1
For I have
taken all this to my
heart and
explain it that
righteous men,
wise men, and their
deeds are in the
hand of
God.
Man does not
know whether it will be
love or hatred;
anything awaits him.
r.Wb'l.w yiBil -l,a yiT;t'n h,z -l'K -t,a yiK ? ~yim'k]x;h.w ~yiqyiD;C;h r,v]a h,z -l'K -t,a ? h'a.nif -m;g h'b]h;a -m;G ~yih{l/a'h d;y.B ~,hyed'b][;w ? ~,hyen.pil l{K;h ~'d'a'h ;[edw{y !yea
2
It is the
same for
all. There is
one fate for the
righteous and for the
wicked; for the
good, for the
clean and for the
unclean; for the man who
offers a
sacrifice and for the one
who does not
sacrifice. As the
good man is, so is the
sinner; as the
swearer is, so is the one who is
afraid to
swear.
['v'r'l.w qyiD;C;l d'x,a h,r.qim l{K;l r,v]a;K l{K;h ? .WN,nyea r,v]a;l.w ;xeb{Z;l.w aem'J;l.w rw{h'J;l.w bw{J;l ? h'[.Wb.v r,v]a;K ['B.viN;h a,j{x;K bw{J;K ;xeb{z ? aer'y
3
This is an
evil in
all that is
done under the
sun, that there is
one fate for
all men.
Furthermore, the
hearts of the
sons of
men are
full of
evil and
insanity is in their
hearts throughout their
lives.
Afterwards they go to the
dead.
-yiK v,m,V;h t;x;T h'f][;n -r,v]a l{k.B ['r h,z ? -ael'm ~'d'a'h -yen.B bel ~;g.w l{K;l d'x,a h,r.qim ? ~yiteM;h -l,a wy'r]x;a.w ~,hyeY;x.B ~'b'b.liB tw{lelw{h.w ['r
4
For
whoever * is
joined with
all the
living,
there is
hope;
surely a
live dog is
better than a
dead lion.
vey ~yiY;x;h -l'K l,a rex'BIy r,v]a yim -yiK ? hey.r;a'h -nim bw{j a.Wh y;x b,l,k.l -yiK !w{x'JiB ? teM;h
5
For the
living know they will
die; but the
dead do not
know anything,
nor have they
any longer a
reward, for their
memory is
forgotten.
~'nyea ~yiteM;h.w .WtUm'Y,v ~yi[.dw{y ~yiY;x;h yiK ? r'k'f ~,h'l dw{[ -nyea.w h'm.Wa.m ~yi[.dw{y ? ~'r.kiz x;K.vin yiK
6
Indeed their
love, their
hate and their
zeal have
already perished, and they will
no longer have a
share in
all that is
done under the
sun.
r'b.K ~'t'a.niq -m;G ~'t'a.nif -m;G ~'t'b]h;a ~;G ? l{k.B ~'lw{[.l dw{[ ~,h'l -nyea q,lex.w h'd'b'a ? v,m'V;h t;x;T h'f][;n -r,v]a
7
Go then,
eat your
bread in
happiness and
drink your
wine with a
cheerful heart; for
God has
already approved your
works.
bw{j -b,l.b het]v.W '$,m.x;l h'x.mif.B l{k/a .$el ? '$y,f][;m -t,a ~yih{l/a'h h'c'r r'b.k yiK '$,nyey
8
Let your
clothes be
white all the
time, and let not
oil be
lacking on your
head.
