American Standard Version

Ecclesiastes 2:12-23

12AndIturnedוּפָנִ֤יתִֽיu.fa.Ni.tiH6437myselftobeholdwisdomחָכְמָ֔הchokh.mahH2451,andmadnessוְהוֹלֵל֖וֹתve.ho.le.LotH1947,andfollyוְסִכְל֑וּתve.sikh.LutH5531:forwhatcanthemanH120dothatcomethafterthekingהַמֶּ֔לֶךְha.Me.lekhH4428?eventhatwhichhathbeendonelongago.

13ThenIsawH7200thatwisdomלַֽחָכְמָ֖הla.cha.khe.MahH2451excellethfollyהַסִּכְל֑וּתha.sikh.LutH5531,asfaraslightהָא֖וֹרha.'OrH216excellethdarknessהַחֹֽשֶׁךְ׃ha.Cho.shekhH2822.

14Thewiseהֶֽחָכָם֙he.cha.KhamH2450man’seyesעֵינָ֣יו'ei.NavH5869areinhisheadבְּרֹאשׁ֔וֹbe.ro.ShoH7218,andthefoolוְהַכְּסִ֖ילve.ha.ke.SilH3684walkethindarknessבַּחֹ֣שֶׁךְba.Cho.shekhH2822:andyetIperceivedthatoneאֶחָ֖ד'e.ChadH259event happenethtothemall.

15Thenאָ֣ז'azH227saidH559Iinmyheartבְּלִבִּ֗יbe.li.BiH3820,Asithappenethtothefoolהַכְּסִיל֙ha.ke.SilH3684,sowillithappeneventome;andwhyוְלָ֧מָּהve.La.mahH4100wasIthenH227morewiseחָכַ֛מְתִּיcha.Kham.tiH2449?ThenH227saidH559Iinmyheartבְלִבִּ֔יve.li.BiH3820,thatthisalsoH1571isvanityH1892.

16Forofthewiseלֶחָכָ֛םle.cha.KhamH2450man,evenasofthefoolהַכְּסִ֖ילha.ke.SilH3684,thereisnoremembranceזִכְר֧וֹןzikh.RonH2146foreverH5769;seeingthatinthedaysהַיָּמִ֤יםhai.ya.MimH3117tocomeH935allwillhavebeenlongforgottenנִשְׁכָּ֔חnish.KachH7911.Andhowוְאֵ֛יךְve.'EikhH349doththewiseהֶחָכָ֖םhe.cha.KhamH2450mandieיָמ֥וּתya.MutH4191evenasthefoolהַכְּסִֽיל׃ha.ke.SilH3684!

17SoIhatedוְשָׂנֵ֙אתִי֙ve.sa.Ne.tiH8130lifeהַ֣חַיִּ֔יםha.chai.YimH2416,becausetheworkהַֽמַּעֲשֶׂ֔הha.ma.'a.SehH4639thatiswroughtunderthesunהַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁha.Sha.meshH8121wasgrievous untome;forallisvanityH1892andastrivingafterwindרֽוּחַ׃Ru.achH7307.

18AndIhatedוְשָׂנֵ֤אתִֽיve.sa.Ne.tiH8130allmylaborH5999whereinIlaboredunderthesunהַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁha.Sha.meshH8121, seeingthatImustleaveituntothemanH120thatshallbeשֶׁיִּהְיֶ֥הshei.yih.YehH1961afterme.

19Andwhoknowethwhetherhewillbeיִהְיֶה֙yih.YehH1961awiseהֶֽחָכָ֤םhe.cha.KhamH2450manorafoolסָכָ֔לsa.KhalH5530?yetwillhehaveruleoverallmylaborH5999whereinIhavelabored,andwhereinIhaveshowedmyselfwiseH2450underthesunהַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁha.Sha.meshH8121.Thisalsoגַּם־gam-H1571isvanityH1892.

20ThereforeIturnedוְסַבּ֥וֹתִֽיve.sa.Bo.tiH5437abouttocausemyheartלִבִּ֑יli.BiH3820todespairH2976concerningallthelaborH5999whereinIhadlaboredunderthesunהַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ha.Sha.meshH8121.

21ForthereisamanH120whoselaborH5999iswithwisdomבְּחָכְמָ֥הbe.cha.khe.MahH2451,andwithknowledgeוּבְדַ֖עַתu.ve.Da.'atH1847,andwithskilfulness;yettoamanH120thathathnotlaboredthereinshallheleaveitforhisportionחֶלְק֔וֹchel.KoH2506.Thisalsoגַּם־gam-H1571isvanityH1892andagreatרַבָּֽה׃ra.BahH7227evilוְרָעָ֥הve.ra.'AhH7451.

22ForwhathathamanH120ofallhislaborH5999,andofthestrivingofhisheartלִבּ֑וֹli.BoH3820, whereinhelaborethunderthesunהַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ha.Sha.meshH8121?

23Forallhisdaysיָמָ֣יוya.MavH3117arebutsorrows,andhistravailisgrief;yea,eveninthenightבַּלַּ֖יְלָהba.Lay.lahH3915hisheartלִבּ֑וֹli.BoH3820takethnorestH7901.ThisalsoH1571isvanityH1892.

Read all of Ecclesiastes 2

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 2

American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain