When they bring us to see what will happen after us. The book of Ecclesiastes as a quotation book from the book of the dead What is the meaning and significance of life and achievements in practice

FROM THE TRANSLATOR

The Jewish kingdom arose, according to the Bible, about 3,000 years ago. Before this, the twelve tribes of Israel, united by monotheism, were ruled by prophets, high priests and judges: “God is our only ruler!” - the Jews thought. It is clear that this was not enough in the fight against hostile neighbors.

The last such uncrowned ruler of Eretz Israel was the prophet and high priest Shmuel (Samuel), who anointed the warrior Shaul (in Russian Saul), an athlete and brave man, as king. He reigned from 1040 to 1012. BC e., but during his lifetime, having quarreled with him, Shmuel appointed a new king - the young shepherd David, who defeated the Philistine giant Goliath.

David was a poet-“bard” with a harp instead of a guitar. He fought with Saul for power for a long time, hid from him, fought as a partisan, and then, after Saul died in a battle with the Philistines, he was king of Judah in Hebron for seven years.

Judah (the Southern Kingdom) was created on the lands of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. The Northern Kingdom - the other ten tribes, - suffering defeats from their neighbors, over time also recognizedDavid: he became king over all Israel, conquered the fortress city of Jerusalem from the Jebusites and made it his capital. “Ir David” - the city of David - is still called the old Jerusalem, fenced with a fortress wall.

King David reigned for 40 years (1012 – 972 BC). He reorganized the army and created a major power from Eilat and the borders of Egypt to Damascus and the Euphrates River.

The third king is his sonShlomo (Solomon, 972 - 932 BC) became famous not as a warrior and conqueror, but as a sage and a rich man: a skilled judge, diplomat, builder, industrialist and merchant. He built the First Temple in the capital, developed the economy and foreign relations, surrounded himself with luxury and wealth, including a huge harem...

What David and Solomon had in common was an attraction to art and literary creativity. If David, a poet and musician, is considered the author of many Psalms, then Solomon, according to the Bible, was the author of the colorful erotic poem "Song of Songs" and co-author of the Books of Kings; he created several new psalms, and also, according to legend, "composed 1005 songs (describing the properties of all plants, animals and birds) and 3000 parables" and aphorisms that were partially included in biblical books : "The Book of Proverbs of Solomon", "The Book of Ecclesiastes, or Preacher", "The Book of Song of Songs" and three non-canonized ones ("Wisdom of Solomon", "Testament of Solomon" and "Psalms of Solomon").

"Ecclesia" in Greek: church (not a building, but the community itself, in German Gemeinde, Hebrew "ke h" ilá" or – in common parlance – “keilá”), and “Ecclesiastes” is the one who speaks in it, the preacher (in Hebrew “ko heleth", read "kohelet", with emphasis on " uh").

Many sayings of Ecclesiastes have long ago turned into proverbs of different peoples and languages, but not everyone knows who was (or was reputed to be) their true author...

On new translation Books Kohelet provoked me talented Israeli poet Nahum Basovsky, who recently published in the magazine “22” an arrangement of Ecclesiastes into verses with luxurious poetic ornamentation - in fact, this is a beautiful poem based on the material of Ecclesiastes. This seemed to me some kind of blasphemy in relation to the Holy Scriptures, and I decided to make an alternative translation, more carefully and closer to the original : without decorating the language and without adding anything of one’s own. I just rhymed for euphony, but also primitively, without elaborate or complicated poetic means, most of all trying to convey the simplicity and laconicism of the ancient text

I did it this way. The Russian canonical translation was checked phrase by phrase with the biblical original and, if necessary, clarified and brought closer to it. And then he rhymed, using spare means, slightly stylizing it as antique.

In order to familiarize readers with this “translation kitchen”, first chapter I rewrote the books of Ecclesiastes in Russian letters and accompanied them with a literal translation ( in brackets in italics) and I present in parallel my poetic translation of each fragment. This will give you an idea of ​​the sound of the original. All There is no point in rewriting the book in this way or accompanying the translation with the biblical original: this would create difficulties in typing and would be completely unnecessary for Russian-speaking readers. Therefore, below I present the entire book (including for ease of reading andfirst chapter) only in its translation.

Ernst Levin

Chapter 1

1. Divray Co h elet, ben David, melekh b Yerushalayim :

2. h ovel h ovalim, amar Ko h elet, h ovel h ovalim, h akol h evel. ( Words of Ecclesiastes, son of David, king in Jerusalem: Vanity of vanities, said Ecclesiastes, vanity of vanities, everything is vanity!)

1. Kohelet ben David, king of Jerusalem, said:

2. All is vanity of vanities - even that which was done of old;

and what is; and what is coming that the world has not seen:

everything, says Ecclesiastes, everything is vanity of vanities.

3. Ma yitron la adam be hol amalo, she yaamol takhat ha shamesh? ( What profit does a man get from all his labors with which he labors under the sun?

4. Dor halakh ve dor ba, ve ha'aretz leol'am omedet. (The race has gone, and the race has come, but the earth always remains).

3. What benefit does a person get from his labors?

4. A race goes, a race comes, one land forever.

5. Ve zarah hashemesh u va hashemesh, ve el mekomo shoave zoreah hu sham. (And risesthe sun and the sun sets and goes to its place where it rises.)

6. holeh el darom ve sowave el tzafon harýach, sowave, sowave holeh harýach, ve al svivotaiv shav harýach. (The wind goes to the south and turns to the north, the wind spins and spins as it goes, and the wind returns to its circle).

5. The sun rises over the earth and hurries on its way in the morning,

and descends into the night, and rises again in the same place as yesterday.

6. And the wind, rushing north, will then turn south:

The wind is spinning, but it will return to its circle again.

7. Kohl hanahlim holhim el hayam, ve hayam einenu malei. (all rivers flow into the sea, but the sea is not filled). El makom she hanahlim holchim, shavim lalekhet. (To the place from which rivers flow, they return to flow again).

8. Kohl hadvarim egeyim lo yukhal ish ledaber lo tysba ayin liroot ve lo tymale ozen tyshmoa (All things are a work in progress; a person cannot retell everything, the eye will not be satisfied with what he has seen, the ear will not be filled with what he has heard.

7. And all the water of all the rivers from all the earth flows into the sea,

and returns there, from where they flowed,

and it pours again, but the ocean cannot be filled with it.

8. And do not fill the eyes with what is visible, and the ears with what is heard.

And how will a person convey his experience to another?

I can’t tell him everything, I can’t show him everything...

9. Ma she haya – hu she yihе, u ma she naasa – hu she yeyase, ve ein kol hadash takhat hashamesh. ( What has been is what will be; and what has been done will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun).

10. Yesh davar she yomer "ree, ze hadash!" – hu kvar h Aya le olamim, asher h aya milfanainu. ( There is something about which they say: “Look, this is new!”; but this was already in the centuries that were before us).

9. Everything is repeated again, what happened before us.

And there is nothing under the sun that happened for the first time.

10. “This is new!” - sometimes they talk about something,

and this also happened a long time ago, centuries ago.

11. Ein zichron la rishonim ve gam la aharonim, she yi hyu, lo yi hye la h em zikaron ym she yi h yu laakharona. (There is no memory of the former; similarly, there will be no memory of the future for those who come after them).

11. There is no place in human memory for the deeds of distant years.

They will forget us, and then those who will come after us...

12. Ana, Kohelet, h Ait Melech al Yisrael bi Yrushalaiim.(I, Ecclesiastes, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.)

13. Ve nataty et libli lidrosh ve latur ba hochma al kohl asher naasa takhat ha-shamayim; h u inyan ra natan elo him li bney h a-adam laanot bi. (AND I have given my heart to study and test with wisdom everything that is done under heaven ; God gave this difficult work to people to do).

12. I, ben David, Ecclesiastes, lived in Jerusalem.

I was a king in Israel and was known as a sage.

13. And so, I decided to learn the meaning of earthly labors and affairs,

and the properties that the Lord gave to us, people, as an inheritance.

