1
The
words of the
Preacher, the
son of
David,
king in
Jerusalem.
~i'l'v.WryiB .$,l,m diw'D -n,B t,l,h{q yer.biD
2
"Vanity of
vanities,"
says the
Preacher,
"Vanity of
vanities!
All is
vanity."
l{K;h ~yil'b]h leb]h t,l,h{q r;m'a ~yil'b]h leb]h ? l,b'h
3
What advantage does
man have in
all his
work Which he
does under the
sun?
l{m][;Y,v w{l'm][ -l'k.B ~'d'a'l !w{r.tiY -h;m ? v,m'V;h t;x;T
4
A
generation goes and a
generation comes, But the
earth remains forever.
t,d'm{[ ~'lw{[.l #,r'a'h.w a'B rw{d.w .$el{h rw{D
5
Also, the
sun rises and the
sun sets; And
hastening to its
place it
rises there again.
@eaw{v w{mw{q.m -l,a.w v,m'V;h a'b.W v,m,V;h x;r'z.w ? ~'v a.Wh ;xerw{z
6
Blowing toward the
south, Then
turning toward the
north, The
wind continues swirling along; And on its
circular courses the
wind returns.
bebw{s !w{p'c -l,a bebw{s.w ~w{r'D -l,a .$elw{h ? ;x.Wr'h b'v wy't{byib.s -l;[.w ;x.Wr'h .$elw{h beb{s
7
All the
rivers flow into the
sea, Yet the
sea is not
full. To the
place where the
rivers flow,
There they
flow again.
.WN,nyea ~'Y;h.w ~'Y;h -l,a ~yik.l{h ~yil'x.N;h -l'K ? ~eh ~'v ~yik.l{h ~yil'x.N;h,v ~w{q.m -l,a ael'm ? t,k'l'l ~yib'v
8
All things are
wearisome;
Man is not
able to
tell it. The
eye is not
satisfied with
seeing,
Nor is the
ear filled with
hearing.
reB;d.l vyia l;k.Wy -a{l ~yi[eg.y ~yir'b.D;h -l'K ? !,z{a ael'Mit -a{l.w tw{a.ril !Iy;[ [;B.fit -a{l ? ;[{m.Vim
9
That
which * has
been is that
which will be, And that
which * has been
done is that
which will be
done. So
there is
nothing * new under the
sun.
a.Wh ]h'f][;N,V -h;m.W h,y.hiY,v a.Wh h'y'h,V -h;m ? v,m'V;h t;x;T v'd'x -l'K !yea.w h,f'[eY,v
10
Is
there anything of
which one might
say,
"See this, it is
new "?
Already it has
existed for
ages Which were
before * us.
r'b.K a.Wh v'd'x h,z -hea.r r;ma{Y,v r'b'D vey ? .Wnen'p.Lim h'y'h r,v]a ~yim'l{[.l h'y'h
11
There is
no remembrance of
earlier things; And
also of the
later things which will
occur, There will be for them
no remembrance Among those
who will
come later still.
.Wy.hiY,v ~yin{r]x;a'l ~;g.w ~yin{vair'l !w{r.kiz !yea ? h'n{r]x;a'l .Wy.hiY,v ~i[ !w{r'Kiz ~,h'l h,y.hIy -a{l
12
I, the
Preacher, have
been king over Israel in
Jerusalem.
~i'l'v.WryiB lea'r.fIy -l;[ .$,l,m yityIy'h t,l,h{q yin]a
13
And I
set my
mind to
seek and
explore by
wisdom concerning all that has been
done under heaven. It is a
grievous task which
God has
given to the
sons of
men to be
afflicted with.
h'm.k'x;B r.Wt'l.w vw{r.dil yiBil -t,a yiT;t'n.w ? !;y.ni[ a.Wh ~Iy'm'V;h t;x;T h'f][;n r,v]a -l'K l;[ ? w{B tw{n][;l ~'d'a'h yen.bil ~yih{l/a !;t'n ['r
14
I have
seen all the
works which have been
done under the
sun, and
behold,
all is
vanity and
striving after
wind.
t;x;T .Wf][;N,v ~yif][;M;h -l'K -t,a yityia'r ? ;x.Wr t.W[.r.W l,b,h l{K;h heNih.w v,m'V;h
15
What is
crooked cannot * be
straightened and
what is
lacking cannot * be
counted.
l;k.Wy -a{l !w{r.s,x.w !{q.til l;k.Wy -a{l t\WU[.m ? tw{n'Mih.l
16
I
said to
myself,
"Behold, I have
magnified and
increased wisdom more than all who were
over Jerusalem before me; and my
mind has
observed a
wealth of
wisdom and
knowledge."
heNih yin]a r{mael yiBil -mi[ yin]a yiT.r;BiD ? h'y'h -r,v]a -l'K l;[ h'm.k'x yiT.p;sw{h.w yiT.l;D.gih ? h'm.k'x heB.r;h h'a'r yiBil.w ~i'l'v.Wr.y -l;[ y;n'p.l ? t;['d'w
17
And I
set my
mind to
know wisdom and to
know madness and
folly; I
realized that
this also is
striving after
wind.
tw{lelw{h t;[;d.w h'm.k'x t;[;d'l yiBil h'n.T,a'w ? !w{y.[;r a.Wh h,z -m;G,v yiT.[;d'y t.Wl.kif.w ? ;x.Wr
18
Because in
much wisdom there is
much grief, and
increasing knowledge results in
increasing pain.
t;[;D @yisw{y.w s;['K -b'r h'm.k'x b{r.B yiK ? bw{a.k;m @yisw{y