1
There is an
evil which I have
seen under the
sun and it is
prevalent among men -
h'B;r.w v,m'V;h t;x;T yityia'r r,v]a h'['r vey ? ~'d'a'h -l;[ ayih
2
a
man to
whom God has
given riches and
wealth and
honor so that his
soul lacks nothing of
all that he
desires; yet
God has not
empowered him to
eat from them, for a
foreigner enjoys them.
This is
vanity and a
severe affliction.
~yis'k.n.W r,v{[ ~yih{l/a'h w{l -n,TIy r,v]a vyia ? h/W;a.tIy -r,v]a l{Kim w{v.p;n.l res'x .WN,nyea.w dw{b'k.w ? yiK .WN,Mim l{k/a,l ~yih{l/a'h .WN,jyil.v;y -a{l.w ? ['r yil\x'w l,b,h h,z .WN,l]ka{y yir.k'n vyia ? a.Wh
3
If a
man fathers a
hundred children and
lives many years, however
many they be, but his
soul is not
satisfied with
good things and he does not
even have a proper
burial, then I
say,
"Better the
miscarriage than he,
h,y.xIy tw{B;r ~yin'v.w h'aem vyia dyilw{y -mia ? [;B.fit -a{l w{v.p;n.w wy'n'v -yem.y .Wy.hiY,v b;r.w ? w{L h't.y'h -a{l h'r.Wb.q -m;g.w h'bw{J;h -nim ? l,p'N;h .WN,Mim bw{j yiT.r;m'a
4
for it
comes in
futility and
goes into
obscurity; and its
name is
covered in
obscurity.
w{m.v .$,v{x;b.W .$eley .$,v{x;b.W a'B l,b,h;b -yiK ? h,SUk.y
5
"It
never sees the
sun and it
never knows anything; it is
better off
than he.
h,z'l t;x;n ['d'y a{l.w h'a'r -a{l v,m,v -m;G ? h,Zim
6
"Even
if the other man
lives a
thousand years twice and does not
enjoy good things -do not
all go to
one place?"
a{l h'bw{j.w ~Iy;m][;P ~yin'v @,l,a h'y'x .WLia.w ? .$elw{h l{K;h d'x,a ~w{q'm -l,a a{l]h h'a'r
7
All a
man's labor is for his
mouth and
yet the
appetite is not
satisfied.
a{l v,p,N;h -m;g.w .Whyip.l ~'d'a'h l;m][ -l'K ? ael'Mit
8
For
what advantage does the
wise man have
over the
fool?
What advantage does the
poor man have,
knowing how to
walk before the
living?
yin'[,L -h;m lyis.K;h -nim ~'k'x,l retw{Y -h;m yiK ? ~yiY;x;h d,g,n .${l]h;l ;[edw{y
9
What the
eyes see is
better than what the
soul desires.
This too is
futility and a
striving after
wind.
h,z -m;G v,p'n -.k'l]hem ~Iy;nye[ hea.r;m bw{j ? ;x.Wr t.W[.r.W l,b,h
10
Whatever * exists has
already been
named *, and it is
known what man is; for he
cannot * dispute with him
who is
stronger than he is.
a.Wh -r,v]a ['dw{n.w w{m.v a'r.qin r'b.K h'y'h,V -h;m ? .WN,Mim @yiQ;T;h,v ~i[ !yid'l l;k.Wy -a{l.w ~'d'a
11
For
there are
many words which
increase futility.
What then is the
advantage to a
man?
ret{Y -h;m l,b'h ~yiB.r;m heB.r;h ~yir'b.D -vey yiK ? ~'d'a'l
12
For
who knows what is
good for a
man during his
lifetime, during the
few years of his
futile life? He will
spend them like a
shadow. For
who can
tell a
man what will be
after him
under the
sun?
~yiY;x;B ~'d'a'l bw{J -h;m ;[edw{y -yim yiK ? r,v]a leC;K ~ef][;y.w w{l.b,h yeY;x -yem.y r;P.sim ? t;x;T wy'r]x;a h,y.hiY -h;m ~'d'a'l dyiG;y -yim ? v,m'V;h