1
I
said to
myself,
"Come now, I will
test you with
pleasure. So
enjoy yourself." And
behold, it
too was
futility.
h'x.mif.b h'k.S;n]a a'N -h'k.l yiBil.B yin]a ]yiT.r;m'a ? l,b'h a.Wh -m;g heNih.w bw{j.b hea.r.W
2
I
said of
laughter, "It is
madness," and of
pleasure,
"What does it
accomplish?"
h{Z -h;m h'x.mif.l.W l'lw{h.m yiT.r;m'a qw{x.fil ? h'f{[
3
I
explored with my
mind how to
stimulate my
body with
wine while my
mind was
guiding me
wisely, and how to
take hold of
folly,
until * I could
see what * good there is for the
sons of
men to
do under heaven the
few years of their
lives.
yiBil.w yir'f.B -t,a !Iy;Y;B .$w{v.mil yiBil.b yiT.r;T ? h,a.r,a -r,v]a d;[ t.Wl.kis.B z{x/a,l.w h'm.k'x;B geh{n ? t;x;T .Wf][;y r,v]a ~'d'a'h yen.bil bw{j h,z -yea ? ~,hyeY;x yem.y r;P.sim ~Iy;m'V;h
4
I
enlarged my
works: I
built houses for myself, I
planted vineyards for myself;
yiT.[;j'n ~yiT'B yil yityin'B y'f][;m yiT.l;D.gih ? ~yim'r.K yil
5
I
made gardens and
parks for myself and I
planted in them
all kinds of
fruit trees;
~,h'b yiT.[;j'n.w ~yiseD.r;p.W tw{N;G yil yityif'[ ? yir,P -l'K #e[
6
I
made ponds of
water for myself from which to
irrigate a
forest of
growing trees.
r;[;y ~,hem tw{q.v;h.l ~Iy'm tw{ker.B yil yityif'[ ? ~yice[ ;xemw{c
7
I
bought male and
female slaves * and I
had homeborn * slaves.
Also I possessed
flocks and
herds larger than all who preceded me in
Jerusalem.
h'y'h tIy;b -yen.b.W tw{x'p.v.W ~yid'b][ yityin'q ? yil h'y'h heB.r;h !a{c'w r'q'b h,n.qim ~;G yil ? ~i'l'v.WryiB y;n'p.l .Wy'h,v l{Kim
8
Also, I
collected for myself
silver and
gold and the
treasure of
kings and
provinces. I
provided for myself male and female
singers and the
pleasures of
men * -many concubines.
~yik'l.m t;LUg.s.W b'h'z.w @,s,K -m;G yil yiT.s;n'K ? t{g.Wn][;t.w tw{r'v.w ~yir'v yil yityif'[ tw{nyid.M;h.w ? tw{Div.w h'Div ~'d'a'h yen.B
9
Then I
became great and
increased more than all who preceded me in
Jerusalem. My
wisdom also stood by me.
~i'l'v.WryiB y;n'p.l h'y'h,v l{Kim yiT.p;sw{h.w yiT.l;d'g.w ? yiL h'd.m'[ yit'm.k'x @;a
10
All that my
eyes desired I did not
refuse them. I did not
withhold my
heart from
any pleasure, for my
heart was
pleased because of
all my
labor and
this was my
reward for
all my
labor.
yiT.l;c'a a{l y;nye[ .Wl]a'v r,v]a l{k.w ? -yiK h'x.mif -l'Kim yiBil -t,a yiT.[;n'm -a{l ~,hem ? yil'm][ -l'Kim yiq.l,x h'y'h -h,z.w yil'm][ -l'Kim ;xem'f yiBil
11
Thus I
considered all my
activities which my
hands had
done and the
labor which I had
exerted, and
behold all was
vanity and
striving after
wind and
there was
no profit under the
sun.
l'm'[,b.W y;d'y .Wf'[,v y;f][;m -l'k.B yin]a yityin'p.W ? t.W[.r.W l,b,h l{K;h heNih.w tw{f][;l yiT.l;m'[,v ? v,m'V;h t;x;T !w{r.tIy !yea.w ;x.Wr
12
So I
turned to
consider wisdom,
madness and
folly; for
what will the
man do
who will
come after the
king except
what has
already been
done?
t.Wl.kis.w tw{lelw{h.w h'm.k'x tw{a.ril yin]a yityin'p.W ? r'b.K -r,v]a tea .$,l,M;h yer]x;a aw{b'Y,v ~'d'a'h h,m yiK ? .Wh.Wf'[
13
And I
saw that
wisdom excels folly as
light excels darkness.
t.Wl.kiS;h -nim h'm.k'x;l !w{r.tIy veY,v yin'a yityia'r.w ? .$,v{x;h -nim rw{a'h !w{r.tyiK
14
The
wise man's eyes are in his
head, but the
fool walks in
darkness. And
yet I
know that
one fate befalls them
both.