'$.va{r -l;[ !,m,v.w ~yin'b.l '$y,d'g.b .Wy.hIy te[ -l'k.B ? r's.x,y -l;a
9
Enjoy life with the
woman whom you
love all the
days of your
fleeting life which He has
given to you
under the
sun ; for
this is your
reward in
life and in your
toil in
which you have
labored under the
sun.
yem.y -l'K 'T.b;h'a -r,v]a h'Via -mi[ ~yiY;x hea.r ? l{K v,m,V;h t;x;T '$.l -n;t'n r,v]a '$,l.b,h yeY;x ? '$.l'm][;b.W ~yiY;x;B '$.q.l,x a.Wh yiK '$,l.b,h yem.y ? v,m'V;h t;x;T lem'[ h'T;a -r,v]a
10
Whatever * your
hand finds to
do,
do it with all your
might; for
there is
no activity or
planning or
knowledge or
wisdom in
Sheol where * you are
going.
hef][ '$]x{k.B tw{f][;l '$.d'y a'c.miT r,v]a l{K ? lw{a.viB h'm.k'x.w t;[;d.w !w{B.v,x.w h,f][;m !yea yiK ? h'M'v .$el{h h'T;a r,v]a
11
I
again saw under the
sun that the
race is not to the
swift and the
battle is not to the
warriors, and
neither * is
bread to the
wise nor * wealth to the
discerning nor * favor to men of
ability; for
time and
chance overtake them
all.
a{l yiK v,m,V;h -t;x;t h{a'r.w yiT.b;v ? ~;g.w h'm'x.liM;h ~yirw{BiG;l a{l.w #w{reM;h ~yiL;Q;l ? r,v{[ ~yin{b.N;l a{l ~;g.w ~,x,l ~yim'k]x;l a{l ? ~'LUK -t,a h,r.qIy [;g,p'w te[ -yiK !ex ~yi[.d{Y;l a{l ~;g.w
12
Moreover *,
man does not
know his
time: like
fish caught in a
treacherous net and
birds trapped in a
snare, so the
sons of
men are
ensnared at an
evil time when it
suddenly falls on them.
~yig'D;K w{Ti[ -t,a ~'d'a'h [;dey -a{l ~;G yiK ? tw{zUx]a'h ~yir\PiC;k.w h'['r h'dw{c.miB ~yiz'x/a,N,v ? h'['r te[.l ~'d'a'h yen.B ~yiv'q.Wy ~eh'K x'P;B ? ~{a.tiP ~,hyel][ lw{PiT,v.K
13
Also this I came to
see as
wisdom under the
sun, and it
impressed me.
h'lw{d.g.W v,m'V;h t;x;T h'm.k'x yityia'r h{z -m;G ? y'lea ayih
14
There was a
small city with
few men in it and a
great king came to it,
surrounded it and
constructed large siegeworks against it.
'hy,lea -a'b.W j'[.m H'B ~yiv'n]a;w h'N;j.q ryi[ ? ~yidw{c.m 'hy,l'[ h'n'b.W H't{a b;b's.w lw{d'G .$,l,m ? ~yil{d.G
15
But there was
found in it a
poor wise man and he
delivered the
city by his
wisdom. Yet
no one remembered that
poor man.
a.Wh -j;Lim.W ~'k'x !eK.sim vyia H'b a'c'm.W ? vyia'h -t,a r;k'z a{l ~'d'a.w w{t'm.k'x.B ryi['h -t,a ? a.Wh;h !eK.siM;h
16
So I
said,
"Wisdom is
better than strength." But the
wisdom of the
poor man is
despised and his
words are not
heeded.
t;m.k'x.w h'r.Wb.Gim h'm.k'x h'bw{j yin'a yiT.r;m'a.w ? ~yi['m.vin ~'nyea wy'r'b.d.W h'y.Wz.B !eK.siM;h
17
The
words of the
wise heard in
quietness are better
than the
shouting of a
ruler among
fools.
levw{m t;q][;Zim ~yi['m.vin t;x;n.B ~yim'k]x yer.biD ? ~yilyis.K;B
18
Wisdom is
better than weapons of
war, but
one sinner destroys much good.
deB;a.y d'x,a a,jw{x.w b'r.q yel.Kim h'm.k'x h'bw{j ? heB.r;h h'bw{j