English Standard Version

Hebrew Study Bible

1A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of birth.

1ט֥וֹב שֵׁ֖ם מִשֶּׁ֣מֶן ט֑וֹב וְי֣וֹם הַמָּ֔וֶת מִיּ֖וֹם הִוָּלְדֽוֹ׃

2It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart.

2ט֞וֹב לָלֶ֣כֶת אֶל־ בֵּֽית־ אֵ֗בֶל מִלֶּ֙כֶת֙ אֶל־ בֵּ֣ית מִשְׁתֶּ֔ה בַּאֲשֶׁ֕ר ה֖וּא ס֣וֹף כָּל־ הָאָדָ֑ם וְהַחַ֖י יִתֵּ֥ן אֶל־ לִבּֽוֹ׃

3Sorrow is better than laughter, for by sadness of face the heart is made glad.

3ט֥וֹב כַּ֖עַס מִשְּׂחֹ֑ק כִּֽי־ בְרֹ֥עַ פָּנִ֖ים יִ֥יטַב לֵֽב׃

4The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

4לֵ֤ב חֲכָמִים֙ בְּבֵ֣ית אֵ֔בֶל וְלֵ֥ב כְּסִילִ֖ים בְּבֵ֥ית שִׂמְחָֽה׃

5It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise than to hear the song of fools.

5ט֕וֹב לִשְׁמֹ֖עַ גַּעֲרַ֣ת חָכָ֑ם מֵאִ֕ישׁ שֹׁמֵ֖עַ שִׁ֥יר כְּסִילִֽים׃

6For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fools; this also is vanity.

6כִּ֣י כְק֤וֹל הַסִּירִים֙ תַּ֣חַת הַסִּ֔יר כֵּ֖ן שְׂחֹ֣ק הַכְּסִ֑יל וְגַם־ זֶ֖ה הָֽבֶל׃

7Surely oppression drives the wise into madness, and a bribe corrupts the heart.

7כִּ֥י הָעֹ֖שֶׁק יְהוֹלֵ֣ל חָכָ֑ם וִֽיאַבֵּ֥ד אֶת־ לֵ֖ב מַתָּנָֽה׃

8Better is the end of a thing than its beginning, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

8ט֛וֹב אַחֲרִ֥ית דָּבָ֖ר מֵֽרֵאשִׁית֑וֹ ט֥וֹב אֶֽרֶךְ־ ר֖וּחַ מִגְּבַהּ־ רֽוּחַ׃

9Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the heart of fools.

9אַל־ תְּבַהֵ֥ל בְּרֽוּחֲךָ֖ לִכְע֑וֹס כִּ֣י כַ֔עַס בְּחֵ֥יק כְּסִילִ֖ים יָנֽוּחַ׃

10Say not, “Why were the former days better than these?” For it is not from wisdom that you ask this.

10אַל־ תֹּאמַר֙ מֶ֣ה הָיָ֔ה שֶׁ֤הַיָּמִים֙ הָרִ֣אשֹׁנִ֔ים הָי֥וּ טוֹבִ֖ים מֵאֵ֑לֶּה כִּ֛י לֹ֥א מֵחָכְמָ֖ה שָׁאַ֥לְתָּ עַל־ זֶֽה׃

11Wisdom is good with an inheritance, an advantage to those who see the sun.

11טוֹבָ֥ה חָכְמָ֖ה עִֽם־ נַחֲלָ֑ה וְיֹתֵ֖ר לְרֹאֵ֥י הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃

12For the protection of wisdom is like the protection of money, and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it.

12כִּ֛י בְּצֵ֥ל הַֽחָכְמָ֖ה בְּצֵ֣ל הַכָּ֑סֶף וְיִתְר֣וֹן דַּ֔עַת הַֽחָכְמָ֖ה תְּחַיֶּ֥ה בְעָלֶֽיהָ׃

13Consider the work of God: who can make straight what he has made crooked?

13רְאֵ֖ה אֶת־ מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים כִּ֣י מִ֤י יוּכַל֙ לְתַקֵּ֔ן אֵ֖ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר עִוְּתֽוֹ׃

14In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him.

14בְּי֤וֹם טוֹבָה֙ הֱיֵ֣ה בְט֔וֹב וּבְי֥וֹם רָעָ֖ה רְאֵ֑ה גַּ֣ם אֶת־ זֶ֤ה לְעֻמַּת־ זֶה֙ עָשָׂ֣ה הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים עַל־ דִּבְרַ֗ת שֶׁלֹּ֨א יִמְצָ֧א הָֽאָדָ֛ם אַחֲרָ֖יו מְאֽוּמָה׃

15In my vain life I have seen everything. There is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his evildoing.

15אֶת־ הַכֹּ֥ל רָאִ֖יתִי בִּימֵ֣י הֶבְלִ֑י יֵ֤שׁ צַדִּיק֙ אֹבֵ֣ד בְּצִדְק֔וֹ וְיֵ֣שׁ רָשָׁ֔ע מַאֲרִ֖יךְ בְּרָעָתֽוֹ׃

16Be not overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself?

16אַל־ תְּהִ֤י צַדִּיק֙ הַרְבֵּ֔ה וְאַל־ תִּתְחַכַּ֖ם יוֹתֵ֑ר לָ֖מָּה תִּשּׁוֹמֵֽם׃

17Be not overly wicked, neither be a fool. Why should you die before your time?

