1.1  The words of the Preacher [“Ecclesiastic”], the son of David, king of Israel in Jerusalem.

1,1 < Ῥήματα Ἐκκλησιαστοῦ υἱοῦ Δαυίδ, βασιλέως Ἰσραὴλ ἐνἸερουσαλήμ. >

1. The Church of purified souls is true knowledge of ages and worlds and of the judgment and providence [manifest with]in them.  The Preacher is the Christ, the progenitor of this knowledge: or the Preacher is the one purifying souls through ethical contemplations [1] and leading them to natural contemplation. [2]

1. Ἐκκλησία ἐστὶν ψυχῶν καθαρῶν γνῶσις ἀληθὴς αἰώνων καὶ κόσμων καὶ τῆς ἐν αὐτοῖς κρίσεως καὶ προνοίας. Ἐκκλησιαστὴς δέ ἐστιν ὁ ταύτης τῆς γνώσεως γεννήτωρ Χριστός·  ἢ Ἐκκλησιαστής ἐστιν ὁ διὰ τῶν ἠθικῶν θεωρημάτων καθαίρων ψυχὰς καὶ προσάγων αὐτας τῇ φυσικῇ θεωρίᾳ.

1.2 Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.

1.2 < ματαιότης ματαιοτήτων, εἶπεν ὁ Ἐκκλησιαστής, ματαιότης ματαιοτήτων, τὰ πάντα ματαιότης.

2.  To those who have entered the intelligible Church, and who have admired ( or “been amazed by”)  the contemplation of created [beings] the word says: O, do not think that this is the final goal stored up for you in the promises: these are all vanity of vanities in the face of the knowledge of God Himself.  Just as medications are vain after the final healing, so [in comparison] with the knowledge of the Blessed Trinity are the logoi of the ages and worlds vain.

2.  Πρὸς τοὺς εἰσελθόντας εἰς τὴν νοητὴν ἐκκλησίαν καὶ θαυμάζοντας τὴν θεωρίαν τῶν γεγονότων, ὁ λόγος φησί· μὴ νομίσητε τοῦτο εἶναι τὸ ἔσχατον τέλος, ὦ οὗτοι, τὸ ταῖς ἐπαγγελίαις ὑμῖν ἐναποκείμενον· ταῦτα γὰρ πάντα ματαιότης ἐστὶ ματαιοτήτων ἐνώπιον τῆς γνώσεως αὐτοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ. Ὥσπερ γὰρ μάταια μετὰ τὴν τελείαν ὑγείαν τὰ φάρμακα, οὕτω μετὰ τὴν γνῶσιν τῆς ἁγίας τριάδος μάταιοι τῶν αἰώνων καὶ κόσμων οἱ λόγοι.

1, 111 There is no memory of the first [things]

1,11 ¹ < οὐκ ἔστιν μνήμη τοῖς πρώτοις, >

3.  If  there is no memory of the first [thing]s  how can David say:  I have remembered the ancient days and I have remembered the original ages  (Ps 142:5)  and: I have remembered the everlasting years  (Ps 76:6) Perhaps [because] of the forgetfulness of all these things which will come to pass when reasoning nature receives [“welcomes into one’s house”] the Blessed Trinity; for then God will be al lin all (cf. 1 Cor 15:28). If representations of objects that form in the thoughts drive the intellect to remember objects and if the intellect which has contemplated God is separated from all representations, the intellect which has received the Blessed Trinity forgets all created things.

3.  Εἰ οὐκ ἔστι μνήμη τοῖς πρώτοις, πῶς ὁ Δαυίδ φησιν·  "ἐμνήσθην ἡμερῶν ἀρχαίων" καὶ "ἔτη αἰώνια ἐμνήσθην"; ἢ τὸ τηνικαῦτα λήθη τούτων πάντων γενήσεται, ὁπηνίκα ἂν  ἡ λογικὴ φύσις ὑποδέξηται τὴν ἁγίαν τριάδα· τότε γὰρ ὁ  θεὸς ἔσται τὰ πάντα ἐν πᾶσιν. Εἰ γὰρ τὰ νοήματα τῶν  πραγμάτων ἐν τῇ διανοίᾳ γινόμενα εἰς ἀνάμνησιν ἄγει τῶν  πραγμάτων τὸν νοῦν, πάντων δὲ τῶν νοημάτων χωρίζεται  νοῦς θεὸν θεασάμενος, πάντων ἄρα τῶν γεγονότων  ἐπιλανθάνεται νοῦς ὑποδεξάμενος τὴν ἁγίαν τριάδα.

