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 . Read all of Ecclesiastes 2 ← Ecclesiastes 1 Ecclesiastes 3 → Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 2 American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain
Commentaries