14. Raita et kohl h a-maasym, she naasu takhat ha-shamesh, ve hinei hakol h evel u reut rýakh.

(I have seen all the things that are done under the sun, and behold, all this is vanity and weariness of the spirit).

14. And I realized that all the affairs with which the light is busy -

languor of spirit, and vanity, and vanity of vanities.

15. Meuvat lo yukhal litkon, ve khesron lo yukhal le himanot (what is crooked cannot be straightened, and what is not there does not count).

15. What is created crooked will no longer become straight;

and what does not exist in nature cannot be taken into account.

16. Dybarty ana im Libi Laymore : ana hinei higdalty ve hos á ft Hochma al kol asher h Aya lefanai al Yerushalaiim, ve libi raa h arbey hochma ve dat. (And I said to my heart: behold, I have acquired greatness and intelligence greater than all that were before me over Jerusalem, and my heart has seen much wisdom and knowledge).

17. Va etna libi ladaat hokhma ve dat, h oleilot ve sikhlut, ve yadaty she gam ze − hu reut rýakh.

(And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and science, and madness, and stupidity, and I learned that this too is languor of the spirit).

16. And I said to myself: well, it’s probably not in vain

I was exalted by my people as a wise king.

I saw and knew and felt a lot in my soul:

both the essence and value of all deeds, and wisdom itself;

madness, stupidity, intelligence - and knowledge itself.

17. And in knowledge itself, I realized, there is no point:

it is still the same vanity, and a vanity of vanities.

18. Cyber ​​ditch h A- Hochmá - rav kas, ve yosuf dát yosuf machov.(For in much wisdom there is much sorrow, and whoever increases knowledge increases suffering.)

18. Where there is wisdom, there is sadness, and over the years I learn:

He who increases his knowledge increases his sorrow.

Chapter 1

1. Kohelet ben David, king of Jerusalem, said:

2. All is vanity of vanities - even that which was done of old;

and what is; and what is coming that the world has not seen:

everything, says Ecclesiastes, everything is vanity of vanities.

3. What benefit does a person get from his labors?

4. A race goes, a race comes, one land forever.

5. The sun rises over the earth and hurries on its way in the morning,

and descends into the night - and rises again in the same place as yesterday.

6. And the wind, rushing north, then turns south:

The wind is spinning, but it will return to its circle again.

7. And all the water of all the rivers from all the earth flows into the sea,

and returns there, from where they flowed,

and it pours again, but the ocean cannot be filled with it.

8. And do not fill the eyes with what is visible, and the ears with what is heard.

And how will a person convey his experience to another?

I can’t tell him everything, I can’t show him everything...

9. Everything is repeated again, what happened before us.

And there is nothing under the sun that happened for the first time.

10. “This is new!” - sometimes they talk about something,

and this also happened a long time ago, centuries ago.

11. There is no place in human memory for the deeds of distant years.

They will forget us, and then those who will come after us...

12. I, ben David, Ecclesiastes, lived in Jerusalem.

I was a king in Israel and was known as a sage.

13. And so, I decided to learn the meaning of earthly labors and affairs,

and the properties that the Lord gave to us, people, as an inheritance.

14. And I realized that all the affairs with which the light is busy -

languor of spirit, and vanity, and vanity of vanities.

15. What is created crooked will no longer become straight;

and what does not exist in nature cannot be taken into account.

16. And I said to myself: well, it’s probably not in vain

I was exalted by my people as a wise king.

I saw and knew and felt a lot in my soul:

both the essence and value of all deeds, and wisdom itself;

madness, stupidity, intelligence - and knowledge itself.

17. And in knowledge itself, I realized, there is no point:

it is still the same vanity, and a vanity of vanities.

18. Where there is wisdom, there is sadness, and over the years I learn:

He who increases his knowledge increases his sorrow.

Chapter 2

1. I decided to test my soul: so that it would be full

kindness, fun - but I see: this is vanity too.

2. Laughter is stupidity, I said, but fun is funny...

3. I decided to please my body and drank wine to my heart's content.

And contrary to the will of his heart, he chose the path of fools,

so that the question of how best to live can be finally resolved:

what should a person do in this earthly vale,

to live your short life happier and fuller?

4. I undertook a lot of things: I built myself a house,

expanded the borders of his fields, filled his bins,

5. And he planted a vineyard, and groves and gardens;

6. For irrigation, he dug wells and ponds in them.

And the abundant fruits rejoiced my heart.

7. I got myself more slaves than all the previous kings,

and servants, and a lot of cattle, and fast horses.

8. In my treasury I cannot count the gifts of foreign kings,

and gold, and silver, and expensive stones.

And the melody of sonorous strings delights my ears and eyes,

and the slender choir of singers, and the dancing of young maidens.

9. I have become richer and more famous than all those who ruled of old

in Jerusalem, and they called me “the wise king.”

10. I didn’t deny myself anything I wanted:

After all, this is the only thing I will pay for my efforts,

and when I die, I won’t take anything with me.

11. But I looked back at everything I had done for many years,

and realized: all this is vanity, from which there is no benefit, -

vexation of spirit, vanity, and vanity of vanities.

12. In this life I knew everything, I didn’t live it in vain:

who could get ahead of the king in earthly experience?

All that remains for me to know is the essence of madness and intelligence...

13. And I realized that wisdom is light, and stupidity is darkness;

14. A wise man is like a man who can see, but a fool cannot see the road.

But both are moving towards the end, and their fate is the same.

15. And I said about my wisdom: what is it for?

After all, just like a fool, I will suffer the same fate.

Why did I accumulate knowledge? And this is vanity!

16. Alas! Both the smart and the fool will be forgotten for centuries.

And the wise man and the fool will equally die and lie in the dust.

17. And I hated life, from which there is no benefit.

The things with which the world is busy have become disgusting to me:

languor of spirit is all vanity of vanities!

18. And the work of my hands became hateful to me

and the toil that I labored for them:

they will go to the one who, without working a day,

will come to this sublunary world to replace me.

19. How to know whether he will be a wise man or a blind fool?

But he will dispose of all my inheritance,

which contains all my hard work and wisdom of many years.

And this too is vanity, and vanity of vanities...

20. And I said to myself: humble yourself, this is the human lot.

Without regret, renounce all your labors:

21. They contain so much of your wisdom, successes and victories,

and suddenly a fool and parasite appropriates them for himself,

and it will be great evil and vanity of vanities!

22. For a man cannot leave anything

yourself from the work of your hands, mind and heart.

23. His whole life is just one sorrow, and his work is vanity,

and at night there is no peace, and this is vanity!

24. Simple good: eat and drink and rejoice to your heart’s content -

and man is not free to do this: the Lord’s power is in everything.

25. It is only by the will of God alone that we eat and drink,

and enjoy goodness, and breathe and live.

26. To those who are righteous before Him, He gives wisdom to live,

and joy from one’s labors, and happiness to love.

But for a sinner there is only a burden of worries: to accumulate and collect,

without sleeping at night, and then - to give everything to the righteous.

But both of them will fall into dust, there is no other way.

Our whole life is just toil and vanity of vanities.

Chapter 3

1. For every thing on earth there is its appointed hour.

2. In our hour we come to the light and death takes us away.

There is a time to plant gardens - and a time to uproot.

3. The time comes to kill - and the time to heal;

and it’s time to build cities - and destroy them again;

4. time to laugh and cry; mourn - and rejoice,

5. There is a time to gather stones, and a time to throw them;

and the time to gently hug - and proudly push away;

6. Acquire - and give away, lose - and find.

7. There is a time to sew and tear, to remain silent and to speak;

8. The time comes for people to both hate and love.

God appoints a time for peace and war for us.

9. What benefit do people get from earthly labors, worries, troubles?

10. Saving mortals from melancholy, He gave them all this,

11. Who created everything perfect and put peace in hearts,

although a person cannot from beginning to end

to comprehend in your short life the greatness of the Creator.

12. And I realized that there is nothing in life for people

more beautiful than simply living by His grace

and do good deeds from your heart.

13. Blessed are those who live like this:

who has fun, eats and drinks,

and sees good in his deeds:

The Lord's gift is in their hearts.

14. I understood: everything that God created will remain forever,

and man cannot add or take away.