1,  134-6  For it is an evil distraction (“occupation”) that God has given to the sons of men with which they are distracted (“occupied”)

1, 13^4-6 <ὅτι περισπασμὸν πονηρὸν ἔδωκεν ὁ θεὸς τοῖς υἱοῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων τοῦ περισπᾶσθαι ἐν αὐτῷ.>

4.  It calls evil what is painful, not what is opposed to the good, because the latter God gives to no one:  he is not the cause of evil; rather he is the source of all good. Unless it does not say give except in the sense of “allowed,” according to the language of dereliction.

4.  Πονηρὸν τὸ ἐπίπονον λέγει, οὐ τὸ τῳ ἀγαθῷ ἀντικείμενον· ἐκεῖνο γὰρ οὐδενὶ δίδωσιν ὁ θεός· οὐ γάρ ἐστιν αἴτιος κακῶν, πηγὴ ἀγαθωσύνης ὑπάρχῶν, πλὴν εἰ μὴ λέγεται διδόναι ὡς συγχωρῶν κατὰ τὸν τῆς ἐγκαταλείψεως λόγον.

1,15 That which is bent cannot be straightened:
and deficiency cannot be numbered

1.15 < διεστραμμένον οὐ δυνήσεται τοῦ ἐπικοσμηθῆναι,
καὶ ὑστέρημα οὐ δυνήσεται τοῦ ἀριθμηθῆναι.>

5. It qualifies as bent the impure intellect:  because it says: a bent heart builds evil (Pr 6.14).  In Proverbs, it designates as an adornment  wisdom, where it says:  wisdom is an adornment for the young (Pr 20.29) wisdom will not enter the soul skillful in evil [or “fraudulent”] (Wis 1:4). It does not say, will not be able to be adorned, but rather, will not be able to receive other adornments , because the straight life adorns, and the wisdom of God brings the new adornment.  Therefore the bent intellect can be adorned, but it can not receive a new adornment if it is not purified by virtues and does not make itself a useful vase for the Master. (cf.  2 Tim 2.21)

.5. Διεστραμμένον τὸν νοῦν τὸν ἀκάθαρτον λέγει·  "διεστραμμένη γάρ, φησί, καρδία τεκταίνεται κακά." Κόσμον δὲ τὴν σοφίαν ἐν ταῖς Παροιμίαις ὠνόμασεν, ἔνθα λέγει·  "κόσμος νεανίαις σοφία"· "εἰς κακότεχνον οὖν ψυχὴν οὐκ  εἰσελεύσεται σοφία." Οὐκ εἶπε δέ· οὐ δυνήσεται τοῦ κοσμηθῆναι, ἀλλ'· οὐ δυνήσεται τοῦ ἐπικοσμηθῆναι· κοσμεῖ μὲν  γάρ τινα βίος ὀρθός, ἐπικοσμεῖ δὲ σοφία θεοῦ. Διεστραμμένος τοιγαροῦν νοῦς κοσμηθῆναι μὲν δύναται· ἐπικοσμηθῆναι δὲ οὐ δύναται, ἐὰν μὴ διὰ τῶν ἀρετῶν ἐκκαθάρῃ  ἑαυτὸν καὶ ποιήσῃ σκεῦος χρήσιμον τῷ δεσπότῃ. 

6..  The number according to which God numbers the saints designates a certain definite spiritual order, because it says: conting the multitude of stars and giving to each a name (Ps 146:4). It is with this number that the Lord orders Moses to count the son of Israel (cf. Num 1.2)  And David, who calls them men who crawl and who are slaves to pleasures: [in] that [place] there are reptiles without number (Ps 103.25)  In Proverbs, Solomon says to the wickedfor she has wounded and cast many, and those she has killed are innumerable (Pr 7:26). consequently, the missing evoked here, the killed and reptiles, pertain to the same state that does not acord with the spiritual number.  If David also says that there is no number to the intelligence of God (cf. Ps 146.5) , he does not write it because [God] is unworthy of number, but because it is not in His nature to be submitted to a number, given His ungraspable nature.  Because just as the word “invisible” applies in two ways: [first] that which is naturally invisible, such as God; and [second] that which can naturally be seen, but which happens , like iron at the bottom of the sea, not to to be [seen] because it is hidden by the water - so the word innumerable can apply in two ways: [first,] that which cannot naturally be counted; and [second,] what is not counted for some reason.

Ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ ἀριθμὸς ὃν ἀριθμεῖ τοὺς ἁγίους πνευματι6 κήν τινα καὶ ὡρισμένην τάξιν δηλοῖ· "ἀριθμῶν γάρ, φησί,  πλήθη ἄστρων καὶ πᾶσιν αὐτοῖς ὀνόματα καλῶν." Τούτῳ  τῷ ἀριθμῷ καὶ Μωσεῖ προστάσσει ὁ κύριος ἀριθμῆσαι τοὺς  υἱοὺςἸσραήλ· ὁ δὲ Δαυὶδ περὶ τῶν ἑρπόντων ἀνθρώπων  καὶ ταῖς ἡδοναῖς δουλευόντων, τί φησιν; "ἐκεῖ ἑρπετὰ ὧν  οὐκ ἔστιν ἀριθμός"· καὶ ἐν ταῖς Παροιμίαις Σολομὼν περὶ  τῆς κακίας λέγει· "πολλοὺς γὰρ τρώσασα καταβέβληκε καὶ ἀναρίθμητοί εἰσιν οὓς πεφόνευκε." Τὸ οὖν ἐνταῦθα  λεγόμενον ὑστέρημα καὶ οἱ πεφονευμένοι καὶ τὰ ἑρπετὰ τῆς  αὐτῆς εἰσι καταστάσεως, τῆς μὴ ἁρμοζούσης τῷ πνευματικῷ ἀριθμῷ. Εἰ δὲ λέγει ὁ Δαυὶδ καὶ τῆς συνέσεως τοῦ θεοῦ  μὴ εἶναι ἀριθμόν, οὐχ ὡς ἀναξίας αὐτῆς οὔσης τοῦ ἀριθμοῦ  τοῦτο γράφει, ἀλλ' ὡς μὴ πεφυκυίας αὐτῆς διὰ τὸ ἀκατάληπτον ὑποβάλλεσθαι ἀριθμῷ.Ὥσπερ γὰρ τὸ ἀόρατον  διχῶς λέγεται, καὶ τὸ μὴ πεφυκὸς ὁρᾶσθαι, ὡς θεός, καὶ τὸ  πεφυκὸς μὲν ὁρᾶσθαι, οὐ μὴν δὲ ὁρώμενον, ὡς ἐν τῷ βυθῷ  σίδηρος διὰ τὸ καλύπτεσθαι ὑπὸ τοῦ ὕδατος, οὕτω καὶ τὸ  ἀναρίθμητον διχῶς λέγεται, καὶ τὸ μὴ πεφυκὸς ἀριθμεῖσθαι  καὶ τὸ μὴ ἀριθμούμενον δι' αἰτίαν τινά.  

2,6  I made myself pools of water, to water the timber-bearing wood.

2.6 < ἐποίησά μοι κολυμβήθρας ὑδάτων τοῦ ποτίσαι ἀπ○ αὐτῶν δρυμὸν βλαστῶντα ξύλα·>

7.  There is an inversion.  The correct reading of this verse is as follows  To water some trees of a plantation in order to cause germination.

7. Υπερβατῶς εἴρηται· ἔστι δὲ αὐτοῦ ἡ ἐπ' εὐθεῖαν  ἀνάγνωσις ἥδε· τοῦ ποτίσαι ἀπ' αὐτῶν τὰ ξύλα δρυμοῦ  βλαστῶντα.

2, 10  And whatever my eyes desired
I did not withold from them,
I did not withold my heart
from all my mirth

2,10 < καὶ πᾶν, ὃ ᾔτησαν οἱ ὀφθαλμοί μου,
οὐχ ὑφεῖλον ἀπ○ αὐτῶν,
οὐκ ἀπεκώλυσα τὴν καρδίαν μου
ἀπὸ πάσης εὐφροσύνης, >

8. It is not by a word that the soul asks for knowledge, but through purity,because it is said:  It is not those who say to me ‘Lord, Lord’ who will enter the kingdom of Heaven, but those who do the will of my Father in Heaven. (Mt 7.21)  It is indeed according to our state that we receive knowledge, if it is true that it is with the measure by which we measure that we ourselves will be measured (cf. Mt 7.2)   The intelligible demand is consequently that apatheia of the reasoning soul which attracts holy knowledge.. Therefore he does not withdraw anything from the eyes that are rendered capable of receiving all knowledge:  I mean to say all the knowledge which can naturally occur in a soul linked to flesh and blood.

