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ὅτι τίς ὁ ἄνθρωπος, ὃς ἐπελεύσεται ὀπίσω τῆς βουλῆς τὰ ὅσα ἐποίησεν αὐτήν; (Ecclesiastes 2:12, LXX version) -> for who is the man who, after following his own plan, will find wisdom (in) everything he has done?

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luisffmendes:
I would like that someone could translate this passage from Septuaginta - as if you did not know the Hebrew text, or any modern translation of it...

The greek is from ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙΑΣΤΗΕΣ 1:12 (Rahlfs-Hanhart edition - Editio altera).

Thank you in advance.

spiros:
And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been already done.
2:12

Then I turned my thoughts to consider wisdom, and also madness and folly. What more can the king's successor do than what has already been done?
2:12
http://bible.cc/ecclesiastes/2-12.htm

billberg23:
Following spiros' above-mentioned link, we find the intriguing remark by Keil & Delitzsche: "(Note: The lxx and Symm. by hammělêk think of melak, counsel, βουλή, instead of melek, king; ...)"
You ask an important and provocative question, since we now know (thanks to the Dead Sea Scrolls) that the Septuagint was a translation from a separate Hebrew tradition, the so-called "Alexandrian" (as opposed to "Masoretic") text.
So give us some time to ponder the significance of the differences in the text you cite!

billberg23:
First, to clarify the context, let's cite the entire verse from the Septuagint:
Καὶ ἐπέβλεψα ἐγὼ τοῦ ἰδεῖν σοφίαν
καὶ περιφορὰν καὶ ἀφροσύνην·
ὅτι τίς ὁ ἄνθρωπος, ὃς ἐπελεύσεται ὀπίσω τῆς βουλῆς
τὰ ὅσα ἐποίησεν αὐτήν;
Next, we'll attempt a translation of the entire verse.  This translation is only a suggestion, and will I hope be followed by other suggestions.
And I beheld, on the lookout for wisdom, both error and foolishness:  for who is the man who, after following his own plan, will find wisdom (in) everything he has done?

luisffmendes:
Thank you...

Yes, billberg23, my point is that the translations we have at our disposal usually have in mind the Hebrew text. As you noted, βουλή can't be translated for "king" - it is obvious to me.

Do you think βουλή can be "plan"? And "Council", like "council of kings", in which one can be "a member of it"?

I have some problems with this part of your translation: "will find wisdom". I can't see where it is in the greek.

Thank you for your attention.

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