15. What was, is now; what will happen was of old;

capable of returning the past to the King of earth and heaven.

16. Although I know: you will find a lot of evil among people -

and the iniquity of the judges, and in the place of truth there is a lie, -

17. But whether we are evil or righteous, we will all be called to account:

There will be an hour for everything under the sun, and the Lord’s judgment for everyone.

18. And I said in my soul: before God all are equal,

and the beast, and the cattle, and the human race, the sons of Adam.

19. Everyone has the same breath, and there are no advantages

with man before cattle: all is vanity of vanities.

20. And the end is the same in all worldly affairs:

From dust all things were created, and all things will return to dust.

21. Whoever confirms that the spirit of people goes to heaven,

and the spirit of animals deep into the earth? - Empty words.

22. And I realized that there is nothing better in this life,

how to enjoy the work of your hands and wisdom,

and this is our payment for everything: after all, the hour will not come,

when they bring us to see what will happen after us.

Chapter 4

1. This light is filled with injustice and evil,

where the tears of the poor are shed, but there is no consolation.

Their oppressors are strong - but there is no consolation!

2. Blessed are the dead in their tombs: they are more fortunate

than for us, who are still living and seeing all the evil.

3. And the most blessed of all are those who have not yet been born

and he did not see his vanity and vanity of vanities.

4. I also learned that success, luck in business

give rise to anger and enmity in envious hearts,

5. And even in the foolish ones who sit without raising a finger,

They eat their flesh, and they still have the same vanity!

6. Meanwhile, a small amount of peace and quiet

Isn’t it better than a handful of goodness in the languor of the soul?

7. I could also see such vanity in the world:

8. A person lives under the sun - lonely as a stone;

no son, no father, no brother, no wife,

but there is no end to his labors. Who needs them?

9. There is nothing worse for a person to live alone in the world:

10. He fell and there was no one to come and get up to help him.

11. And if two people go to bed, they will both be warm,

and it’s hard to stay warm alone on a hot night.

12. And if the strong one begins to overcome one,

then two, albeit weaker, could resist:

and a three-fold twisted thread is not easy to break.

13. Blessed is the poor youth, keen of eye and ear,

than the king, who is old and stupid and deaf to admonitions.

14. For for the first of them, even if he was born poor,

The day is yet to come when he will ascend to the kingdom.

15. Under the sun I have seen many such rulers,

that they walk with a young sage who will replace them.

16. And it was so, and it will be so in the years to come,

but there is no consolation in this: and this is vanity...

17. When you go to the Lord's Temple, be more prepared

not to offer sacrifices to Him, but to delve into the wisdom of words,

for the Creator does not like smoke more pleasantly than burnt offerings,

but the obedience of people to His sayings.

Chapter 5

1. Don’t be hasty in your prayers. more words say:

and God will be able to understand the silent call of the soul.

He is in heaven, you are on earth, and unnecessary words do not spend.

2. After all, just as with many worries we dream many dreams,

so you can recognize a fool by the abundance of words,

3. But God is not disposed towards a vain fool.

And if you make a vow to Him, hurry to fulfill it on time.

4. And it’s better not to make vows to anyone at all,

than to promise - but to change your vow.

5. Do not allow your lips to plunge you into sins,

so that you don’t have to admit mistakes later in tears;

and empty vanity, for the sake of a catchphrase,

do not incur the Lord's wrath and punishment from the Creator.

6. Where there are many dreams and many words, there is a lot of vanity.

So, be laconic and fear God.

7. When you find an unjust judgment under the sun,

and oppression of the poor, and instead of truth - lies,

look without surprise, for watching everything,

and above the high there is a Supreme One, and above the judge there is a Judge.

8. And the most important thing for the country is that the king takes care of it.

9. The lover of money will not be satisfied with the acquired silver;

and what good is it for a rich man to own his goods?

10. The richer he is, the more those who feed with him

11. When a working person is tired from work,

Whether he ate a lot or a little, his sleep was pleasant.

But since the rich man is fed up, he cannot sleep.

12. I also saw illness and vanity of vanities:

it happens that a person hoards good things to his own detriment

and does not know how to protect him from various troubles.

13. A son was born - and there is nothing left for the son.

14. You come out of your mother’s womb naked -

just as poor and naked you go into another world,

And you can’t pick up and carry anything in your hands.

15. And this is our grave illness, a curse for centuries:

A man worked all his life to escape need,

16. And he ate in the dark and in a hurry, not feeling the food.

But his labors brought him nothing.

17. Blessed is only the one who sees good in his earthly affairs

and knows the joy of the fruits of his mind and hands.

And there is nothing more pleasant;

and life is God's gift to him.

18. And if God gave man wealth and power,

so that he takes a share from it and uses it to his fullest,

and ate and drank, and spent his days with joy,

then the Lord rewarded him for his labors.

19. The memory of our earthly days will not live long,

and the joy of the heart is given to us by the Almighty instead of them.

Chapter 6

1. Even under the sun, I often observed an evil illness:

2. The Lord gave wealth, fame, power, leisure to someone -

He has everything in abundance that he could wish for,

but God does not allow you to enjoy all this,

but a stranger enjoys: neither his brother nor his friend.

And this is also vanity, and our grave illness.

3. Such a poor man will live at least a thousand years under the sun

and will give birth to a hundred children - but will not find happiness,

will not find peace in his soul, will not be buried...

After all, even a miscarriage is happier than him:

4. Came by chance, didn’t have time to see anything,

and no one even called him a name;

5. Not knowing joys and troubles, he again went into darkness -

without tears, without suffering - and he is calmer than the other one.

6. And he, having lived a thousand years without the joy of business,

will leave this world in tears: everyone has one destiny.

7. Whatever a man does, his labors are for the mouth:

the soul is not filled and is always unsatisfied.

8. Is the one who is endowed with the skill of a cunning person smart?

And why is a wise man happier than a fool?

9. Seeing with your eyes, you will understand any thing more accurately,

than in blind reasoning wandering the soul through it.

10. What exists on earth has already been named.

And if this is a person, he is not destined

neither object nor argue with the One by whom all things were created...

11. There are many paths to vanity; but where can I find one?

to escape from the hustle and bustle along this path?

12. For who knows how to live his share of days

us in this net world, in the world of living shadows;

and is our last hour soon, and what will come after? us?

Chapter 7

1. Incenses and ointments are not cheap,

but a good name is more valuable than all gold coins.

And the day of death is better than the day when you came into the world.

2. Rather than go to a house where there is a feast, go to a house,

where they mourn for the dead and shed tears for him, -

to bring the memory of your lot to your heart.

3. And sorrow and sadness are better than laughter, for the sadness of the face

ennobles everyone, softening their hearts.

4. And the heart of the wise is therefore in houses where tears are shed,

but the heart of fools is in the house where they dance and sing.

5. And reproof, when it comes from wise lips,

more pleasant than the songs of those whose minds are empty:

6. The songs of a fool are incomprehensible, and his laughter is such

like the crackling of thorn branches in the shepherds' fire.

And there is no more fruitless vanity than the vanity of fools.

7. And a wise man can become foolish by persecuting others.

Gifts spoil the hearts of those who receive them.

8. The beginning of a business is good, but the most important thing is the end.

And a patient person is better than an arrogant and proud person.

9. Do not rush your soul towards anger when it rushes out:

After all, it is always bubbling in the hearts of fools.

10. Don’t ask the question: “that’s why in the past

We lived much better than we live today?"

it’s not worth it, because there is no mind in such a judgment.

11. Wisdom is doubly useful to those who are endowed with goodness:

12. After all, he who is rich in wisdom is rich as in silver,

but only she brings life to any rich home.

13. Know how everything was created by your Creator,

for you cannot straighten what He made crooked.

14. On good days, eat goodness and delight your body,

and in days of misfortune, reflect and elevate your soul;

and this and this God did for your good

and so that you cannot murmur against Him.

15. I also saw under the sun, living among people:

how the righteous perishes despite all his sinlessness,

but the swindler and the villain prosper for many days.

16. Do not be too strict towards others and, loving honors,

Don’t pretend to be a sage: why ruin yourself?