8. Οὐ λόγῳ αἰτεῖ γνῶσιν ψυχή, ἀλλὰ τῇ καθαρότητι· "οὐ  γὰρ πᾶς ὁ λέγων μοι· κύριε, κύριε, εἰσελεύσεται, φησίν, εἰς  τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν, ἀλλ' ὁ ποιῶν τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πατρός μου"· κατὰ ἀναλογίαν γὰρ τῆς καταστάσεως καὶ  τὴν γνῶσιν δεχόμεθα, εἴγε ᾧ μέτρῳ μετροῦμεν καὶ  ἀντιμετρηθήσεται ἡμῖν· αἴτησις τοίνυν ἐστὶ νοητὴ ἀπάθεια  ψυχῆς λογικῆς ἁγίαν γνῶσιν ἐπισπωμένη. Οὕτως οὖν οὐδὲν  ὑφαιρεῖ ἀπὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν ὁ πάσης τῆς γνώσεως παρέχων  ἑαυτὸν δεκτικόν· πᾶσαν δὲ λέγω γνῶσιν, τὴν πεφυκυῖαν ἐπισυμβαίνειν ψυχῇ συνδεδεμένῃ αἵματι καὶ σαρκί.

9.  He who commits no sin does not withold from his heart any spiritual joy.

9.Ὁ μηδὲν ἁμαρτάνων οὐκ ἀποκωλύει τὴν καρδίαν αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ πάσης πηευματικῆς εὐφροσύνης

2.11 4  and behold all was vanity and waywardness of spirit.

2.11 ⁴ < καὶ ἰδοὺ τὰ πάντα ματαιότης καὶ προαίρεσις πνεύματος, >

10.  It calls the soul spirit , because choice is a certain movement of the nous.  And David says, Into your hands I will commend my spirit. (Ps 30.6);   and Stephen [says] Lord Jesus, receive my spirit (Acts 7.59) and in Kings it is said, David did not sadden the spirit of Ammon his son. (2Sam 13.21).

Πνεῦμα τὴν ψυχὴν ὀνομάζει· ἡ γὰρ προαίρεσίς ἐστι  ποιὰ νοῦ κίνησις. Καὶ ὁ Δαυίδ· "εἰς χεῖράς σου παραθήσομαι τὸ πνεῦμά μου"· καὶ ὁ Στέφανος· "κύριεἸησοῦ, φησί,  δέξαι τὸ πνεῦμά μου"· καὶ ἐν ταῖς Βασιλείαις· "οὐκ  ἐλύπησε, φησίν, ὁ Δαυὶδ τὸ πνεῦμαἈμνὼν τοῦ υἱοῦ  αὐτοῦ."

11

2.14 1  The wise man’s eyes are in his head.

2.14 ¹ <τοῦ σοφοῦ οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ αὐτοῦ ἐν κεφαλῇ αὐτοῦ, >

11. If the Christ is the head of the whole man (1Cor 11.3)  and if the sage also is a man, the Christ is the head of the sage.  But since the Christ is our wisdom -for he has become for us wisdom from God (1Cor 1.30)  -, the head of the sage is therefore wisdom, in which the sage has eyes of concepts when he contemplates in them the logoi of the created beings.

Εἰ "παντὸς ἀνδρὸς κεφαλὴ ὁ Χριστός", ἀνὴρ δὲ καὶ  ὁ σοφός, κεφαλὴ τοῦ σοφοῦ ὁ Χριστός· ἀλλ' ὁ Χριστὸς ἡμῶν  σοφία ἐστίν–"ἐγεννήθη γὰρ ἡμῖν σοφία ἀπὸ θεοῦ"–, ἡ  κεφαλὴ ἄρα τοῦ σοφοῦ ἡ σοφία ἐστίν, ἐν ᾗ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς  ἔχει τῆς διανοίας ὁ σοφὸς θεωρῶν ἐν αὐτῇ τοὺς λόγους τῶν  γεγονότων.

