◄ Ecclesiastes 2 ►
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1I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy what is good!” But it proved to be futile. 1אָמַ֤רְתִּֽי אֲנִי֙ בְּלִבִּ֔י לְכָה־ נָּ֛א אֲנַסְּכָ֛ה בְשִׂמְחָ֖ה וּרְאֵ֣ה בְט֑וֹב וְהִנֵּ֥ה גַם־ ה֖וּא הָֽבֶל׃
2I said of laughter, “It is folly,” and of pleasure, “What does it accomplish?” 2לִשְׂח֖וֹק אָמַ֣רְתִּי מְהוֹלָ֑ל וּלְשִׂמְחָ֖ה מַה־ זֹּ֥ה עֹשָֽׂה׃
3My mind, [all the while] guiding me with wisdom, sought to cheer my body with wine and embrace folly, until I could see what [was] worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives. 3תַּ֣רְתִּי בְלִבִּ֔י לִמְשׁ֥וֹךְ בַּיַּ֖יִן אֶת־ בְּשָׂרִ֑י וְלִבִּ֞י נֹהֵ֤ג בַּֽחָכְמָה֙ וְלֶאֱחֹ֣ז בְּסִכְל֔וּת עַ֣ד אֲשֶׁר־ אֶרְאֶ֗ה אֵי־ זֶ֨ה ט֜וֹב לִבְנֵ֤י הָאָדָם֙ אֲשֶׁ֤ר יַעֲשׂוּ֙ תַּ֣חַת הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם מִסְפַּ֖ר יְמֵ֥י חַיֵּיהֶֽם׃
4I enlarged my works. I built myself houses and planted myself vineyards. 4הִגְדַּ֖לְתִּי מַעֲשָׂ֑י בָּנִ֤יתִי לִי֙ בָּתִּ֔ים נָטַ֥עְתִּי לִ֖י כְּרָמִֽים׃
5I made myself gardens and parks and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. 5עָשִׂ֣יתִי לִ֔י גַּנּ֖וֹת וּפַרְדֵּסִ֑ים וְנָטַ֥עְתִּי בָהֶ֖ם עֵ֥ץ כָּל־ פֶּֽרִי׃
6I built reservoirs to water my groves of flourishing trees. 6עָשִׂ֥יתִי לִ֖י בְּרֵכ֣וֹת מָ֑יִם לְהַשְׁק֣וֹת מֵהֶ֔ם יַ֖עַר צוֹמֵ֥חַ עֵצִֽים׃
7I acquired menservants and maidservants, and servants were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me, 7קָנִ֙יתִי֙ עֲבָדִ֣ים וּשְׁפָח֔וֹת וּבְנֵי־ בַ֖יִת הָ֣יָה לִ֑י גַּ֣ם מִקְנֶה֩ בָקָ֨ר וָצֹ֤אן הַרְבֵּה֙ הָ֣יָה לִ֔י מִכֹּ֛ל שֶֽׁהָי֥וּ לְפָנַ֖י בִּירוּשָׁלִָֽם׃
8and I accumulated for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I gathered to myself male and female singers, and the delights of the sons of men— many concubines. 8כָּנַ֤סְתִּי לִי֙ גַּם־ כֶּ֣סֶף וְזָהָ֔ב וּסְגֻלַּ֥ת מְלָכִ֖ים וְהַמְּדִינ֑וֹת עָשִׂ֨יתִי לִ֜י שָׁרִ֣ים וְשָׁר֗וֹת וְתַעֲנוּגֹ֛ת בְּנֵ֥י הָאָדָ֖ם שִׁדָּ֥ה וְשִׁדּֽוֹת׃
9So I became great and surpassed all in Jerusalem who had preceded me; and my wisdom remained with me. 9וְגָדַ֣לְתִּי וְהוֹסַ֔פְתִּי מִכֹּ֛ל שֶׁהָיָ֥ה לְפָנַ֖י בִּירוּשָׁלִָ֑ם אַ֥ף חָכְמָתִ֖י עָ֥מְדָה לִּֽי׃
10Anything my eyes desired, I did not deny myself. I refused my heart no pleasure. For my heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor. 10וְכֹל֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר שָֽׁאֲל֣וּ עֵינַ֔י לֹ֥א אָצַ֖לְתִּי מֵהֶ֑ם לֹֽא־ מָנַ֨עְתִּי אֶת־ לִבִּ֜י מִכָּל־ שִׂמְחָ֗ה כִּֽי־ לִבִּ֤י שָׂמֵ֙חַ֙ מִכָּל־ עֲמָלִ֔י וְזֶֽה־ הָיָ֥ה חֶלְקִ֖י מִכָּל־ עֲמָלִֽי׃