17. Try to avoid sin and not fall into madness,

so as not to leave this world before your time.

18. Trying to stick to one in all your affairs,

do not take your hands off the other. Who knows the fear of God,

can avoid retribution without drowning in sins.

19. A sage can become stronger than another ruler,

having a large army behind the fortress wall.

20. There is no person on earth who would accomplish

only good deeds and never sinned in my life.

21. You shouldn’t listen to what they say every time, so that

not to hear the slaves slandering us among themselves.

22. Moreover, it is easy to find many such

examples when we ourselves slandered others.

23. So, I decided to become wise in distant years,

but I am as far from wisdom now as I was then.

24. The past is deep in the earth, and there is no one

whoever could see him in the darkness and understand him.

to define madness, stupidity, mind,

explore everything yourself and find wisdom.

26. I have not found many truths and could only discern

that the female sex is worse than death, that a woman is like a snare;

that her heart is a snare, and her hands are stronger than fetters;

and only the righteous will not become her slaves,

but the sinner will be caught in the net and will not be allowed to escape!

27. This is what I have found and known, said Ecclesiastes.

28. When I sought the righteous, my search was difficult:

men - one thousand and one, and women - not a single one.

29. When the first man was created from dust -

like all the Creator’s creatures, he was perfect;

but people, having forgotten God, having lost their purity,

lost in their thoughts, in sins and vanity.

Chapter 8

1. Only the wise can penetrate to the essence of things to the end.

Learning enlightens the gaze and appearance of the sage,

and gives kindness in exchange for the severity of his face.

2. And about the king I say: listen to his lips.

And the word given to the king is like an oath to heaven.

3. Do not hasten from his sight and do not persist in vain,

when you do something bad, according to the king.

After all, he will still be right, creating in his own way!

4. Where the king’s word is, there is power, and there is no one,

who, without fear of falling out of favor, will go against him.

5. He who honors the Law sleeps sweetly without experiencing adversity.

He trusts the wise to know both the time and the rules

6. for all things and earthly affairs: how can he know

8. Alas, man has no power over his soul,

to hold the soul in the body and delay your day:

there is no deliverance, and there is no hope for anyone,

and the wicked will not be saved by his wickedness.

9. So I studied all the affairs with which the world is busy.

And this is what else I found, looking for the causes of troubles :

the power of a person over another - sometimes to his own detriment.

10. I also sometimes watched how the wicked were buried:

people pass by and don’t look at them,

and are forgotten at the same hour among the worries of the world.

11. But just judgment is not carried out among people at the same hour,

and the criminal and the villain are not afraid to do evil,

12. although for them - even for the hundredth time! – you can’t hide from the judges.

And good will be for those who honor the Law of the Most High

and walks in the righteous path, as He commanded.

13. But God will depart from the wicked, and he

like a shadow that has lost its light, it will not live long.

14. But I also met another vanity under the sun:

a good man suffers and suffers poverty,

but fate gave all the blessings to the wicked,

what a person deserves for good deeds.

15. And I praised the joy: there is no other joy,

how to have fun, eat and drink under the sun and moon,

and this is a share of the labors throughout our entire earthly life.

16. When I began to experience the greatness of God's works

and the meaning of earthly labors that He gave to a mortal as an inheritance,

among which man forgot peace and sleep,

17. – I understood: he cannot comprehend this forever!

So, do not believe the boast of any sage,

who will say that he has comprehended all the plans of the Creator.

Chapter 9

1. Any sage and righteous person is in the hand of the Almighty.

No one can understand for himself what he sees in front of him:

Whether it's love or hate... One thing is clear:

2. everything and everyone will come to an end, and everyone’s fate is equal:

one who is pure and one who is unclean; someone who is for people

does only good, and who is an evil villain;

the one who is wise at heart - and who does not understand anything;

who sacrifices to God - and who does not;

the one who is righteous - and who is mired in his sins;

who takes oaths easily - and who is afraid of them.

3. And there is no disease on earth that is worse than this;

and the hearts of all who live on it are filled with evil

and after frantic passions he goes into the world of shadows.

4. Those who are alive still hope, having overcome their melancholy,

for a living dog is more blessed than a dead lion.

5. He who is alive at least knows that death will overtake him too,

and those who have already died know nothing.

And there is no reward for them, and their memory has passed away.

6. Their jealousy, hatred, love was forever hidden in darkness,

and the deeds of living people will never touch them.

7. So, go and eat your bread in peace and quiet,

and drink your wine to your heart's content with joy of soul,

and rejoice in your heart at the fruits of your mind and hands,

As long as the Lord favors you in earthly affairs.

8. Wear light clothes: a pleasant light tone;

pour oil on your head, so that it does not fail;

and do this every day, so that your earthly days

What a holiday you had, because they were short.

9. Live in joy with your wife: God gave her to you,

so that you love her with your soul and can enjoy:

and this is a share of the labors for your entire earthly life.

10. To the best of your ability, do whatever your hand and mind want:

in the grave where you go there is no work or thought.

11. Also, looking around me, I was able to make sure

that God does not give victory to the strongest in battle;

Sometimes it’s not the fastest one who wins the race,

and the diligent person does not always have bread;

It is not to the wise that power is given, and to the unworthy is honor,

but there is only chance and moment for every thing.

12. But man is not given the opportunity to see his own moment,

and he gets into trouble, like a beast and a fish - into a net...

13. I also want to tell you about this case:

14. One day a small city was surrounded by the enemy.

And a countless army advanced on him,

and the townspeople could not defend their city.

15. But there lived in that city a wise man, humble and poor,

who deceived the enemy, and the enemy retreated.

And he, as he was, remained poor, unknown to anyone,

although the whole city survived thanks to him.

16. For the wisdom of the poor - even though it has surpassed strength -

the people look on with carelessness, and there is a lot of evil in this.

than the ruler's angry cry, which is addressed to fools.

18. Wisdom may be stronger than military weapons,

but whoever does not understand it can ruin everything.

Chapter 10

1. Spoil expensive fragrant oils

not difficult if you throw at least a couple of dead flies at them.

So all the dignity and honor of a great sage

suffers because of one stupid word.

2. A smart person is different from a fool in the desire of their hearts:

the wise man turns to the right, the fool rushes to the left;

3. wants to do something - he will do everything wrong,

and everyone he meets will know that he is a fool.

4. When your boss pounces on you like a lion,

don’t even think about leaving the place and hiding,

but be meek, and the ruling wrath will go away.

5. It happens that the ruler himself makes a mistake,

And it will give rise to a lot of evil and many grievances.

6. Fools are vain: both height and power are flattering to them;

but the wise sit low so as not to fall painfully.

7. I sometimes met princes walking on foot:

they are more worthy than slaves sitting on a horse.

8. He who digs a hole for others will be in it himself.

And whoever dismantles the fence will be bitten by a snake.

9. Be careful not to injure yourself while piling up stones.

and not get hurt from firewood when chopping it with an ax.

10. When you have dulled the ax, sharpen it immediately:

Do not strain your strength in vain, but take it with wisdom.

11. A sorceress could speak to the bite of a snake,

but the sting of evil-tongued lips is more dangerous than a snake!

12. In the speeches of reason there is grace, it is pleasant to listen to them;

and the sayings of fools are harmful to themselves.

13. The beginning of their words is chatter, the end is insane nonsense,

14. And there is no meaning in their speeches, only vanity of vanities.

15. Every thought is difficult for them, and every work is a burden:

the roads to the city from the village - even that one will not be cleared.

16. Unhappy is the country whose king reigns from an immature age

and whose princes are in a hurry to sit down to dinner in the morning!

17. But it is good for that country whose king is wise for years,

and for many years the ancient family held the throne;

princes eat on time to strengthen their strength,

and not to please the tongue and the belly!

18. When, out of laziness, you neglect your work -

The ceiling in the house will sag and the whole house will leak.

19. It’s nice to sit down to a good feast in the oblivion of vanities,

and drink to your heart's content - after all, without wine there is no fun in life -

and eat sweetly - let silver bear the answer for everything!

