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it awaits. The zeal for "vanity" is to live and behave in such a way as one who moves among visible things and in the seeing of the sun; in comparison to "seeing God with a pure heart," they are "vanities." And that I may speak from the scriptures: "circumcision" has been legislated; and not all know the meaning of the literal "circumcision"; for some understand it in one way, some in another, and for a different reason; however, the contemplation and comprehension of this, in comparison to "circumcision in the heart," is "vanity." For "circumcision in the heart" is this "purity," but that one is not. Why does it happen? But the perceptible one, however it may come to be, comes to be because of the original, and the one is for the sake of teaching, while the other is for the sake of seeing it and being made according to it.

1,3ab What profit has a man from all his labor in which he toils under the sun? ...

I was saying that having fixed his attention on the perceptible arrangement, he speaks also to the things pursued and practiced by "men"; now therefore he speaks about the practices pursued by "men." And he says, what more does he have who "toils under the sun"? For does the one who hastens to gather wealth have anything more from gathering wealth; insofar as he is a "man," he remains mortal, susceptible to diseases, subject to passions. And these things are clear even from perception itself, that the rich have nothing more of the things praised according to nature. For they do not become "longer-lived." The rich and the poor are in the same state, quickly passing through life and remaining not for a long time. Therefore "in all" "in which man toils under the sun" he has nothing more, no addition to his nature occurs for him. But he who "toils" and is zealous for those things that lead up to the "eternal things," to the "things not seen," has something more; from a "man" he becomes a god, and from a negligent one, patient, and from a coward, brave. Since: what more does he who "toils" have? He who has this life is "under the sun." For those who "have their citizenship in heaven" have come to be above the perceptible "sun"; ... having turned away from "temporary things" and having come to be in the "eternal things" which are not seen, they are above "the sun." I do not say above this "sun" because they are greater, but they have their life "above." The air is "under the sun" and the earth. Therefore, those living and having their being on the earth and in the air are "under the sun." For I am not mad, as some say, that "man" is "greater" than the "sun." They say this, because it is a slave, he says, "of man." But one who "serves" is not in every case "less" than the one whom he "serves." And Paul writes that "but ourselves your servants for Christ's sake"; For surely, if the teachers are slaves of those being taught, they are not "less 12" than them. They do this with a good intention; the saints "serve one another in love."

1,4ab A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth stands forever.

He says this: none of those "toiling under the sun" has anything extra, so as to remain until the "consummation" of the "world." Men exist by succession; but of God's creations, some are continuous and without interval, while others are discontinuous and have their existence by succession; for example the sun, from when it came to be and for as long as God wills it, is the same. But if I say again that man remains forever, I do not mean one and the same man, but the whole succession. So also concerning the other mortal animals and plants; the first "generation goes" to death, another "comes" being born. But "the earth stands forever." But "for this age"

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ἐκδέχεται. ἡ σπουδὴ ἡ περὶ τὰ "μάταιά" ἐστιν τὸ ουτω ζῆν καὶ ουτω πολιτεύεσθαι ὡς ἐν τοῖς ὁρωμένοις ἀναστρεφόμενον καὶ ἐν τῷ ὁρᾶν τὸν ηλιον· ὡς πρὸς τὸ "καθαρᾷ καρδίᾳ τὸν θεὸν ὁρᾶν", "μάταιά" εἰσιν. καὶ ινα ἀπὸ τῶν γραφῶν ειυ̣πω· νενομοθέτηται "περιτομή"· καὶ οὐ πάντες ισασιν τὴν εννοιαν τῆς ῥητῆς "περιτομῆς"· αλλοι γὰρ αλλως αὐτὴν ἐκλαμβάνουσιν καὶ αἰτίᾳ διαφόρῳ· πλὴν ἡ ταύτης θεωρία καὶ κατάλημψις ὡς πρὸς τὴν "ἐν καρ δίᾳ περιτομὴν" "ματαιότης" ἐστίν. ἡ γὰρ "ἐν καρδίᾳ περιτομή" αυτη ἡ "καθαρότης", ἐκείνη ουυ̣. διὰ τί γίνεται; ἡ δὲ αἰσθητή, οιως ἐὰν γέ̣νηται, διὰ τὴν πρωτότυπον γίνεται, καὶ ἡ μὲν διδασκαλίας ενεκα, ἐκείνη δὲ ενεκα τοῦ ἰδεῖν αὐτὴν καὶ κατ' αὐτὴν πεποιῶσθαι.

1,3ab τίς περισσεία τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ ἐν παντὶ μόχθῳ, ῳ μοχθεῖ ὑπὸ τὸν ηλιον; ...

