The Bible in Basic English BBE
Orthodox Jewish Bible OJB
1 Let your mind be turned to your Maker in the days of your strength, while the evil days come not, and the years are far away when you will say, I have no pleasure in them;
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2 Remember now thy Bo’re (Creator) in the yamim of thy bechurot, while the yamei hara’ah come not, nor the shanim draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no chefetz (pleasure) in them;
2 While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, are not dark, and the clouds come not back after the rain;
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While the shemesh, or the ohr, or the yarei’ach, or the kokhavim, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain;
3 In the day when the keepers of the house are shaking for fear, and the strong men are bent down, and the women who were crushing the grain are at rest because their number is small, and those looking out of the windows are unable to see;
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In the yom when the shomrei habayit shall tremble, and the strong men shall stoop, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows grow dim,
4 When the doors are shut in the street, and the sound of the crushing is low, and the voice of the bird is soft, and the daughters of music will be made low;
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And the delatayim (doors) shall be shut in the street, when the sound of the grinding fades, and he shall arise at the sound of a tzipor (bird), and all their banot hashir (daughters of song) are brought low;
5 And he is in fear of that which is high, and danger is in the road, and the tree is white with flower, and the least thing is a weight, and desire is at an end, because man goes to his last resting-place, and those who are sorrowing are in the streets;
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Also when they shall be afraid of height, and fears shall be in the derech, and the almond tree shall blossom, and the grasshopper drags himself along, and desire shall fail; because haAdam goeth to his bais olam (eternal home), and the mourners go about the streets;
6 Before ever the silver cord is cut, or the vessel of gold is broken, or the pot is broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the water-hole;
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Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the bor (cistern).
7 And the dust goes back to the earth as it was, and the spirit goes back to God who gave it.
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Then shall the aphar return to ha’aretz as it was; and the ruach shall return unto HaElohim who gave it.
8 All things are to no purpose, says the Preacher, all is to no purpose.
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Hevel havalim, saith Kohelet; all is hevel.
9 And because the Preacher was wise he still gave the people knowledge; searching out, testing, and putting in order a great number of wise sayings.
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And moreover, because Kohelet was chacham, he taught the people da’as; yea, he applied, and searched out, and set in order many meshalim (proverbs).
10 The Preacher made search for words which were pleasing, but his writing was in words upright and true.
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Kohelet searched to find out divrei chefetz; and that which was written was yosher, even divrei emes.
11 The words of the wise are pointed, and sayings grouped together are like nails fixed with a hammer; they are given by one guide.
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Divrei chachamim are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings that are given by Ro’eh Echad (One Shepherd).
12 And further, my son, take note of this: of the making of books there is no end, and much learning is a weariness to the flesh.
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And further, by these, beni, be admonished; of making many sefarim there is no ketz; and much study is a weariness of the basar.
13 This is the last word. All has been said. Have fear of God and keep his laws; because this is right for every man.
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Let us hear the sof (conclusion) of the whole matter; Fear HaElohim, and of His commandments be shomer mitzvot; for this is the whole duty of haAdam.
14 God will be judge of every work, with every secret thing, good or evil.
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For HaElohim shall bring kol ma’aseh (every work) into mishpat (judgment), with every ne’lam (secret thing, concealed thing), whether it be tov (good), or whether it be rah (evil).
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.
The Orthodox Jewish Bible fourth edition, OJB. Copyright 2002,2003,2008,2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International. All rights reserved.