20. Do not remember the rich with evil in your room,

and don’t even dare to speak evil of kings in your mind:

and the birds can convey to them the essence of your speeches!

Chapter 11

1. Do not save excess bread unless you are in need,

and give it to the poor: let it go like on water,

and he will return when you yourself are in trouble.

2. Seven, eight, give them a part : you don't know when,

what kind of trouble will come to you and for how many years.

3. When the clouds swell, they will give rain to the earth.

And the trees will lie as they fall to the ground.

4. The one who looks at the sky must not sow the fields.

And those who follow the winds will not have to reap.

5. How you don’t know the wind’s path – from where and where –

and how the life of the fetus passes in the womb of mothers,

so you will never be able to know the Lord’s works.

6. From this dawn or pasha, getting your bread,

and at sunset, do not rush to give your hand rest:

after all, no one knows the hour when his works

They will be more successful and will produce good results.

7. A clear day is pleasant to the heart and the light of the sun is sweet.

8. And if a person lives under it for many years,

let him have fun all the days that the Creator has given him,

but he remembers: they are short, and they will come to an end.

And there will be many dark days without feeling and mind ,

where there is no light, no shadows, but only decay and darkness .

9. While you are young, have fun and experience joy ;

choose the road by the desire of your heart and eyes .

May your younger days bring you joy,

although God’s judgment will demand an answer for them .

10. And remove the sadness of your face in your younger days ;

turn away all evil from your heart, body and soul ,

for the days of your youth from your earliest childhood years are

vexation of spirit and vanity and vanity of vanities .

Chapter 12

1. And remember thy God in the days of thy youth ,

until life brings others , hard days ,

and you will say about this life : "I have no joy in her" ;

2. while the ray of the sun is bright and the stars have no number,

and rain passed, and new ones the storm didn't bring any clouds...

3. But there will be a day when even the guard dog will tremble ;

when a strong husband bends over with his head bowed ,

and the millstones, murmuring, will stop grinding grain ,

and the faces of those who look out the window will be darkened;

4. and the door to the street will be locked , and the voice will become deaf,

and the rooster will start to wake the man up in the morning ,

and the songs of young maidens, caressing the ear, will cease .

5. And they will be afraid of the heights and the horror of the roads,

and the almond tree will bloom when its time comes;

the grasshopper will become heavier, and the caper under the bush

will crumble - and man will go to his eternal home.

6. The mourners are already waiting under the windows - for now

his silver chain has not yet broken,

the jug at the spring did not shatter into shards,

and over the well the wheel did not fall into the mud,

and the golden fabric of the bandage did not unravel at the seams...

7. And man, as he was dust, will return to dust,

and the spirit that the Lord gave him will be given back to the Lord again.

8. Everything in the world is vanity of vanities, said Ecclesiastes.

9. In addition to the fact that Ecclesiastes was wise, he also taught the people knowledge,

he tested everything, researched and composed many parables. *

10. Ecclesiastes tried to find elegant sayings, and the words of truth were written by him correctly.

11. Wise words are like needles, like a wedge driven into a tree,

but there are many wise men in the world, although their Shepherd is one.

12. And what’s more than all this, run away, my son:

After all, if you compose books, there will be no end to them!

And reading tires the brain of an immature youth.

13. So, here's the gist of it all : Keep the fear of the Lord in your soul;

fulfill God's covenants all your earthly days.

Whether life was good or evil, secrets will not save us,

14. And we will go to God’s judgment for all our deeds.

Translated from Hebrew and Aramaic by Ernst Levin

Munich, December 1998 – January 1999

_______________________________________________________

* Verses Nos. 9 and 10, inserted by the compilers of the Bible Book, are given in the canonical translation. – E.L.

The holy book of Christians, the Bible, consists of two parts: the Old and New Testaments. The book is unique, written by different people, there were about 40 of them, all of different professions, from shepherds and fishermen to ministers and kings. It is also important for Christians that the authors wrote under the influence of God, which is why the Bible is also called the Word of God. One of these inspired writers was King Solomon, who wrote the wise book of Ecclesiastes.

Son of David

King Solomon was not the only child of the second king of Israel, not even the firstborn. He was the third son, but David assigned him the throne, making him co-ruler during his lifetime. As a result of complex historical vicissitudes, he inherits his father's throne. In world history, the son of David remained as a man whose name became synonymous with wisdom. Of the three books he wrote, Ecclesiastes stands out, whose quotes are firmly among the most popular sayings.

Preacher

The entire Old Testament, like the books of Solomon, is written in Hebrew, but the title of this book is in Greek. In the original it is called "Kohelet", which is translated as "speaker in the congregation, preacher." Even the most notorious atheists know 2-3 quotes from the Old Testament of the Bible. Ecclesiastes, both for those who know and those who are superficially familiar with the Holy Scriptures, stands apart from other works. This is noticeable in the general atmosphere of the book. Solomon's main idea is "all is vanity of vanities." Is happiness possible on this earth, can a person achieve complete peace? Solomon gives negative answers to these questions. Although a person of his strength and status should not be so disappointed in life, Solomon feels exactly like this.

Book of Ecclesiastes

The quotes "There is nothing new under the sun" and "vanity of vanities" are the most common ones from the book of Preacher. They largely determine not only the spiritual meaning of the book, but also life path person. The extreme degree of expression shows the meaninglessness of everything that happens in life. Why does Solomon, the all-powerful king to whom wealthy Israel was subject, think so? He also gives the answer to this question himself, comparing life with the meaningless cycle of events of each person. The book of Ecclesiastes gives answers to many questions about the meaning of life with quotes,

Everything goes to one place: everything came from dust and everything will return to dust.

What is a sense of life?

In this quote from Ecclesiastes there is a hidden meaning that the tragedy of man is that he understands the meaninglessness of everything that happens, and such an understanding is painful, because the meaning of any action is to try to change something, but you cannot go far with thoughts about the vanity of everything that exists. But if you think about the following words of Ecclesiastes, will a person receive satisfaction if he ignores such thoughts about the frailty of everything? If he has fun trying to decorate his life with bright colors? After all, fun in itself is pleasant, what could be more joyful than satisfying your needs. But here Solomon comes to the same conclusion: all is vanity. Pleasures will also not be able to hide behind their tinsel the feeling of the meaninglessness of the cycle of life. This can be seen from the quote from Ecclesiastes

I tried to drink from a leaky vessel, Lord, but the water ran out of it. I stopped drinking, and the water ran and laughed at me while I cried.

The King of Israel comes to the conclusion that everything in this life does not depend on man. It is the power of God that gives everything, even the very desire for happiness. Ecclesiastes quote

everything God does endures forever.

concludes that God's judgment is inevitable.

Solomon the ruler

One of the main things that, in any case, left Solomon forever in history, even if he had not done anything, was the construction of the main religious building of Israel - the Temple of God, which took 7 years to build, and the holiday marking its completion lasted two weeks. From the very beginning, the Temple was the main Israeli sanctuary, to visit which people came from all corners of the world. The mountain on which it was placed became known as the Temple Mount, and the temple itself became known as the House of God. During the Babylonian captivity, when Judea was defeated as a result of the war with Babylonia, the temple was destroyed. During the reign of the wisest king, Israel received most of its wealth through control of the trade route from Syria to Egypt. But one day an episode occurred, thanks to which the treasury of Israel was replenished at the expense of the king himself.

Solomon and women

The rumor about extraordinary wisdom spread far beyond the borders of the state, and now the queen of the Sabaean kingdom (modern Yemen) wanted to verify the accuracy of the stories personally. The Queen of Sheba arrived at Solomon's court to ask him difficult questions. The queen was more than satisfied with the king's answers and his gifts. According to the book of Kings, after the queen's visit to Saba, a period of increasing prosperity began in Israel. And subsequently, every year Israel received 666 talents. Considering that the Jewish talent weighs 44.8 kg, the amount is very impressive. Subsequently, many began to talk about an illegal love affair between the two rulers; whether this is true or not is not known for certain. In Ecclesiastes, quotes about women are filled with negative meaning, which suggests a rather painful break in some relationship. Obviously we're talking about not about anything everyday, for the same Solomon in Proverbs said:

Take comfort in the wife of your youth

inviting this person to seek rest and peace in the family. Here the words are filled with pain and bitterness. Solomon's relationship with women is a very complex and voluminous topic. Being eastern king, he had 300 concubines and entered into about 700 dynastic marriages. But it was not the experience of relationships with them that made him say that a woman is worse than death. Trying to understand the cause of all misfortunes, the Preacher concludes that forbidden love can greatly harm a person. Suddenly Ecclesiastes comes to the conclusion that women are moral worse than men. Because he hasn't met a single woman who was perfect in moral qualities. Quite understandable words from the point of view of people of that time, when a woman was not treated as an equal partner.