.$,v{x;B lyis.K;h.w w{va{r.B wy'nye[ ~'k'x,h ? ~'LUK -t,a h,r.qIy d'x,a h,r.qiM,v yin'a -m;g yiT.[;d'y.w .$elw{h
15
Then I
said to
myself, "As is the
fate of the
fool, it will
also befall me.
Why then have I
been extremely wise?" So I
said to
myself,
"This too is
vanity."
yin]a -m;G lyis.K;h her.qim.K yiBil.B yin]a yiT.r;m'a.w ? yiT.r;Bid.w retw{y z'a yin]a yiT.m;k'x h'M'l.w yiner.qIy ? l,b'h h,z -m;G,v yiBil.b
16
For
there is
no lasting remembrance of the
wise man as with the
fool,
inasmuch as in the
coming days all will be
forgotten. And
how the
wise man and the
fool alike die!
~'lw{[.l lyis.K;h -mi[ ~'k'x,l !w{r.kiz !yea yiK ? .$yea.w x'K.vin l{K;h ~yia'B;h ~yim'Y;h r'b.K,v.B ? lyis.K;h -mi[ ~'k'x,h t.Wm'y
17
So I
hated life, for the
work which had been
done under the
sun was
grievous to me;
because everything is
futility and
striving after
wind.
h,f][;M;h y;l'[ [;r yiK ~yiY;x;h -t,a yitaen'f.w ? t.W[.r.W l,b,h l{K;h -yiK v,m'V;h t;x;T h'f][;N,v ? ;x.Wr
18
Thus I
hated all the
fruit of my
labor for
which I had
labored under the
sun, for I must
leave it to the
man who will
come after me.
lem'[ yin]a,v yil'm][ -l'K -t,a yin]a yitaen'f.w ? y'r]x;a h,y.hiY,v ~'d'a'l .WN,xyiN;a,v v,m'V;h t;x;T
19
And
who knows whether he will be a
wise man or a
fool? Yet he will have
control over all the
fruit of my
labor for
which I have
labored by
acting wisely under the
sun.
This too is
vanity.
j;l.vIy.w l'k's w{a h,y.hIy ~'k'x,h ;[edw{y yim.W ? v,m'V;h t;x;T yiT.m;k'x,v.w yiT.l;m'[,v yil'm][ -l'k.B ? l,b'h h,z -m;G
20
Therefore I
completely * despaired of
all the
fruit of my
labor for
which I had
labored under the
sun.
l'm'[,h -l'K l;[ yiBil -t,a vea;y.l yin]a yitw{B;s.w ? v,m'V;h t;x;T yiT.l;m'[,v
21
When there is a
man who has
labored with
wisdom,
knowledge and
skill, then he
gives his
legacy to
one who has not
labored with them.
This too is
vanity and a
great evil.
!w{r.vik.b.W t;[;d.b.W h'm.k'x.B w{l'm][,v ~'d'a vey -yiK ? h,z -m;G w{q.l,x .WN,n.TIy w{B -l;m'[ a{L,v ~'d'a.l.W ? h'B;r h'['r.w l,b,h
22
For
what does a
man get in
all his
labor and in his
striving with
which he
labors under the
sun?
!w{y.[;r.b.W w{l'm][ -l'k.B ~'d'a'l h,w{h -h,m yiK ? v,m'V;h t;x;T lem'[ a.Wh,v w{Bil
23
Because all his
days his
task is
painful and
grievous;
even at
night his
mind does not
rest.
This too is
vanity.
h'l.y;L;B -m;G w{n'y.ni[ s;[;k'w ~yib{a.k;m wy'm'y -l'k yiK ? a.Wh l,b,h h,z -m;G w{Bil b;k'v -a{l
24
There is
nothing better for a
man than to
eat and
drink and
tell himself that his
labor is
good.
This also I have
seen that it is from the
hand of
God.
h'a.r,h.w h't'v.w l;ka{Y,v ~'d'a'B bw{j -nyea ? yityia'r h{z -m;G w{l'm][;B bw{j w{v.p;n -t,a ? ayih ~yih{l/a'h d;Yim yiK yin'a
25
For
who can
eat and
who can
have enjoyment without * Him?
yiN,Mim #.Wx v.Wx'y yim.W l;ka{y yim yiK
26
For to a
person who is
good in His
sight He has
given wisdom and
knowledge and
joy, while to the
sinner He has
given the
task of
gathering and
collecting so that he may
give to
one who is
good in
God's sight.
This too is
vanity and
striving after
wind.
t;[;d.w h'm.k'x !;t'n wy'n'p.l bw{J,v ~'d'a.l yiK ? sw{n.kil.w @w{s/a,l !'y.ni[ !;t'n a,jw{x;l.w h'x.mif.w ? l,b,h h,z -m;G ~yih{l/a'h yen.pil bw{j.l tet'l ? ;x.Wr t.W[.r.W