2.22  For it happens to a man in all his labor, and in the purpose of his heart wherein he labors under the sun.

2.22 < ὅτι γίνεται τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ ἐν παντὶ μόχθῳ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐν προαιρέσει καρδίας αὐτοῦ, ᾧ αὐτὸς μοχθεῖ ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον >

12. Here it shows that the choice of the spirit is the choice of the heart.

12. Εντεῦθεν δείκνυται ὅτι ἡ προαίρεσις τοῦ πνεύματος  προαίρεσις καρδίας ἐστίν.  

2.25  For who shall eat or who shall drink without him?

2.25 < ὅτι τίς φάγεται καὶ τίς φείσεται πάρεξ αὐτοῦ >

13. Who indeed would be able without Christ to eat His flesh or drink His blood, which are symbols of the virtues and knowledge?

13. Τίς γὰρ χωρὶς Χριστοῦ δυνήσεται φαγεῖν τὰς σάρκας  αὐτοῦ ἢ πιεῖν τὸ αἷμα αὐτοῦ, ἅπερ ἀρετῶν σύμβολά ἐστι  καὶ γνώσεως;

2.26  He has given to the sinner distraction, to add to and to heap that he may give to him that is good before God;
for this is also vanity and waywardness of spirit.

2,26 ^4-6 < καὶ τῷ ἁμαρτάνοντι ἔδωκεν περισπασμὸν τοῦ προσθεῖναι καὶ τοῦ συναγαγεῖν τοῦ δοῦναι τῷ ἀγαθῷ πρὸ προσώπου τοῦ θεοῦ· ὅτι καί γε τοῦτο ματαιότης καὶ προαίρεσις πνεύματος. >

14. This resembles the proverb which states: He who  multiplies his wealth by usuries and [unjust] gains gathers it for him who has pity on the poor, (Pr 28.8)  and [another]:  An envious man makes haste to be rich, and knows not that the merciful man will have the mastery over him. (Pr 28.22) . This is why we must be content with the scholia placed there.  But it is nevertheless necessary to know this:  it declares to be vanity the gathering of sins, not the fact that it obtains from God a good master.

14. Τοῦτο ὅμοιόν ἐστι τῇ παροιμίᾳ τῇ λεγούσῃ· "ὁ  πληθύνων τὸν πλοῦτον αὐτοῦ μετὰ τόκων καὶ πλεονασμῶν  τῷ ἐλεῶντι πτωχοὺς συνάγει αὐτὸν" καὶ "σπεύδει πλουτεῖν  ἀνὴρ βάσκανος καὶ οὐκ οἶδεν ὅτι ἐλεήμων κρατήσει  αὐτοῦ"· διόπερ ἀρκεσθῶμεν τοῖς ἐκεῖσε κειμένοις σχολίοις.   Πλὴν τοῦτο ἰστέον, ὅτι ματαιότητα τὴν συναγωγὴν τῶν  ἁμαρτιῶν ἀπεφήνατο, οὐ τὸ τυχεῖν αὐτὸν παρὰ θεοῦ ἀγαθοῦ  διδασκάλου.

3, 10 I have seen the distraction that God has given to the sons of men by which they are distracted

11 All the things he has made are beautiful in his time: he has also set the ages in their heart, that man may not find out the work that God has performed from the beginning until the end.

12  I know that there is no good in them,  except [for a man] to rejoice and to do good in his life.

13  And all men who eat and drink  and see good in all their labor -   this is a gift of God

3. 10 εἶδον σὺν τὸν περισπασμόν, ὃν ἔδωκεν ὁ θεὸς τοῖς υἱοῖς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τοῦ ερισπᾶσθαι ἐν αὐτῷ.

  11  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.

  12  ἔγνων ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἀγαθὸν ἐν αὐτοῖς εἰ μὴ τοῦ εὐφρανθῆναι καὶ τοῦ ποιεῖν ἀγαθὸν ἐν ζωῇ αὐτοῦ·

  13  καί γε πᾶς ὁ ἄνθρωπος, ὃς φάγεται καὶ πίεται καὶ ἴδῃ ἀγαθὸν ἐν παντὶ μόχθῳ αὐτοῦ, δόμα θεοῦ ἐστιν.