It is not difficult to even imagine the fact that Solomon, who said this, was upset about the result of a relationship with some woman who had a strong influence on his heart.

Paths to Happiness

It turns out that all quotes from Ecclesiastes are so sad, dashing hopes? Is it possible to get through their negativity and see the joy of life? According to the Preacher himself, absolute happiness is unattainable, but it is possible to find good, relative happiness, which will be the best in life.

When a person understands that everything in the world comes from God, that everything is subordinate to Him, he will achieve this balance in life.

For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every secret thing, whether it is good or bad.

This quote from Ecclesiastes sums up his pessimistic thoughts, suggesting that the period of despondency is over, but the wise words he spoke have remained for centuries.

Somehow they teach Egypt incorrectly. In the mind he stands apart: it was like this, long, long, and ended. And nothing remained except weathered pyramids and small trinkets in museum display cases. We don’t feel any cultural continuity.

Even when reading the Bible. It doesn’t matter that the Jews spent several centuries in Egypt: this is just a plot-forming element, no flavor is visible. They could have spent time in Libya, or in Ethiopia - the theatrical backdrop could have been anything. Even Sumerian-Akkadian mythology is somehow closer to a cultured person. Firstly, because, unlike the Egyptian one, he knows nothing about it at all. And therefore he is not afraid of alien carrion ( victorsolkin , sorry). Secondly, because about the active influence of the “Epic of Gilgamesh” on the story of Noah’s flood, etc. a cultured person still remembers. And Egypt is everything; sealed compartment of a submarine. Beautiful, elegant, but completely alien.

However, I accidentally came across a book by an associate professor at the Minsk Theological Academy. I open it at random and read:
An echo of Akhenaten's monotheistic era is preserved in Psalm 103, written under the significant influence of the Great Hymn to the Aten (p. 17)

I was perplexed. I urgently opened the Psalter. And now you too re-read the beginning of this psalm. Just with these pictures:

Oh my God! You are wonderfully great, You are clothed with glory and greatness;
You dress yourself in light, like a robe,
you stretch out the heavens like a tent;
You build Your palaces on high above the waters,
You make the clouds Your chariot, You ride on the wings of the wind.

You create Your angels as spirits, Your servants as blazing fire.
You have set the earth on firm foundations: it will not be shaken forever and ever.
You covered it with the abyss like a garment, and there are waters on the mountains.

They flee from Your rebuke, they quickly leave from the voice of Your thunder;
They ascend the mountains, they descend into the valleys, to the place that You have appointed for them.

You have set a limit that they will not cross and will not return to cover the earth.

Further - more: about the Book of Proverbs and the "Wisdom of Amenemope", as well as the favorite work of all misanthropes - Ecclesiastes, and its similarity with the texts of the "Harper's Song", which were carved on the walls of tombs.

(Yes, despite the title of my post, the “Book of the Dead” is not specifically quoted, this is so, a journalistic enticement, a headline to attract attention)

V.V. Akimov. Biblical book of Ecclesiastes and literary monuments ancient egypt. Minsk,
2012. Extracts

What does the Book of Proverbs quote?

Contains a selection of sayings from Ancient Egyptian "Wisdom of Amenemope". (p. 12) In the “Teaching of Amenemope” 30 chapters are addressed by the official to his youngest son. (115)

“The Instructions of Onkhsheshonkha” (c. 5th century BC) contains more than 500 sayings. Some sayings are reminiscent of the words of the Book of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes.

The third collection of the book of Proverbs (Prov. 22:17-24:22) begins with the words “Incline your ear and listen to the words of the wise.” An excerpt of this collection 22:17-23:11 is a translation of certain passages from the monument of ancient Egyptian literature “The Teachings of Amenemope”. (130)

Sometimes the retelling turns out to be very close:

• “Incline your ear and listen to the words of the wise, and turn your heart to my knowledge” (Prov. 22:17)<= “Incline your ear, listen to what is said, incline your heart to understand it.” (Teacher Am. 1:9).


• “Do not make friends with an angry person and do not associate with a hot-tempered person, lest you learn his ways and bring snares on your soul” (Prov. 22:24-25) => “Do not fraternize with someone who has a quick temper, do not approach him to talk... let him not entice you and throw a noose around you” (Teaching Am. 11:13,18).


• “When you sit down to eat food with the ruler, then carefully observe what is in front of you... Do not be enticed by his delicious dishes; it is deceptive food. Don't worry about acquiring wealth; leave such thoughts of yours. You will fix your eyes on it, and it will no longer be there, because it will make wings for itself and, like an eagle, will fly into the sky” (Prov. 22:1,3,5) => “Do not try to find profit to provide for your needs. If you have acquired wealth by robbery, they will not spend a night with you; at dawn they are already outside your house, their place can be seen, but they are no longer there... they have already made wings for themselves like geese and have flown away to heaven” (Teaching Am. 9:14-19; 10:4). (131)

and the theme of innocent sufferers.A little about the Sumerians again.

The oldest work about an innocent sufferer is the Sumerian poem “Man and His God,” written at the turn of 3-2 thousand BC. (p. 121).

The Middle Babylonian poem about the innocent sufferer “I want to praise the Lord of Wisdom” (circa 13th century BC) is a further development of the theme of the innocent sufferer. An influential nobleman, an innocent one, is subjected to numerous sufferings. Eventually Marduk appears to him and brings him forgiveness. (122)

There is an excerpt in the X tablet of the Epic of Gilgamesh (“On Who Has Seen Everything”). In search of immortality after the death of Enkidu, Gilgamesh finds Siduri, mistress of the gods. She tells him: “Where are you heading? You will not find the life you are looking for! The gods, when they created man, determined death for man and held life in their hands. You, Gilshamesh, fill your stomach, be merry day and night, celebrate the holiday every day, play and dance day and night!
Let your clothes be light, your hair clean, wash yourself with water, see how your child holds your hand, please your friend with your hugs - only this is the work of a person! These words are repeated in Eccl. 9:7-9. (124)

In Mesopotamian legends, there is often a plot about a suffering righteous man. The same plot formed the basis of the “Book of Job”. For example, the theme of the suffering of such a person is found in the Ugaritic epic of Daniel and Akhita. The hero of this epic is King Danniil (the name translates as “El is my judge” or “El judges me”), a just and pious ruler who was not given an heir. After pious sacrifices, his son Akhita is born, whom he later kills
warrior goddess Anatu. The suffering king does not come to terms with the loss of his son. At the end of the story, the gods resurrect their son. The book of the prophet Ezekiel mentions a certain righteous man Daniel, and after the discoveries in Ugarit, most biblical scholars believe that we are not talking about the famous prophet, but about the king. (p. 139)

A real Assyrian is a guest at an Old Testament wedding

“The Book of Ahiachar the Wise” contains a collection of wise sayings of Ahiachar, the keeper of the seals of the Assyrian kings Sennacherib and Assur-Addin, addressed to his nephew Nadav, adopted by him. These two characters, invited on the occasion of the healing of Tobit and the marriage of Tobias, are mentioned in the book of Tobit (Tob. 11:17) (126)

Now about it. Let me remind you a little of the Old Testament text:

Vanity of vanities, said Ecclesiastes, vanity of vanities, all is vanity!
What profit does a man get from all the labors he toils under the sun?
A generation passes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever.
The sun rises, and the sun sets, and hastens to its place where it rises.
The wind goes to the south, and goes to the north, spins, spins as it goes, and the wind returns to its circles.
All rivers flow into the sea, but the sea does not overflow: to the place from which the rivers flow, they return to flow again. All things are in labor: a person cannot retell everything; The eye will not be satisfied with seeing, nor the ear will be filled with hearing.
What has been is what will be; and what has been done will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.
There is something about which they say: “look, this is new”; but [this] was already in the centuries that were before us.
There is no memory of the past; and those who come after will have no memory of what will happen.

