| hebrew | kjv | web | basic | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. |
אמרתי אני בלבי לכה־נא אנסכה בשמחה וראה בטוב והנה גם־הוא הבל׃ |
I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity. | I said in my heart, "Come now, I will test you with mirth: therefore enjoy pleasure;" and behold, this also was vanity. | I said in my heart, I will give you joy for a test; so take your pleasure--but it was to no purpose. | |||
| 2. |
לשחוק אמרתי מהולל ולשמחה מה־זה עשה׃ |
I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it? | I said of laughter, "It is foolishness;" and of mirth, "What does it accomplish?" | Of laughing I said, It is foolish; and of joy--What use is it? | |||
| 3. |
תרתי בלבי למשוך ביין את־בשרי ולבי נהג בחכמה ולאחז בסכלות עד אשר־אראה אי־זה טוב לבני האדם אשר יעשו תחת השמים מספר ימי חייהם׃ |
I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life. | I searched in my heart how to cheer my flesh with wine, my heart yet guiding me with wisdom, and how to lay hold of folly, until I might see what it was good for the sons of men that they should do under heaven all the days of their lives. | I made a search with my heart to give pleasure to my flesh with wine, still guiding my heart with wisdom, and to go after foolish things, so that I might see what was good for the sons of men to do under the heavens all the days of their life. | |||
| 4. |
הגדלתי מעשי בניתי לי בתים נטעתי לי כרמים׃ |
I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards: | I made myself great works. I built myself houses. I planted myself vineyards. | I undertook great works, building myself houses and planting vine-gardens. | |||
| 5. |
עשיתי לי גנות ופרדסים ונטעתי בהם עץ כל־פרי׃ |
I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits: | I made myself gardens and parks, and I planted trees in them of all kinds of fruit. | I made myself gardens and fruit gardens, planting in them fruit-trees of all sorts. | |||
| 6. |
עשיתי לי ברכות מים להשקות מהם יער צומח עצים׃ |
I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees: | I made myself pools of water, to water from it the forest where trees were reared. | I made pools to give water for the woods with their young trees. | |||
| 7. |
קניתי עבדים ושפחות ובני־בית היה לי גם מקנה בקר וצאן הרבה היה לי מכל שהיו לפני בירושלם׃ |
I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me: | I bought male servants and female servants, and had servants born in my house. I also had great possessions of herds and flocks, above all who were before me in Jerusalem; | I got men-servants and women-servants, and they gave birth to sons and daughters in my house. I had great wealth of herds and flocks, more than all who were in Jerusalem before me. | |||
| 8. |
כנסתי לי גם־כסף וזהב וסגלת מלכים והמדינות עשיתי לי שרים ושרות ותענוגת בני האדם שדה ושדות׃ |
I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts. | I also gathered silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and of the provinces. I got myself male and female singers, and the delights of the sons of men--musical instruments, and that of all sorts. | I got together silver and gold and the wealth of kings and of countries. I got makers of song, male and female; and the delights of the sons of men--girls of all sorts to be my brides. | |||
| 9. |
וגדלתי והוספתי מכל שהיה לפני בירושלם אף חכמתי עמדה לי׃ |
So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me. | So I was great, and increased more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also remained with me. | And I became great; increasing more than all who had been before me in Jerusalem, and my wisdom was still with me. | |||
| 10. |
וכל אשר שאלו עיני לא אצלתי מהם לא־מנעתי את־לבי מכל־שמחה כי־ לבי שמח מכל־עמלי וזה־היה חלקי מכל־עמלי׃ |
And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour. | Whatever my eyes desired, I didn't keep from them. I didn't withhold my heart from any joy, for my heart rejoiced because of all my labor, and this was my portion from all my labor. | And nothing which was desired by my eyes did I keep from them; I did not keep any joy from my heart, because my heart took pleasure in all my work, and this was my reward. | |||
| 11. |
ופניתי אני בכל־מעשי שעשו ידי ובעמל שעמלתי לעשות והנה הכל הבל ורעות רוח ואין יתרון תחת השמש׃ |
Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun. | Then I looked at all the works that my hands had worked, and at the labor that I had labored to do; and behold, all was vanity and a chasing after wind, and there was no profit under the sun. | Then I saw all the works which my hands had made, and everything I had been working to do; and I saw that all was to no purpose and desire for wind, and there was no profit under the sun. | |||
| 12. |
ופניתי אני לראות חכמה והוללות וסכלות כי מה האדם שיבוא אחרי המלך את אשר־כבר עשוהו׃ |
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. | I turned myself to consider wisdom, madness, and folly: for what can the king's successor do? Just that which has been done long ago. | And I went again in search of wisdom and of foolish ways. What may the man do who comes after the king? The thing which he has done before. | |||
| 13. |
וראיתי אני שיש יתרון לחכמה מן־הסכלות כיתרון האור מן־החשך׃ |
Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness. | Then I saw that wisdom excels folly, as far as light excels darkness. | Then I saw that wisdom is better than foolish ways--as the light is better than the dark. | |||
| 14. |
החכם עיניו בראשו והכסיל בחשך הולך וידעתי גם־אני שמקרה אחד יקרה את־כלם׃ |