11Yet when I considered all the works that my hands had accomplished and [what] I had toiled to achieve, I found everything to be futile, a pursuit of the wind; there was nothing to be gained under the sun. 11וּפָנִ֣יתִֽי אֲנִ֗י בְּכָל־ מַעֲשַׂי֙ שֶֽׁעָשׂ֣וּ יָדַ֔י וּבֶֽעָמָ֖ל שֶׁעָמַ֣לְתִּי לַעֲשׂ֑וֹת וְהִנֵּ֨ה הַכֹּ֥ל הֶ֙בֶל֙ וּרְע֣וּת ר֔וּחַ וְאֵ֥ין יִתְר֖וֹן תַּ֥חַת הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃
12Then I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly; for what [more] can the king’s successor do than what has already been accomplished? 12וּפָנִ֤יתִֽי אֲנִי֙ לִרְא֣וֹת חָכְמָ֔ה וְהוֹלֵל֖וֹת וְסִכְל֑וּת כִּ֣י ׀ מֶ֣ה הָאָדָ֗ם שֶׁיָּבוֹא֙ אַחֲרֵ֣י הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ אֵ֥ת אֲשֶׁר־ כְּבָ֖ר עָשֽׂוּהוּ׃
13And I saw that wisdom exceeds folly, just as light exceeds darkness: 13וְרָאִ֣יתִי אָ֔נִי שֶׁיֵּ֥שׁ יִתְר֛וֹן לַֽחָכְמָ֖ה מִן־ הַסִּכְל֑וּת כִּֽיתְר֥וֹן הָא֖וֹר מִן־ הַחֹֽשֶׁךְ׃
14The wise man has eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I also came to realize that one fate overcomes them both. 14הֶֽחָכָם֙ עֵינָ֣יו בְּרֹאשׁ֔וֹ וְהַכְּסִ֖יל בַּחֹ֣שֶׁךְ הוֹלֵ֑ךְ וְיָדַ֣עְתִּי גַם־ אָ֔נִי שֶׁמִּקְרֶ֥ה אֶחָ֖ד יִקְרֶ֥ה אֶת־ כֻּלָּֽם׃
15So I said to myself, “The fate of the fool will also befall me. What then have I gained by being wise?” And I said to myself that this too is futile. 15וְאָמַ֨רְתִּֽי אֲנִ֜י בְּלִבִּ֗י כְּמִקְרֵ֤ה הַכְּסִיל֙ גַּם־ אֲנִ֣י יִקְרֵ֔נִי וְלָ֧מָּה חָכַ֛מְתִּי אֲנִ֖י אָ֣ז יוֹתֵ֑ר וְדִבַּ֣רְתִּי בְלִבִּ֔י שֶׁגַּם־ זֶ֖ה הָֽבֶל׃
16For there is no lasting remembrance of the wise, just as with the fool, seeing that both will be forgotten in the days to come. Alas, the wise man will die just like the fool! 16כִּי֩ אֵ֨ין זִכְר֧וֹן לֶחָכָ֛ם עִֽם־ הַכְּסִ֖יל לְעוֹלָ֑ם בְּשֶׁכְּבָ֞ר הַיָּמִ֤ים הַבָּאִים֙ הַכֹּ֣ל נִשְׁכָּ֔ח וְאֵ֛יךְ יָמ֥וּת הֶחָכָ֖ם עִֽם־ הַכְּסִֽיל׃
17So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. For everything is futile and a pursuit of the wind. 17וְשָׂנֵ֙אתִי֙ אֶת־ הַ֣חַיִּ֔ים כִּ֣י רַ֤ע עָלַי֙ הַֽמַּעֲשֶׂ֔ה שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂ֖ה תַּ֣חַת הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ כִּֽי־ הַכֹּ֥ל הֶ֖בֶל וּרְע֥וּת רֽוּחַ׃
18I hated all for which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who comes after me. 18וְשָׂנֵ֤אתִֽי אֲנִי֙ אֶת־ כָּל־ עֲמָלִ֔י שֶׁאֲנִ֥י עָמֵ֖ל תַּ֣חַת הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ שֶׁ֣אַנִּיחֶ֔נּוּ לָאָדָ֖ם שֶׁיִּהְיֶ֥ה אַחֲרָֽי׃
19And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will take over all the labor at which I have worked skillfully under the sun. This too is futile. 19וּמִ֣י יוֹדֵ֗עַ הֶֽחָכָ֤ם יִהְיֶה֙ א֣וֹ סָכָ֔ל וְיִשְׁלַט֙ בְּכָל־ עֲמָלִ֔י שֶֽׁעָמַ֥לְתִּי וְשֶׁחָכַ֖מְתִּי תַּ֣חַת הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ גַּם־ זֶ֖ה הָֽבֶל׃