I, Ecclesiastes, was king over Israel in Jerusalem;
and I gave my heart to search and test with wisdom all that is done under heaven: this difficult task God gave to the sons of men so that they would practice in it.
I have seen all the works that are done under the sun, and behold, everything is vanity and vexation of spirit!
What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is not there cannot be counted.
I spoke to my heart like this: Behold, I have become exalted and gained wisdom more than all who were before me over Jerusalem, and my heart has seen much wisdom and knowledge.
And I gave my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and stupidity: I learned that this too is languor of the spirit;
because in much wisdom there is much sorrow; and whoever increases knowledge increases sorrow.
(...)
There is one thing for everything and everyone: one fate for the righteous and the wicked, the good and the [evil], the pure and the unclean, the one who sacrifices and the one who does not; both the virtuous and the sinner; both the one who swears and the one who fears an oath.
This is what is bad in everything that is done under the sun, that there is one fate for everyone, and the heart of the sons of men is filled with evil, and madness is in their hearts, in their lives; and after that they [go] to the dead.
Whoever is among the living still has hope, since a living dog is better off than a dead lion.
The living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and there is no longer any reward for them, because the memory of them is consigned to oblivion,
and their love and their hatred and their jealousy have already disappeared, and they no longer have a part forever in anything that is done under the sun.
[So] go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with joy in your heart, since God is pleased with your deeds.
May your garments be bright at all times, and may the oil on your head not fail.
Enjoy life with the wife you love all the days of your vain life, and whom God has given you under the sun for all your vain days; because this is your portion in life and in your labors, as you labor under the sun.
Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your strength; because in the grave where you go there is no work, no reflection, no knowledge, no wisdom.
(And so on...)

Harper songs - a genre of Egyptian texts and their similarities to Ecclesiastes

“The Song of the Harper” is a general name for a number of Egyptian texts dating back to. probably by Wed. Kingdom, but survived in the monuments of the N. Kingdom. These texts adorned tombs next to images of harp singers. There is even a translation by Akhmatova.

"Harper's Song" from the Harris 500 papyrus:

“...bodies disappear and pass away, others come to replace them, since the time of our ancestors. The gods (i.e. kings) who came before us rest in their pyramids, just as mummies and spirits are buried in their tombs. There is not even room left for the house builders.
I heard the words of Imhotep and Hardidif, whose sayings are on everyone’s lips, and as for their places - their walls are destroyed, these places - as if no, they did not exist. No one comes from them to talk about them, to tell about their stay, to
strengthen our hearts until you come close to the place where they have gone.
Be sound in heart, to make your heart forget about it, may it be best for you to follow your heart while you live. Place myrrh on your head, let your robe be of fine linen, anoint yourself with the wondrous, true ointments of the gods. Be cheerful, do not let your heart droop, follow its attraction and your good; arrange your affairs on earth according to the dictates of your heart, and do not lament until the day of lamentation (for you) comes. The one whose heart does not beat (Osiris) does not listen to complaints, and tears do not save anyone from the grave. So, celebrate, do not be discouraged, for you cannot take your property with you, and none of those who left have returned yet” (Turaev. B.A. History of the Ancient East. P. 239). (p. 145-8)

"Harper's Song" from the Tomb of Neferhotep:

“Since the time of God, bodies pass, and generations come to take their place. Ra rises in the morning, Atum enters Manu, men impregnate, women conceive, all noses inhale air, but in the morning their children go to their places (die)!
Have a happy day, O priest! May there always be incense and fragrances for your nose, garlands and lotuses for the shoulders and chest of your beloved sister who sits next to you! Let there be song and music before you, throw away all grief, think only about joy, until the day comes when you must land on the land that loves silence... Have a happy day, wise priest with clean hands! I've heard about everything. what happened to the ancestors: their (walls)
destroyed, their places do not exist, they are like those who have never been since the time of God. (But your walls are strong, you have planted trees) on the banks of your pond, your soul rests on them and drinks the water. Follow your heart boldly!.. Give bread to the needy so that there will be left your name beautiful forever! Have a happy day!... Think about the day when you are taken to a country where people are taken. There is no man there who would take his wealth with him. And there's no return
from there" (translated by M.A. Mathieu. // Monte P.. Egypt Ramses. // P. Monte. Smolensk. 2000. P. 117-8)

“The Song of the Harper” clearly echoes the “Epic of Gilgamesh”: in Tablet X, the mistress of the gods Siduri says to Gilshamesh: “Where are you heading? You will not find the life you are looking for! The gods, when they created man, determined death for man and held life in their hands. You, Gilgamesh, fill your stomach, be merry day and night, celebrate the holiday every day, play and dance day and night! Let your clothes be light, your hair clean, and wash yourself with water. look how your child holds your hand, make your friend happy with your hugs - only this is a human thing!” These words
not only echo “P. Arf.”, but are actually retold in Eccl. 9:7-9 (167)

It was from the end of Dr. Kingdom, the idea of ​​afterlife retribution begins to take shape. Fate began to be determined not only by the correct observance of rituals and magic, but by the moral principle - not to offend widows, not to rape the daughters of commoners, not to starve servants. (157)

“The Tales of Satni-Khemuas” are completely reminiscent of the Gospel parable about the rich man and Lazarus (158)

Translation by I.S. Katsnelson and F.L. Mendelssohn: “A day of sorrow and crying will come to you, but you will not hear crying and you will not be resurrected from sobs, and your heart will not beat” (166)

The Heart as a Constant Interlocutor of Ecclesiastes

“In “Hakhepersenebo’s Reflections on His Heart,” the priest of Heliopolis talks with his heart, complaining about the injustice that surrounds him.” (167)

“Conversation of a disappointed person with his Ba” (soul) - The First Transitional Period, or the Beginning of the Middle Kingdom.

Text of Eccl. characterized by contradictory statements. Therefore, when compared with ancient Egypt. monuments, a version arises that it was built in the form of a dialogue. (199)

Such an interlocutor may be the author’s heart. (204) Similarly, in “Conversation with Ba” constantly: “I opened my mouth to my Ba”, “my Ba told me”, “my Ba opened my mouth to my Ba” => “I spoke - I am with my heart” , "I let my heart investigate" (205)

"Hakhaperraseneb's Reflections with His Heart" (Middle Kingdom or 2nd Intermediate Period)

“What has been said has already been said, and subsequent generations have nothing to boast about the sayings of their ancestors. The speaker has not yet uttered anything new, but he will say it. And the other will not add anything of his own to the words of his ancestors and will only say: “This is what the ancestors once said,” and no one will know what he himself intended to say. He who does this seeks his own destruction, for this is all a lie, and others will not remember his name” (Hah recto 3-6).

“The tears of the oppressed, and there is no one to console them, and in the hand of those who oppress them is power, and there is no one to console them” (Eccl. 4:1) => “The unfortunate person has no strength to save himself from something stronger than himself” (Hah. verso 4)

“There is no one who does not do evil - everyone does it” (hah. verso 1-2) => “There is no righteous man on this earth who will do good and not sin” (Ec. 7:20)

Ecclesiastes seems to borrow from “Hah.” personalized image of a heart (248)

“He turned to his heart. Come to me, my heart, so that I can talk to you.” (v1)

The Book of Ecclesiastes as a typical example of the genre of “wisdom literature” widespread in the Ancient East

The concept of wisdom in the Bible has several levels of meaning. in its primary meaning, this concept is far from abstract theorizing. It is closely related to action, practice, practical skills, abilities, and human behavior. In this sense, the Hebrew “Hochma” fully corresponds to the Ancient Greek “Sophia”. Like “khochma”, “sophia” (in the original usage) is a practical skill, ability, dexterity (cunning), creative activity. Erich Zenger very accurately defines the cross-cultural phenomenon of wisdom as practical knowledge of life or as everyday knowledge acquired through practice, or aimed at achieving practical goals. (104-5).