15.  I have seen, he says, objects perceived by the senses that distract the thoughts of men, objects that God gave to men before their purification in order that they might be distracted by them .  He says their beauty is temporal and not eternal, because after the purification the pure no longer behold sensible objects as distractions for their nous (intellect), but rather as passages[3] [of Scripture] for [the intellect’s] spiritual contemplation.

15.  Εἶδον, φησί, τὰ αἰσθητὰ πράγματα περισπῶντα, τὴν διάνοιαν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, ἅπερ ἔδωκεν ὁ θεὸς πρὸ τῆς καθάρσεως τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἵν᾿ἐν αὐτοῖς περισπῶνται. Πρόσκαιρον δὲ αὐτῶν τὴν καλλονὴν λέγει καὶ οὐκ ἀΐδιον· μετὰ γὰρ τὴν κάθαρσιν οὐκ ἔτι ὡς περισπῶντα τὸν ῃοῦν αὐτοῦ μόνον ὁ καθαρὸς τὰ αἰσθητὰ πράγματα καθορᾷ, ἀλλ᾿ὡς ἐγκείμενα αὐτῷ πρὸς τὴν πνευματικὴν θεωρίαν. [π80-π82,7]

It is one thing for the intellect to be stamped in a sensate way when applying itself to the perception of sensible things.[4]  It is a different matter for (the nous) to contemplate by means of sensed things the inner meanings they contain.  This [latter] knowledge, however, is attained only by the pure, while the comprehension of realities through sensation (belongs) to both the pure and the impure.

Αλλως γὰρ τυποῦται ὁ νοῦς τοῖς αἰσθητοῖς διὰ τῶν αἰσθήσεων ἐπιβάλλων αἰσθητῶς, καὶ ἄλλως διατίθεται τοὺς λόγους τοὺς ἐναποκειμένους τοῖς αἰσθητοῖς θεωρῶν· ἀλλ᾿ αὕτη μὲν ἡ γνῶσις καθαροῖς μόνον ἐπισυμβαίνει, ἡ δὲ διὰ τῶν αἰσθήσεων κατανόησις τῶν πραγμάτων καὶ καθαροῖς καὶ ἀκαθάρτοις. [π82,7-12]

This is why he describes this temporal distraction as given by God: God in his providence towards the sensing soul has given it senses and sensible realities in order that, distracted by  these and meditating upon them, it may escape the tempting thoughts hurled by the enemies.

Διὸ καὶ περισπασμὸν πρόσκαιρον εἶπεν αὐτὴν θεοῦ δεδομένην· προνοούμενος γὰρ ὁ θεὸς τῆς ἐμπαθοῦς ψυχῆς ἔδωκεν αὐτῇ αἰσθήσεις καὶ πράγματα αἰστητά, ὅπως ἐν αὐτοῖς περισπωμένη καὶ νοηματιζομένη ἐκφεύγῃ τοὺς μέλλοντας αὐτῇ παρὰ τῶν ἀντικειμένων ἐμβάλλεσθαι λογισμούς. [π82,13-18

It says he has given them  in addition the ages, that is  the inner meanings of the ages; because it is there that we have the kingdom of heaven within us, as the Lord has said; (cf. Lk 17,21) but [since it is] hidden beneath the passions, it is not discovered by men.

 Ἔδωκε δὲ αὐτοῖς, φησί, καὶ τὸν αἰῶνα, τουτέστι τοὺς λόγους τοῦ αἰῶνος· αὕτη γάρ ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν ἣν ἐντὸς ἔχειν ἡμᾶς εἶπεν ὁ κύριος,^α ἥτις καλυπτομένη ὑπὸ τῶν παθῶν οὐχ εὐρίσκεται τοῖς ἀνθρώποις. [π82,18-21]

I have seen, he says, that it is not the realities [themselves] that are good, but rather the logoi of the realities, on account of which the reasoning nature has grown to rejoice and to do good; [for] nothing so nourishes and gives drink to  the intellect as virtue and the knowledge of God.