The wise man's eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all. | The wise man's eyes are in his head, and the fool walks in darkness--and yet I perceived that one event happens to them all. | The wise man's eyes are in his head, but the foolish man goes walking in the dark; but still I saw that the same event comes to them all. | |||
| 15. |
ואמרתי אני בלבי כמקרה הכסיל גם־אני יקרני ולמה חכמתי אני אז יותר ודברתי בלבי שגם־זה הבל׃ |
Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity. | Then said I in my heart, "As it happens to the fool, so will it happen even to me; and why was I then more wise?" Then said I in my heart that this also is vanity. | Then said I in my heart: As it comes to the foolish man, so will it come to me; so why have I been wise overmuch? Then I said in my heart: This again is to no purpose. | |||
| 16. |
כי אין זכרון לחכם עם־הכסיל לעולם בשכבר הימים הבאים הכל נשכח ואיך ימות החכם עם־הכסיל׃ |
For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise man? as the fool. | For of the wise man, even as of the fool, there is no memory for ever, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. Indeed, the wise man must die just like the fool! | Of the wise man, as of the foolish man, there is no memory for ever, seeing that those who now are will have gone from memory in the days to come. See how death comes to the wise as to the foolish! | |||
| 17. |
ושנאתי את־החיים כי רע עלי המעשה שנעשה תחת השמש כי־הכל הבל ורעות רוח׃ |
Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit. | So I hated life, because the work that is worked under the sun was grievous to me; for all is vanity and a chasing after wind. | So I was hating life, because everything under the sun was evil to me: all is to no purpose and desire for wind. | |||
| 18. |
ושנאתי אני את־כל־עמלי שאני עמל תחת השמש שאניחנו לאדם שיהיה אחרי׃ |
Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me. | I hated all my labor in which I labored under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who comes after me. | Hate had I for all my work which I had done, because the man who comes after me will have its fruits. | |||
| 19. |
ומי יודע החכם יהיה או סכל וישלט בכל־עמלי שעמלתי ושחכמתי תחת השמש גם־זה הבל׃ |
And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity. | Who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have rule over all of my labor in which I have labored, and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity. | And who is to say if that man will be wise or foolish? But he will have power over all my work which I have done and in which I have been wise under the sun. This again is to no purpose. | |||
| 20. |
וסבותי אני ליאש את־לבי על כל־העמל שעמלתי תחת השמש׃ |
Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun. | Therefore I began to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labor in which I had labored under the sun. | So my mind was turned to grief for all the trouble I had taken and all my wisdom under the sun. | |||
| 21. |
כי־יש אדם שעמלו בחכמה ובדעת ובכשרון ולאדם שלא עמל־בו יתננו חלקו גם־זה הבל ורעה רבה׃ |
For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil. | For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, with knowledge, and with skillfulness; yet he shall leave it for his portion to a man who has not labored for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. | Because there is a man whose work has been done with wisdom, with knowledge, and with an expert hand; but one who has done nothing for it will have it for his heritage. This again is to no purpose and a great evil. | |||
| 22. |
כי מה־הוה לאדם בכל־עמלו וברעיון לבו שהוא עמל תחת השמש׃ |
For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun? | For what has a man of all his labor, and of the striving of his heart, in which he labors under the sun? | What does a man get for all his work, and for the weight of care with which he has done his work under the sun? | |||
| 23. |
כי כל־ימיו מכאבים וכעס ענינו גם־בלילה לא־שכב לבו גם־זה הבל הוא׃ |
For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity. | For all his days are sorrows, and his travail is grief; yes, even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity. | All his days are sorrow, and his work is full of grief. Even in the night his heart has no rest. This again is to no purpose. | |||
| 24. |
אין־טוב באדם שיאכל ושתה והראה את־נפשו טוב בעמלו גם־זה ראיתי אני כי מיד האלהים היא׃ |
There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God. | There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and make his soul enjoy good in his labor. This also I saw, that it is from the hand of God. | There is nothing better for a man than taking meat and drink, and having delight in his work. This again I saw was from the hand of God. | |||
| 25. |
כי מי יאכל ומי יחוש חוץ ממני׃ |
For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto, more than I? | For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I? | Who may take food or have pleasure without him? | |||
| 26. |
כי לאדם שטוב לפניו נתן חכמה ודעת ושמחה ולחוטא נתן ענין לאסוף ולכנוס לתת לטוב לפני האלהים גם־זה הבל ורעות רוח׃ |
For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit. | For to the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner he gives travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him who pleases God. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind. | To the man with whom he is pleased, God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy; but to the sinner he gives the work of getting goods together and storing up wealth, to give to him in whom God has pleasure. This again is to no purpose and desire for wind. | |||