Gerhard von Rad in his book “Wisdom in Israel” saw in the works of wisdom literature such literary forms as parable, number saying, autobiography, didactic poem, dialogue, fable and allegory, didactic narrative, prayer. (106) von Rad, Gerhard. Wisdom in Israel, 24-49

E. Zenger identifies four literary forms that are used in the books that interest us: saying, instructive speech, instructive poem and cautionary tale. (106) Zenger E. Books of Wisdom // E. Zenger. Introduction to the Old Testament. Ed. E. Zenger. pp. 435-7
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Further, the monograph examines other Egyptian texts that, according to the author’s argument, are close in spirit to the Old Testament. But there is no such literal coincidence as in the quoted one, so I did not write out more, because too large amounts of text.

So it turned out that the Egyptian texts are actually firmly in our subcortex.

History of the book

Book of the Preacher Ecclesiastes is a continuation of books about acquiring wisdom. There are three books in the Bible that are called books of wisdom and they talk about wisdom: the Book of the Proverbs of Solomon, the Book of Ecclesiastes and the Book of Job. All books of wisdom are special and edifying. The book of the Preacher Ecclesiastes speaks about the main achievements in the life of every person. One of the main questions is: “Does human life have meaning?” Acquiring wisdom and fear of the Lord are the main achievements of any person. The preacher is a teacher of mature age. He survived many different controversies, acquired a lot life experience and learned to draw the right conclusions from personal mistakes made when he shied away from God. All achievements are vanity of vanities and languor of spirit. But what is the meaning of life and what benefit does all achievements bring to a person?

Author

The author of this book appears the wise king Solomon, the preacher, the son of David, the king in Jerusalem, as recorded in Ecclesiastes 1:1 “The words of Ecclesiastes, the son of David, king in Jerusalem” as well as in Proverbs 1:1. Basically, it is the author's own account of what happened towards the end of his life in 935 BC. Ecclesiastes said about himself: “I said to myself: “In greatness and wisdom I surpassed all those who ruled Jerusalem before me. I have gained much wisdom and knowledge" (Eccl. 1:16).

Purpose of writing

The book of Ecclesiastes is written in narrative and poetic genres. Also contains parables. The key theme of this book is knowledge of the meaning of life with God, the wisdom of a person of mature age and the meaninglessness of human life without God. The greatest blessing in life is to worship and obey God. The key person is Ecclesiastes (the son of David or King Solomon).

Key Verses

Ecclesiastes 2:12, 14 « Then I began to think about wisdom, about madness and stupidity...And I saw that wisdom is better than stupidity, just as light is better than darkness. A wise man sees clearly where he is going, but a fool wanders in the dark.»

Ecclesiastes 3:1 « There is a season for everything, and for every task under heaven there is an hour.”

Ecclesiastes (12:1)« Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before hard days come and the years approach about which you will say: “I find no pleasure in them!»»

Ecclesiastes (12:13-14)« Now that everything has been heard, here is the conclusion: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is all that matters to man, because God will bring every matter into judgment, including what is hidden, whether it is good or bad.”

Summary

Main events The book includes the story of the acquisition of wisdom, the knowledge of stupidity and madness, personal dissatisfaction and dissatisfaction in the life of the author, the excellence of the worship of God. The preacher speaks to future generations about the importance and greatness of wisdom. Any earthly joys and meaningless entertainment lead to emptiness and dissatisfaction. People of all generations strive to find happiness anywhere, sometimes in places where it can never be found. They experience various disappointments that lead to dead ends and emptiness in life. If life is not focused on serving and honoring God, it is aimless and useless. King Solomon vividly reveals how he again taught himself to acquire wisdom and passed on his explanations and observations to other generations. Faith teaches him that God created everything beautifully for His purposes." He made everything beautiful in its time, and put peace in their hearts, although man cannot comprehend the works that God does from beginning to end.”(3:14). Every person should accept everything from God, including his own limitations, as God’s gift in life. At the end of the book, the preacher concluded that the most important thing in life is to honor God and revere Him.

What is the meaning and significance of life and achievements in practice?

The book of the Preacher Ecclesiastes is a most valuable analysis of personal achievements in wisdom and knowledge, in entertainment, in acquisitions, in stupidity and insanity, in work, in philosophy and in wealth. This long list belonged to the author himself, King Solomon. Throughout his life, he made in-depth investigations and most important discoveries. “And I gave my heart to search and try with wisdom all things that are done under heaven: this difficult task God gave to the sons of men, that they might exercise themselves in it.”(Ecclesiastes 1:13). All human achievements are “vanity of vanities” and “chasing the wind.” Without God's help people are unable to do anything. Without God, life on earth loses meaning and meaning. At the end of life, Ecclesiastes teaches important lessons to young people that will change the value of life. The results of achievements will be summed up when a person appears before God and gives an account to Him. When a person dies, all achievements can be accommodated between two dates: the day of birth and the day of death. The “dash” between these dates exactly contains our achievements. What will go in there? Work? Diseases? Wealth? Pleasures? Stupidity or wisdom? Let's watch and learn together with the wise preacher, while life still goes on and something can be changed.

1. Check your goals, aspirations, intentions, and knowledge daily. Make the most of everything you do. “Vanity of vanities,” said Ecclesiastes, “vanity of vanities—all is vanity! What profit does a man have from all his labors with which he labors under the sun?” (Eccl. 1:2-3).

1. Know God and enjoy the benefits from His generous Hand. Man is subject to God by his life, breath and blessings. “It is not in man’s power to eat and drink and to delight his soul from his labor. I saw that this too was from the hand of God; for who can eat and who can enjoy without Him?” (Eccl. 2:24-25).

1. Do good, rejoice in good, bless the Lord for all good things. Use God's gift with thanksgiving. “I learned that there is nothing better for them than to have fun and do good in their lives. And if a person eats and drinks and sees good in all his work, then this is a gift from God.” (Eccl. 3:12-13).

1. Don't envy others when someone is successful. Envy is a choice stupid man. Work conscientiously and the Lord will bless your work: “I also saw that every labor and every success in business produces mutual envy between people. And this is vanity and languor of spirit! A fool sits with folded hands and eats his own flesh. Better is a handful with peace than handfuls with labor and vexation of spirit...” (Eccl. 4:4-6).

1. Be laconic, think before you speak. Remember that we are responsible before God for every word. “Do not be hasty with your tongue, and let not your heart be hasty in speaking a word before God; because God is in heaven and you are on earth; therefore let your words be few... For in the multitude of dreams, as in the multitude of words, there is a lot of vanity; but fear God” (Eccl. 5:1, 6).

1. Don't chase after wealth and possessions. When God blesses you with wealth, do not put your heart into it. Lay up for yourselves incorruptible treasure in heaven. Earthly wealth is evil. “There is evil that I have seen under the sun, and it often happens among people: God gives man wealth and property and glory, and his soul lacks nothing that he does not desire; but God does not allow him to use it, but a stranger uses it: this is vanity and a serious illness! (Eccl. 6:1-2).

1. Be grateful for all the blessings in life. In times of trial, be patient and trust in the Lord at all times. “In days of prosperity, take advantage of the good, and in days of misfortune, reflect: God did both so that man could not say anything against Him.” (Eccl. 7:14).

1. Beware of deviating from God in your youth, in maturity and in old age. Often fun and entertainment lead to debauchery and emptiness. Remember that one day all people must stand before God and give Him an account of their lives. : “Rejoice, young man, in your youth, and let your heart taste joy in the days of your youth, and walk in the ways of your heart and in the vision of your eyes; just know that for all this God will bring you to judgment” (Eccl. 11:9).

1. The meaning of human life lies in the search and knowledge of God, in the fear of the Lord and in a future meeting with the Creator. The one who found and knew God did not live his life in vain. “And remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the hard days come and the years come about which you will say: “I have no pleasure in them!” 2" (Eccl. 12:1).

Read the Bible, reflect on the meaning of life, its purpose and achievements, be comforted by God's promises, be blessed in God!