17אַל־ תִּרְשַׁ֥ע הַרְבֵּ֖ה וְאַל־ תְּהִ֣י סָכָ֑ל לָ֥מָּה תָמ֖וּת בְּלֹ֥א עִתֶּֽךָ׃

18It is good that you should take hold of this, and from that withhold not your hand, for the one who fears God shall come out from both of them.

18ט֚וֹב אֲשֶׁ֣ר תֶּאֱחֹ֣ז בָּזֶ֔ה וְגַם־ מִזֶּ֖ה אַל־ תַּנַּ֣ח אֶת־ יָדֶ֑ךָ כִּֽי־ יְרֵ֥א אֱלֹהִ֖ים יֵצֵ֥א אֶת־ כֻּלָּֽם׃

19Wisdom gives strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city.

19הַֽחָכְמָ֖ה תָּעֹ֣ז לֶחָכָ֑ם מֵֽעֲשָׂרָה֙ שַׁלִּיטִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר הָי֖וּ בָּעִֽיר׃

20Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.

20כִּ֣י אָדָ֔ם אֵ֥ין צַדִּ֖יק בָּאָ֑רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר יַעֲשֶׂה־ טּ֖וֹב וְלֹ֥א יֶחֱטָֽא׃

21Do not take to heart all the things that people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you.

21גַּ֤ם לְכָל־ הַדְּבָרִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יְדַבֵּ֔רוּ אַל־ תִּתֵּ֖ן לִבֶּ֑ךָ אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־ תִשְׁמַ֥ע אֶֽת־ עַבְדְּךָ֖ מְקַלְלֶֽךָ׃

22Your heart knows that many times you yourself have cursed others.

22כִּ֛י גַּם־ פְּעָמִ֥ים רַבּ֖וֹת יָדַ֣ע לִבֶּ֑ךָ אֲשֶׁ֥ר גַּם־ [את] (אַתָּ֖ה) קִלַּ֥לְתָּ אֲחֵרִֽים׃

23All this I have tested by wisdom. I said, “I will be wise,” but it was far from me.

23כָּל־ זֹ֖ה נִסִּ֣יתִי בַֽחָכְמָ֑ה אָמַ֣רְתִּי אֶחְכָּ֔מָה וְהִ֖יא רְחוֹקָ֥ה מִמֶּֽנִּי׃

24That which has been is far off, and deep, very deep; who can find it out?

24רָח֖וֹק מַה־ שֶּׁהָיָ֑ה וְעָמֹ֥ק ׀ עָמֹ֖ק מִ֥י יִמְצָאֶֽנּוּ׃

25I turned my heart to know and to search out and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know the wickedness of folly and the foolishness that is madness.

25סַבּ֨וֹתִֽי אֲנִ֤י וְלִבִּי֙ לָדַ֣עַת וְלָת֔וּר וּבַקֵּ֥שׁ חָכְמָ֖ה וְחֶשְׁבּ֑וֹן וְלָדַ֙עַת֙ רֶ֣שַׁע כֶּ֔סֶל וְהַסִּכְל֖וּת הוֹלֵלֽוֹת׃

26And I find something more bitter than death: the woman whose heart is snares and nets, and whose hands are fetters. He who pleases God escapes her, but the sinner is taken by her.

26וּמוֹצֶ֨א אֲנִ֜י מַ֣ר מִמָּ֗וֶת אֶת־ הָֽאִשָּׁה֙ אֲשֶׁר־ הִ֨יא מְצוֹדִ֧ים וַחֲרָמִ֛ים לִבָּ֖הּ אֲסוּרִ֣ים יָדֶ֑יהָ ט֞וֹב לִפְנֵ֤י הָאֱלֹהִים֙ יִמָּלֵ֣ט מִמֶּ֔נָּה וְחוֹטֵ֖א יִלָּ֥כֶד בָּֽהּ׃

27Behold, this is what I found, says the Preacher, while adding one thing to another to find the scheme of things—

27רְאֵה֙ זֶ֣ה מָצָ֔אתִי אָמְרָ֖ה קֹהֶ֑לֶת אַחַ֥ת לְאַחַ֖ת לִמְצֹ֥א חֶשְׁבּֽוֹן׃

28which my soul has sought repeatedly, but I have not found. One man among a thousand I found, but a woman among all these I have not found.

28אֲשֶׁ֛ר עוֹד־ בִּקְשָׁ֥ה נַפְשִׁ֖י וְלֹ֣א מָצָ֑אתִי אָדָ֞ם אֶחָ֤ד מֵאֶ֙לֶף֙ מָצָ֔אתִי וְאִשָּׁ֥ה בְכָל־ אֵ֖לֶּה לֹ֥א מָצָֽאתִי׃

29See, this alone I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes.

29לְבַד֙ רְאֵה־ זֶ֣ה מָצָ֔אתִי אֲשֶׁ֨ר עָשָׂ֧ה הָאֱלֹהִ֛ים אֶת־ הָאָדָ֖ם יָשָׁ֑ר וְהֵ֥מָּה בִקְשׁ֖וּ חִשְּׁבֹנ֥וֹת רַבִּֽים׃

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.

Greek and Hebrew Study Bible courtesy Bible Hub and the Discovery Bible team.