Ἔγνων οὖν, φησίν, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστι τὰ πράγματα ἀγαθά ἀλλ᾿ οἱ λόγοι τῶν πραγμάτων, ἐφ᾿ οἷς καὶ εὐφραίνεσθαι πέφυκεν ἡ φύσις ἡ λογικὴ καὶ ἐργάζεσθαι τὸ ἀγαθόν· οὐδὲν τρέφει καὶ ποτίζει τὸν νοῦν ὡς ἀρετὴ καὶ γνῶσις θεοῦ. [π82,21-25]

3, 18.  There I said in my heart concerning the chatter of the sons of man, God will judge them, and that to show that they are animals.

3, 18  ἐκεῖ εἶπα ἐγὼ ἐν καρδίᾳ μου περὶ λαλιᾶς υἱῶν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, ὅτι διακρινεῖ αὐτοὺς ὁ θεός, καὶ τοῦ δεῖξαι ὅτι αὐτοὶ κτήνη εἰσὶν.

20.  Now it has named the life of the sons of man chatter: and it is true that for every trivial word we will render an account of the day of judgment, [Mt 12:36] on which both the pure and the impure are made manifest.

20. Λαλιὰν νῦν τοῦ ἀνθροώπου τὸν βίον αὐτοῦ ὠνόμαεν, εἴγε περὶ παντὸς ἀγροῦ λόγου δώσομεν εὐθύνας ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κρίσεως, ἐν ᾗ καὶ οἱ καθαροὶ καὶ οἱ ἀκάθαρτοι φανεροῦνται.

3, 19  And theirs are the [random] event[s] of the sons of man, and the [random] event[s ]of the animal, one [random] event befalls them [all]: as is the death of the one, so also is the death of the other; and there is one spirit in all; and what more has the man than the animal?  Nothing, for all is vanity.

3, 20.  All [go] to one place, all were formed of the dust, and all will return to dust.

3, 21.  And who has seen the spirit of the sons of man, whether it goes upward; and the spirit of an animal, whether it goes downward to the earth?

3, 22. And I saw that there was no good except for a man to rejoice in his works, for it is his portion: for who shall bring him to see any thing of that which shall be after him?

3, 19 καὶ γε αὐτοῖς συνάντημα υἱῶν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου καὶ συνάντημα τοῦ κτήνους, συνάντημα ἓν αὐτοῖς· ὡς ὁ θάνατος τούτου, οὕτως ὁ θάνατος τούτου, καὶ πνεῦμα ἓν τοῖς πᾶσιν·καὶ τί ἐπερίσσευσεν ὁ ἄνθρωπος παρὰ τὸ κτῆνος; οὐδέν, ὅτι τὰ πάντα ματαιότης.

3, 20 τὰ πάντα πορεύεται εἰς τόπον ἕνα· τὰ πάντα ἐγένετο ἀπὸ τοῦ χοός, καὶ τὰ πάντα ἐπιστρέφει εἰς τὸν χοῦν·

3, 21 καὶ τίς οἶδεν πνεῦμα υἱῶν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου εἰ ἀναβαίνει αὐτὸ εἰς ἄνω, καὶ πνεῦμα τοῦ κτήνους εἰ καταβαίνει αὐτὸ κάτω εἰς γῆν;

3, 22 καὶ εἶδον ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἀγαθὸν εἰ μὴ ὃ εὐφρανθήσεται ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐν ποιήμασιν αὐτοῦ, ὅτι αὐτὸ μερὶς αὐτοῦ· ὅτι τίς ἄξει αὐτὸν τοῦ ἰδεῖν ἐν ᾧ ἐὰν γένηται μετ○ αὐτόν;

21.  It calls [random] event what happens in common to all men in this world, whether just or unjust; for example, life, death, illness, health, wealth, poverty, loss of limbs, wives, children goods: these things do not distinguish before the judgment between the just and the impious.

21.  Συνάτημα λέγει τὰ κοινῶς συμβαίνοντα πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις καὶ δικαίος καὶ ἀδίκοις ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ τούτῳ, οἷον ζωήν, θάνατον, νόσον, ὑγείαν, πλοῦτον, πενίαν, ἀποβολὰς μελῶν, γυναικῶν, τέκνων, ὑπαρχόντων, ἀφ○ ὧν οὐκ ἔστι διαγνῶναι πρὸ τῆς κρίσεως τὸν δίκαιον καὶ τὸν ἀσεβῆ.

It says they have in common that they are from dust and are returning again to dust, having [among] them one soul, not in number but in nature: for spirit, it says, is in them all.   Now it called animal the “man that had come to be honored” but without understanding, reveling instead in irrational pleasures “with animals deprived of understanding, which he [now] resembles.” (cf. Ps 48:13 & 21)

Κοινὸν δὲ λέγει αὐτῶν καὶ τὸ ἀπὸ τοῦ χοὸς εἶναι καὶ τὸ ἐπιστρέφειν πάλιν ἐπὶ τὸν χοῦν καὶ τὸ μίαν αὐτοὺς ἔχειν ψυχὴν οὐ τῷ αριθμῷ, ἀλλὰ τῇ φύσει· < πνεῦμα γάρ, φησίν, ἓν τοῖς πᾶσι. >  Κτῆνος δὲ νῦν εἶπε τὸν ἄνθρωπον τὸν γενόμενον ἐν τιμῇ καὶ μὴ συνιέντα, ἀλλὰ διὰ τῶν ἀλόγων ἡδονῶν συμπαραβληθέντα τοῖς κτήνεσι τοῖς ἀνοήτοις καὶ ὁμοιωθέντα αὐτοῖς.

5, 7  If you should see the oppression of the poor, and the wresting of judgment and of justice in the land, wonder not at the matter: for [there ie] a high one to watch over him that is high, and high ones over them

  8. Also the abundance of the earth is for everyone; the king is dependent on the tilled field.

  9. He that loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver: and who has loved gain, in the abundance thereof?  this is also vanity.

 10. In abundance of goods [all] are increased that eat it: and what strength has the owner, but that of beholding it with his eyes?

11. The sleep of a servant is sweet, whether he eat little or much:but to one who is satisfied with wealth, there is none that suffers him to sleep.

5.7  < Ἐὰν συκοφαντίαν πένητος καὶ ἁρπαγὴν κρίματος καὶ δικαιοσύνης ἴδῃς ἐν χώρᾳ, μὴ θαυμάσῃς ἐπὶ τῷ πράγματι· ὅτι ὑψηλὸς ἐπάνω ὑψηλοῦ φυλάσσει καὶ ὑψηλοὶ ἐπ○ αὐτούς.

 8 καὶ περισσεία γῆς ἐπὶ παντί ἐστι,    βασιλεὺς τοῦ ἀγροῦ εἰργασμένου.

 9 Ἀγαπῶν ἀργύριον οὐ πλησθήσεται ἀργυρίου· καὶ τίς ἠγάπησεν ἐν πλήθει αὐτῶν γένημα; καί γε τοῦτο ματαιότης.

10 ἐν πλήθει τῆς ἀγαθωσύνης ἐπληθύνθησαν ἔσθοντες αὐτήν· καὶ τί ἀνδρεία τῷ παρ○ αὐτῆς ὅτι ἀλλ○ ἢ τοῦ ὁρᾶν ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτοῦ;

11 γλυκὺς ὕπνος τοῦ δούλου, εἰ ὀλίγον καὶ εἰ πολὺ φάγεται· καὶ τῷ ἐμπλησθέντι τοῦ πλουτῆσαι οὐκ ἔστιν ἀφίων αὐτὸν τοῦ ὑπνῶσαι. >

38.  It says that if you see men who are oppressed, others suffering injustice through judgment, and [still] others practicing justice, you should not be amazed at what happens, as though there were no providence.  Know, rather, that God watches over all through Christ, and the former exerts his providence over all through the holy angels,  who have abundant knowledge of those things [which are] on earth.  (cf. 2Sam 14:20)

38. Ἐαν ἴδῃς φησίν ἐν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τοὺς μὲν συκοφαντουμένους, τοὺς δὲ ἀδικουμένους ἐν κρίσει καὶ ἄλλους δικαιοπραγοῦντας, μὴ θαυμάσῃς ἐπὶ τοῖς γινομένοις ὡς οὐκ οὔσης προνοίας.  Γίνωσκε γὰρ ὅτι ὁ θεὸς διὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ φυλάσσει τὰ πάντα καὶ οὗτος πάλιν προνοεῖ πάντων διὰ τῶν ἁγίων ἀγγέλων περισσευομένων ἐν γνώσει τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς.

For God is king of the worl