20So my heart began to despair over all the labor that I had done under the sun. 20וְסַבּ֥וֹתִֽי אֲנִ֖י לְיַאֵ֣שׁ אֶת־ לִבִּ֑י עַ֚ל כָּל־ הֶ֣עָמָ֔ל שֶׁעָמַ֖לְתִּי תַּ֥חַת הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃
21When there is a man who has labored with wisdom, knowledge, and skill, and he must give his portion to a man who has not worked for it, this too is futile and a great evil. 21כִּי־ יֵ֣שׁ אָדָ֗ם שֶׁעֲמָל֛וֹ בְּחָכְמָ֥ה וּבְדַ֖עַת וּבְכִשְׁר֑וֹן וּלְאָדָ֞ם שֶׁלֹּ֤א עָֽמַל־ בּוֹ֙ יִתְּנֶ֣נּוּ חֶלְק֔וֹ גַּם־ זֶ֥ה הֶ֖בֶל וְרָעָ֥ה רַבָּֽה׃
22For what does a man get for all the labor and endeavors at which he toils under the sun? 22כִּ֠י מֶֽה־ הֹוֶ֤ה לָֽאָדָם֙ בְּכָל־ עֲמָל֔וֹ וּבְרַעְי֖וֹן לִבּ֑ו‪‬‪‬‪‬ שֶׁה֥וּא עָמֵ֖ל תַּ֥חַת הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃
23Indeed, all his days are filled with grief, and his task is sorrowful; even at night, his mind does not rest. This too is futile. 23כִּ֧י כָל־ יָמָ֣יו מַכְאֹבִ֗ים וָכַ֙עַס֙ עִנְיָנ֔וֹ גַּם־ בַּלַּ֖יְלָה לֹא־ שָׁכַ֣ב לִבּ֑וֹ גַּם־ זֶ֖ה הֶ֥בֶל הֽוּא׃
24Nothing [is] better for man than to eat and drink and enjoy his work. I have also seen that this [is] from the hand of God. 24אֵֽין־ ט֤וֹב בָּאָדָם֙ שֶׁיֹּאכַ֣ל וְשָׁתָ֔ה וְהֶרְאָ֧ה אֶת־ נַפְשׁ֛וֹ ט֖וֹב בַּעֲמָל֑וֹ גַּם־ זֹה֙ רָאִ֣יתִי אָ֔נִי כִּ֛י מִיַּ֥ד הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים הִֽיא׃
25For apart from Him, who can eat and who can find enjoyment? 25כִּ֣י מִ֥י יֹאכַ֛ל וּמִ֥י יָח֖וּשׁ ח֥וּץ מִמֶּֽנִּי׃
26To the man who is pleasing in His sight, He gives wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner He assigns the task of gathering and accumulating [that which] he will hand over to one who pleases God. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind. 26כִּ֤י לְאָדָם֙ שֶׁטּ֣וֹב לְפָנָ֔יו נָתַ֛ן חָכְמָ֥ה וְדַ֖עַת וְשִׂמְחָ֑ה וְלַחוֹטֶא֩ נָתַ֨ן עִנְיָ֜ן לֶאֱס֣וֹף וְלִכְנ֗וֹס לָתֵת֙ לְטוֹב֙ לִפְנֵ֣י הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים גַּם־ זֶ֥ה הֶ֖בֶל וּרְע֥וּת רֽוּחַ׃
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Westminster Leningrad Codex text courtesy of www.tanach.us
Hebrew Transliteration Via ALittleHebrew.com
Strong's Tagging via Open Scriptures, David Troidl and Christopher Kimball
Morphology in partnership with Helps Bible

Section Headings Courtesy INT Bible © 2012, Used by Permission

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Ecclesiastes 1
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