetuum;
non possumus eis quidquam addere, nec auferre,
quæ fecit Deus ut timeatur.
15 Quod factum est, ipsum permanet;
quæ futura sunt iam fuerunt,
et Deus instaurat quod abiit.

 

The Hebrew for 3:15

 מַה־שֶּֽׁהָיָה כְּבָר הוּא וַאֲשֶׁר לִהְיֹות כְּבָר הָיָה וְהָאֱלֹהִים

יְבַקֵּשׁ אֶת־נִרְדָּֽף׃

This site provides the Hebrew, parsing, and other languages.

 

 

A translation for a memorial service.

Ecclesiastes 3:9-15 (Based on the Greek Koinê)

“What does someone gain from the work of their toil?
I have seen the weight which God gives to burden the children of the human race.
He made everything beautiful in its own season.
But he also put time in the human heart
so that no person can discover creation, what god made, from the beginning to its end.

I know that there is nothing good for people
except from being happy and doing good in life.
So it is God’s gift
that every person eats and drinks and sees the good in their own toil.

I know that everything which god has done will last this lifetime.
It is not possible to add anything to it,
It is not possible to take anything away.

God did this so we might turn from his face.
What is, has happened already.
All that may happen, has happened before.
God will find the place where they meet.”

τίς περισσεία τοῦ ποιοῦντος ἐν οἷς αὐτὸς μοχθεῖ;
εἶδον σὺν τὸν περισπασμόν, ὃν ἔδωκεν ὁ θεὸς
τοῖς υἱοῖς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τοῦ περισπᾶσθαι ἐν αὐτῷ.
σὺν τὰ πάντα ἐποίησεν καλὰ ἐν καιρῷ αὐτοῦ
καί γε σὺν τὸν αἰῶνα ἔδωκεν ἐν καρδίᾳ αὐτῶν,
ὅπως μὴ εὕρῃ ὁ ἄνθρωπος
τὸ ποίημα, ὃ ἐποίησεν ὁ θεός, ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς καὶ μέχρι τέλους.
ἔγνων ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἀγαθὸν ἐν αὐτοῖς
εἰ μὴ τοῦ εὐφρανθῆναι καὶ τοῦ ποιεῖν ἀγαθὸν ἐν ζωῇ αὐτοῦ·
καί γε πᾶς ὁ ἄνθρωπος, ὃς φάγεται καὶ πίεται
καὶ ἴδῃ ἀγαθὸν ἐν παντὶ μόχθῳ αὐτοῦ,
δόμα θεοῦ ἐστιν.
ἔγνων ὅτι πάντα, ὅσα ἐποίησεν ὁ θεός,
αὐτὰ ἔσται εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα·
ἐπ’ αὐτῷ οὐκ ἔστιν προσθεῖναι,
καὶ ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἔστιν ἀφελεῖν,
καὶ ὁ θεὸς ἐποίησεν, ἵνα φοβηθῶσιν ἀπὸ προσώπου αὐτοῦ.
τὸ γενόμενον ἤδη ἐστίν,
καὶ ὅσα τοῦ γίνεσθαι, ἤδη γέγονεν,
καὶ ὁ θεὸς ζητήσει τὸν διωκόμενον.

The Latin Vulgate

9 [Quid habet amplius homo de labore suo?
10 Vidi afflictionem quam dedit Deus filiis hominum,
ut distendantur in ea.
11 Cuncta fecit bona in tempore suo,
et mundum tradidit disputationi eorum,
ut non inveniat homo opus
quod operatus est Deus ab initio usque ad finem.
12 Et cognovi quod non esset melius nisi lætari,
et facere bene in vita sua;
13 omnis enim homo qui comedit et bibit,
et videt bonum de labore suo,
hoc donum Dei est.
14 Didici quod omnia opera quæ fecit Deus perseverent in perpetuum;
non possumus eis quidquam addere, nec auferre,
quæ fecit Deus ut timeatur.
15 Quod factum est, ipsum permanet;
quæ futura sunt iam fuerunt,
et Deus instaurat quod abiit.

 

The Hebrew for 3:15

 מַה־שֶּֽׁהָיָה כְּבָר הוּא וַאֲשֶׁר לִהְיֹות כְּבָר הָיָה וְהָאֱלֹהִים

יְבַקֵּשׁ אֶת־נִרְדָּֽף׃

This site provides the Hebrew, parsing, and other languages.