1
Who is like the
wise man and
who knows the
interpretation of a
matter? A
man's wisdom illumines him and causes his
stern face to
beam.
t;m.k'x r'b'D r,veP ;[edw{y yim.W ~'k'x,h.K yim ? a,NUv.y wy'n'P z{[.w wy'n'P ryia'T ~'d'a
2
I say,
"Keep the
command of the
king because * of the
oath before
God.
t;[.Wb.v t;r.biD l;[.w rw{m.v .$,l,m -yiP yin]a ? ~yih{l/a
3
"Do not be in a
hurry to
leave * him. Do not
join in an
evil matter, for he will
do whatever * he
pleases."
r'b'd.B d{m][;T -l;a .$eleT wy'n'Pim leh'BiT -l;a ? h,f][;y #{P.x;y r,v]a -l'K yiK ['r
4
Since the
word of the
king is
authoritative,
who will
say to him,
"What are you
doing?"
w{l -r;ma{y yim.W !w{j.liv .$,l,m -r;b.D r,v]a;B ? h,f][;T -h;m
5
He who
keeps a royal
command experiences no trouble, for a
wise heart knows the proper
time and
procedure.
j'P.vim.W te[.w ['r r'b'D [;dey a{l h'w.cim remw{v ? ~'k'x bel [;dey
6
For
there is a proper
time and
procedure for
every delight,
though a
man's trouble is
heavy upon him.
t;['r -yiK j'P.vim.W te[ vey #,pex -l'k.l yiK ? wy'l'[ h'B;r ~'d'a'h
7
If no one knows what will
happen,
who can
tell him
when it will
happen?
r,v]a;K yiK h,y.hiY,V -h;m ;[ed{y .WN,nyea -yiK ? w{l dyiG;y yim h,y.hIy
8
No man has authority to
restrain the
wind with the
wind, or
authority over the
day of
death; and
there is
no discharge in the
time of
war, and
evil will not
deliver those
who practice it.
;x.Wr'h -t,a aw{l.kil ;x.Wr'B jyiL;v ~'d'a !yea ? t;x;l.vim !yea.w t,w'M;h ~w{y.B !w{j.liv !yea.w ? wy'l'[.B -t,a [;v,r jeL;m.y -a{l.w h'm'x.liM;B
9
All this I have
seen and
applied my
mind to
every deed that has been
done under the
sun wherein a
man has
exercised authority over another
man to his
hurt.
yiBil -t,a !w{t'n.w yityia'r h,z -l'K -t,a ? te[ v,m'V;h t;x;T h'f][;n r,v]a h,f][;m -l'k.l ? w{l [;r.l ~'d'a.B ~'d'a'h j;l'v r,v]a
10
So then, I have
seen the
wicked buried, those who used to
go in and out from the
holy place, and they are soon
forgotten in the
city where they
did thus.
This too is
futility.
~w{q.Mim.W .Wa'b'w ~yirUb.q ~yi['v.r yityia'r !ek.b.W ? .Wf'[ -neK r,v]a ryi['b .Wx.K;T.vIy.w .WkeL;h.y vw{d'q ? l,b'h h,z -m;G
11
Because the
sentence against an
evil deed is not
executed quickly,
therefore * the
hearts of the
sons of
men among them are
given fully to
do evil.
h'reh.m h'['r'h hef][;m ~'g.tip h'f][;n -nyea r,v]a ? tw{f][;l ~,h'B ~'d'a'h -yen.B bel ael'm !eK -l;[ ? ['r
12
Although a
sinner does evil a
hundred times and may
lengthen his life,
still * I
know that it will be
well for those who
fear God,
who fear Him
openly *.
yiK w{l .$yir]a;m.W t;a.m ['r h,f{[ a,j{x r,v]a ? yea.rIy.l bw{J -h,y.hIy r,v]a yin'a ;[edw{y -m;G ? wy'n'p.Lim .Wa.ryIy r,v]a ~yih{l/a'h
13
But it will not be
well for the
evil man and he will not
lengthen his
days like a
shadow,
because he does not
fear God.
~yim'y .$yir]a;y -a{l.w ['v'r'l h,y.hIy -a{l bw{j.w ? ~yih{l/a yen.piLim aer'y .WN,nyea r,v]a leC;K
14
There is
futility which is
done on the
earth, that is,
there are
righteous men to
whom it
happens according to the
deeds of the
wicked. On the other hand,
there are
evil men to
whom it
happens according to the
deeds of the
righteous. I
say that
this too is
futility.
vey r,v]a #,r'a'h -l;[ h'f][;n r,v]a l,b,h -v,y ? ~yi['v.r'h hef][;m.K ~,hel]a ;[yiG;m r,v]a ~yiqyiD;c ? ~yiqyiD;C;h hef][;m.K ~,hel]a ;[yiG;M,v ~yi['v.r vey.w ? l,b'h h,z -m;G,v yiT.r;m'a
15
So I
commended pleasure, for
there is
nothing good for a
man under the
sun except * to
eat and to
drink and to be
merry, and
this will
stand by him in his
toils throughout the
days of his
life which God has
given him
under the
sun.
bw{j -nyea r,v]a h'x.miF;h -t,a yin]a yiT.x;Biv.w ? tw{T.vil.w lw{k/a,l -mia yiK v,m,V;h t;x;T ~'d'a'l ? wy'Y;x yem.y w{l'm][;b .WN,w.lIy a.Wh.w ;xw{m.fil.w ? v,m'V;h t;x;T ~yih{l/a'h w{l -n;t'n -r,v]a
16
When I
gave my
heart to
know wisdom and to
see the
task which has been
done on the
earth (
even though one should
never sleep * * day or
night ),
tw{a.ril.w h'm.k'x t;[;d'l yiBil -t,a yiT;t'n r,v]a;K ? yiK #,r'a'h~wy -l;[ h'f][;n r,v]a !'y.ni['h -t,a ? .WN,nyea wy'nye[.B< h'nev h'l.y;L;b.W ~w{Y;B ~;g ? h,a{r
17
and I
saw every work of
God, I concluded that
man cannot * discover the
work which has been
done under the
sun. Even
though * man should
seek laboriously, he will not
discover; and
though the
wise man should
say, "I
know," he
cannot * discover.
a{l yiK ~yih{l/a'h hef][;m -l'K -t,a yityia'r.w ? h'f][;n r,v]a h,f][;M;h -t,a aw{c.mil ~'d'a'h l;k.Wy ? veQ;b.l ~'d'a'h l{m][;y r,v]a l,v.B v,m,V;h -t;x;t ? t;[;d'l ~'k'x,h r;ma{y -mia ~;g.w a'c.mIy a{l.w ? a{c.mil l;k.Wy a{l