ελεγον οτι ἐπιστήσας τῇ αἰςθητῇ διακοσμήσει λέγει καὶ τοῖς σπουδαζομένοις καὶ ἐπιτηδευ̣ομένοις τοῖς "ἀνθρώποις"· νῦν ουν περὶ τῶν σπουδαζομένων τοῖς "ἀνθρώποις" λέγει ἐπιτηδευμάτων. καὶ λέγει οτι τί πλέον εχει ὁ "μοχθῶν ὑπὸ τὸν ηλιον"; μ̣ὴ γὰρ ὁ σπεύδων συναγαγεῖν πλοῦτον ἐκ τοῦ συναγαγεῖν πλοῦτον πλέον τι εχει· ῃ "ανθρωπός" ἐστιν, μένει θνητός, δεχόμενος νόσους, ὑποκείμενος πάθεσιν. καὶ φανερά ἐστιν ταῦτα καὶ ἐξ αὐτῆς τῆς αἰσθήσεως οτι οὐδὲν πλέον ευ̣χουσιν οἱ πλουτοῦντες τῶν ἐπαιν̣ο̣υ̣μέ̣ν̣ω̣ν κατὰ τὰ φυσικά. μὴ γὰρ "πολ̣υχρονιώτε̣ρ̣οι" γίνον ται. οἱ πλούσιοι κα̣ὶ̣ ο̣ἱ̣ πένητες ἐν ταὐτοῖς εἰσιν, τα χέως παρερχόμενοι τὸν βίον καὶ ἐπιμένοντες οὐ πολὺν χρό νον. "ἐν παντὶ" ουν "ῳ μοχθεῖ ὁ ανθρωπος ὑπὸ τὸν ηλιον" οὐδὲν πλέον εχει, οὐ γίνεται αὐτῷ προσθήκη φύσεως. ὁ δὲ "μοχθῶν" καὶ σπουδάζων περὶ ἐκεῖνα τὰ ἀνάγοντα εἰς τὰ "αἰώνια", εἰς τὰ "μὴ βλεπόμενα", πλέον τι εχει· ἐξ "ἀνθρώπου" γίνεται θεὸς καὶ ἐξ ὀλιγώρου καρτερὸς καὶ ἐκ δειλοῦ ἀνδρεῖος. ἐπερ· τί ευ̣χει πλέον ὁ "μοχθῶν"; "ὑπὸ τὸν ηλιόν" ἐστιν ὁ ταύτην ευ̣χων τὴν ζωήν. οἱ γὰρ "ἐν οὐρανοῖς ευ̣χοντες τὸ πολίτευμα" ὑπὲρ "τὸν ηλιον" τὸν αἰσθητὸν γεγένηνται· ··... ἀποστραφέντες τὰ "πρόσκαι ρα" καὶ ἐν τοῖς "αἰωνίοις" γεγενημένοι τοῖς μὴ φαινομένοις ὑπὲρ "τὸν ηλιόν" εἰσιν. οὐ λέγω ὑπὲρ "τὸν ηλιον" τοῦτον, οτι μείζονές εἰσιν, ἀλλὰ "αυ̣νω" τὴν ζ̣ω̣ὴν εχουσιν. ὁ ἀὴρ "ὑπὸ τὸν ηλιόν" ἐστιν καὶ ἡ γῆ. οἱ κατὰ τὴν γῆν τοίνυν καὶ̣ τὸν ἀέρα ζῶντες καὶ βιοῦντες "ὑπὸ τὸν ηλιόν" εἰσιν. οὐ γὰρ μαίνομαι, ως τινες λέγουσιν, οτι ὁ "ανθρωπος" "μείζων" ἐστιν τοῦ "ἡλίου". τοῦτο λέγουσιν, οτι δοῦλος, φη σ̣ίν, ἐστιν "τοῦ ἀνθρώπου". οὐ πάντως δὲ "δουλεύων" "ἐλάττων" ἐ̣στὶν ἐκείνου, ῳ "δουλεύει". Παῦλος δὲ γράφει οτι "ἑαυτοὺς δὲ δούλους ὑμῶν διὰ Χριστόν"· μὴ γάρ, εἰ δοῦλοί εἰσιν τῶν παιδευομένων οἱ παιδευταί, "ἐλάτ 12 τους" αὐτῶν εἰσιν. ἀγαθῇ προαιρέσει τοῦτο πράττουσιν· "τῇ ἀγάπῃ δουλεύουσιν ἀλλήλοις" οἱ αγιοι.

1,4ab γενεὰ πορεύεται καὶ γενεὰ ερχεται, καὶ ἡ γῆ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα εστηκεν.

τοῦτο λέγει· οὐδεὶς τῶν "μοχθούντων ὑπὸ τὸν ηλιον" περισσόν τι εχει, ωστε παραμεῖναι μέχρι τῆς "συντελείας" τοῦ "κόσμου". ἐκ διαδοχῆς ὑφίστανται οἱ ανθρωποι· τῶν δὲ θεοῦ δημιουργημάτων ταῦτα δὲ συνεχῆ εἰσιν καὶ ἀδιάστατα, τὰ δὲ διεστηκότα καὶ ἐκ διαδοχῆς εχοντα τὴν υπαρξιν· οιον ὁ ηλιος, ἀφ' ου γέγονεν καὶ ἐς οσον θέλει αὐτὸν ὁ θεός, ὁ αὐτός ἐστιν. ἐὰν δὲ λέγω πάλιν τὸν ανθρωπον ἀεὶ μένειν, οὐχ ενα καὶ τὸν αὐτὸν λέγω, ἀλλ' ολην τὴν διαδοχήν. ουτω καὶ περὶ τῶν αλλων θνητῶν ζῴων καὶ φυτῶν· ἡ πρώτη "γενεὰ πορεύεται" εἰς θάνατον, αλλη "ερχεται" γεννωμένη. ἀλλ' "ἡ γῆ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα εστηκεν". "εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα" δὲ τοῦτον