1
Then I
looked again at
all the
acts of
oppression which were being
done under the
sun. And
behold I saw the
tears of the
oppressed and that they
had no one to
comfort them; and on the
side of their
oppressors was
power, but they
had no one to
comfort them.
~yiqUv]['h -l'K -t,a h,a.r,a'w yin]a yiT.b;v.w ? ~yiqUv]['h t;[.miD heNih.w v,m'V;h t;x;T ~yif][;n r,v]a ? !yea.w ;x{K ~,hyeq.v{[ d;Yim.W ~ex;n.m ~,h'l !yea.w ? ~ex;n.m ~,h'l
2
So I
congratulated the
dead who are
already dead more than the
living who are
still living.
~yiY;x;h -nim .Wtem r'b.K,v ~yiteM;h -t,a yin]a ;xeB;v.w ? h'n,d][ ~yiY;x h'Meh r,v]a
3
But
better off
than both of them is the one
who has
never existed,
who has
never seen the
evil activity that is
done under the
sun.
h'y'h a{l !,d][ -r,v]a tea ~,hyen.Vim bw{j.w ? h'f][;n r,v]a ['r'h h,f][;M;h -t,a h'a'r -a{l r,v]a ? v,m'V;h t;x;T
4
I have
seen that
every labor and
every skill which is
done is the result of
rivalry between a
man and his
neighbor.
This too is
vanity and
striving after
wind.
!w{r.viK -l'K tea.w l'm'[ -l'K -t,a yin]a yityia'r.w ? h,z -m;G .Whe[erem vyia -t;a.niq ayih yiK h,f][;M;h ? ;x.Wr t.W[.r.W l,b,h
5
The
fool folds his
hands and
consumes his own
flesh.
w{r'f.B -t,a lek{a.w wy'd'y -t,a qeb{x lyis.K;h
6
One
hand full of
rest is
better than two
fists full of
labor and
striving after
wind.
t.W[.r.W l'm'[ ~Iy;n.p'x a{l.Mim t;x'n @;k a{l.m bw{j ? ;x.Wr
7
Then I
looked again at
vanity under the
sun.
v,m'V;h t;x;T l,b,h h,a.r,a'w yin]a yiT.b;v.w
8
There was a
certain man without a
dependent,
having neither * a
son nor a
brother, yet
there was
no end to
all his
labor.
Indeed, his
eyes were not
satisfied with
riches and he never asked, "And for
whom am I
laboring and
depriving myself of
pleasure?"
This too is
vanity and it is a
grievous task.
w{l -nyea x'a'w !eB ~;G yinev !yea.w d'x,a vey ? [;B.fit -a{l wy'nye[ -m;G w{l'm][ -l'k.l #eq !yea.w ? yiv.p;n -t,a reS;x.m.W lem'[ yin]a yim.l.W r,v{[ ? a.Wh ['r !;y.ni[.w l,b,h h,z -m;G h'bw{Jim
9
Two are
better than one because they
have a
good return for their
labor.
~,h'l -vey r,v]a d'x,a'h -nim ~Iy;n.V;h ~yibw{j ? ~'l'm][;B bw{j r'k'f
10
For
if either of them
falls, the
one will
lift up his
companion. But
woe to the
one who falls when
there is not
another to
lift him up.
w{reb]x -t,a ~yiq'y d'x,a'h .Wl{PIy -mia yiK ? w{myiq]h;l yinev !yea.w lw{PiY,v d'x,a'h w{lyia.w
11
Furthermore,
if two lie down together they
keep warm, but
how can
one be
warm alone?
d'x,a.l.W ~,h'l ~;x.w ~Iy;n.v .Wb.K.vIy -mia ~;G ? ~'xey .$yea
12
And
if one can
overpower him
who is alone,
two can
resist * him. A
cord of
three strands is not
quickly torn apart.
w{D.g,n .Wd.m;[;y ~Iy;n.V;h d'x,a'h w{p.q.tIy -mia.w ? qet'NIy h'reh.mib a{l v'LUv.m;h j.Wx;h.w
13
A
poor yet
wise lad is
better than an
old and
foolish king who no longer knows how to
receive instruction.
lyis.k.W !eq'z .$,l,Mim ~'k'x.w !eK.sim d,l,y bw{j ? dw{[ reh'Zih.l [;d'y -a{l r,v]a
14
For he has
come out of
prison * to
become king,
even though he was
born poor in his
kingdom.
~;G yiK .${l.mil a'c'y ~yir.Ws'h tyeBim -yiK ? v'r d;lw{n w{t.Wk.l;m.B
15
I have
seen all the
living under the
sun throng to the
side of the
second lad who replaces * him.
t;x;T ~yik.L;h.m;h ~yiY;x;h -l'K -t,a yityia'r ? wy'T.x;T d{m][;y r,v]a yineV;h d,l,Y;h ~i[ v,m'V;h
16
There is
no end to
all the
people, to
all who were
before them, and
even the
ones who will
come later will not be
happy with him, for
this too is
vanity and
striving after
wind.
~,hyen.pil h'y'h -r,v]a l{k.l ~'['h -l'k.l #eq -nyea ? h,z -m;g -yiK w{b -.Wx.m.fIy a{l ~yinw{r]x;a'h ~;G ? ;x.Wr !w{y.[;r.w l,b,h