1 I said H559 in my heart בְּלִבִּ֔י be.li.Bi H3820 , Come now , I will prove thee with mirth ; therefore enjoy pleasure בְשִׂמְחָ֖ה ve.sim.Chah H8057 : and , behold , this also גַם־ gam- H1571 was vanity H1892 . 2 I said H559 of laughter לִשְׂח֖וֹק lis.Chok H7814 , It is mad; and of mirth , What doeth it ? 3 I searched in my heart בְלִבִּ֔י ve.li.Bi H3820 how to cheer my flesh בְּשָׂרִ֑י be.sa.Ri H1320 with wine בַּיַּ֖יִן bai.Ya.yin H3196 , my heart וְלִבִּ֞י ve.li.Bi H3820 yet guiding me with wisdom בַּֽחָכְמָה֙ ba.cha.khe.Mah H2451 , and how to lay hold וְלֶאֱחֹ֣ז ve.le.'e.Choz H270 on folly בְּסִכְל֔וּת be.sikh.Lut H5531 , till I might see H7200 what it was good ט֜וֹב Tov H2896 for the sons H1121 of men H120 that they should do under heaven הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם ha.sha.Ma.yim H8064 all the days יְמֵ֥י ye.Mei H3117 of their life . 4 I made me great הִגְדַּ֖לְתִּי hig.Dal.ti H1431 works מַעֲשָׂ֑י ma.'a.Sai H4639 ; I builded me houses H1004 ; I planted נָטַ֥עְתִּי na.Ta'.ti H5193 me vineyards כְּרָמִֽים׃ ke.ra.Mim H3754 ; 5 I made H6213 me gardens גַּנּ֖וֹת ga.Not H1593 and parks , and I planted וְנָטַ֥עְתִּי ve.na.Ta'.ti H5193 trees עֵ֥ץ 'etz H6086 in them of all kinds of fruit פֶּֽרִי׃ Pe.ri H6529 ; 7 I bought H7069 men-servants and maid-servants, and had servants H5650 born in my house בַ֖יִת Va.yit H1004 ; also גַּ֣ם gam H1571 I had great possessions of herds בָקָ֨ר va.Kar H1241 and flocks וָצֹ֤אן va.Tzon H6629 , above all that were H1961 before me in Jerusalem בִּירוּשָׁלִָֽם׃ bi.ru.sha.Lim H3389 ; 8 I gathered H3664 me also גַּם־ gam- H1571 silver כֶּ֣סֶף Ke.sef H3701 and gold וְזָהָ֔ב ve.za.Hav H2091 , and the treasure וּסְגֻלַּ֥ת u.se.gu.Lat H5459 of kings מְלָכִ֖ים me.la.Khim H4428 and of the provinces H4082 ; I gat me men-singers and women-singers, and the delights of the sons H1121 of men H120 , musical instruments, and that of all sorts. 9 So I was H1961 great וְגָדַ֣לְתִּי ve.ga.Dal.ti H1431 , and increased H3254 more than all that were H1961 before me in Jerusalem בִּירוּשָׁלִָ֑ם bi.ru.sha.Lim H3389 : also אַ֥ף 'af H637 my wisdom חָכְמָתִ֖י cha.khe.ma.Ti H2451 remained with me . 11 Then I looked on all the works מַעֲשַׂי֙ ma.'a.Sai H4639 that my hands יָדַ֔י ya.Dai H3027 had wrought , and on the labor H5999 that I had labored to do ; and , behold , all was vanity H1892 and a striving after wind ר֔וּחַ Ru.ach H7307 , and there was no profit יִתְר֖וֹן yit.Ron H3504 under the sun הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ ha.Sha.mesh H8121 . 12 And I turned וּפָנִ֤יתִֽי u.fa.Ni.ti H6437 myself to behold wisdom חָכְמָ֔ה chokh.mah H2451 , and madness וְהוֹלֵל֖וֹת ve.ho.le.Lot H1947 , and folly וְסִכְל֑וּת ve.sikh.Lut H5531 : for what can the man H120 do that cometh after the king הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ ha.Me.lekh H4428 ? even that which hath been done long ago. 13 Then I saw H7200 that wisdom לַֽחָכְמָ֖ה la.cha.khe.Mah H2451 excelleth folly הַסִּכְל֑וּת ha.sikh.Lut H5531 , as far as light הָא֖וֹר ha.'Or H216 excelleth darkness הַחֹֽשֶׁךְ׃ ha.Cho.shekh H2822 . 14 The wise הֶֽחָכָם֙ he.cha.Kham H2450 man’s eyes עֵינָ֣יו 'ei.Nav H5869 are in his head בְּרֹאשׁ֔וֹ be.ro.Sho H7218 , and the fool וְהַכְּסִ֖יל ve.ha.ke.Sil H3684 walketh in darkness בַּחֹ֣שֶׁךְ ba.Cho.shekh H2822 : and yet I perceived that one אֶחָ֖ד 'e.Chad H259 event happeneth to them all . 15 Then אָ֣ז 'az H227 said H559 I in my heart בְּלִבִּ֗י be.li.Bi H3820 , As it happeneth to the fool הַכְּסִיל֙ ha.ke.Sil H3684 , so will it happen even to me ; and why וְלָ֧מָּה ve.La.mah H4100 was I then H227 more wise חָכַ֛מְתִּי cha.Kham.ti H2449 ? Then H227 said H559 I in my heart בְלִבִּ֔י ve.li.Bi H3820 , that this also H1571 is vanity H1892 . 16 For of the wise לֶחָכָ֛ם le.cha.Kham H2450 man , even as of the fool הַכְּסִ֖יל ha.ke.Sil H3684 , there is no remembrance זִכְר֧וֹן zikh.Ron H2146 for ever H5769 ; seeing that in the days הַיָּמִ֤ים hai.ya.Mim H3117 to come H935 all will have been long forgotten נִשְׁכָּ֔ח nish.Kach H7911 . And how וְאֵ֛יךְ ve.'Eikh H349 doth the wise הֶחָכָ֖ם he.cha.Kham H2450 man die יָמ֥וּת ya.Mut H4191 even as the fool הַכְּסִֽיל׃ ha.ke.Sil H3684 ! 17 So I hated וְשָׂנֵ֙אתִי֙ ve.sa.Ne.ti H8130 life הַ֣חַיִּ֔ים ha.chai.Yim H2416 , because the work הַֽמַּעֲשֶׂ֔ה ha.ma.'a.Seh H4639 that is wrought under the sun הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ ha.Sha.mesh H8121 was grievous unto me ; for all is vanity H1892 and a striving after wind רֽוּחַ׃ Ru.ach H7307 . 18 And I hated וְשָׂנֵ֤אתִֽי ve.sa.Ne.ti H8130 all my labor H5999 wherein I labored under the sun הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ ha.Sha.mesh H8121 , seeing that I must leave it unto the man H120 that shall be שֶׁיִּהְיֶ֥ה shei.yih.Yeh H1961 after me . 19 And who knoweth whether he will be יִהְיֶה֙ yih.Yeh H1961 a wise הֶֽחָכָ֤ם he.cha.Kham H2450 man or a fool סָכָ֔ל sa.Khal H5530 ? yet will he have rule over all my labor H5999 wherein I have labored , and wherein I have showed myself wise H2450 under the sun הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ ha.Sha.mesh H8121 . This also גַּם־ gam- H1571 is vanity H1892 . 20 Therefore I turned וְסַבּ֥וֹתִֽי ve.sa.Bo.ti H5437 about to cause my heart לִבִּ֑י li.Bi H3820 to despair H2976 concerning all the labor H5999 wherein I had labored under the sun הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ ha.Sha.mesh H8121 . 21 For there is a man H120 whose labor H5999 is with wisdom בְּחָכְמָ֥ה be.cha.khe.Mah H2451 , and with knowledge וּבְדַ֖עַת u.ve.Da.'at H1847 , and with skilfulness; yet to a man H120 that hath not labored therein shall he leave it for his portion חֶלְק֔וֹ chel.Ko H2506 . This also גַּם־ gam- H1571 is vanity H1892 and a great רַבָּֽה׃ ra.Bah H7227 evil וְרָעָ֥ה ve.ra.'Ah H7451 . 22 For what hath a man H120 of all his labor H5999 , and of the striving of his heart לִבּ֑וֹ li.Bo H3820 , wherein he laboreth under the sun הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ ha.Sha.mesh H8121 ? 23 For all his days יָמָ֣יו ya.Mav H3117 are but sorrows , and his travail is grief; yea , even in the night בַּלַּ֖יְלָה ba.Lay.lah H3915 his heart לִבּ֑וֹ li.Bo H3820 taketh no rest H7901 . This also H1571 is vanity H1892 . 25 For who can eat יֹאכַ֛ל yo.Khal H398 , or who can have enjoyment, more H4480 than I ? 26 For to the man H120 that pleaseth him God הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים ha.'E.lo.Him H430 giveth wisdom חָכְמָ֥ה chokh.mah H2451 , and knowledge וְדַ֖עַת ve.Da.'at H1847 , and joy וְשִׂמְחָ֑ה ve.sim.Chah H8057 ; but to the sinner וְלַחוֹטֶא֩ ve.la.cho.Te' H2398 he giveth travail, to gather לֶאֱס֣וֹף le.'e.Sof H622 and to heap up , that he may give H5414 to him that pleaseth God H430 . This also גַּם־ gam- H1571 is vanity H1892 and a striving after wind רֽוּחַ׃ Ru.ach H7307 . ← Ecclesiastes 1 Ecclesiastes 3 → Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 2 American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain
Commentaries