American Standard Version

Ecclesiastes 7

1Agoodט֥וֹבTovH2896nameשֵׁ֖םshemH8034isbetterט֑וֹבTovH2896thanpreciousoilH8081;andthedayוְי֣וֹםve.YomH3117ofdeathהַמָּ֔וֶתha.Ma.vetH4194,thanthedayמִיּ֖וֹםmi.YomH3117ofone’sbirthH3205.

2Itisbetterט֞וֹבTovH2896togotothehouseבֵּֽית־beit-H1004ofmourningאֵ֗בֶל'E.velH60thantogotothehouseבֵּ֣יתbeitH1004offeastingמִשְׁתֶּ֔הmish.TehH4960:forthatistheendס֣וֹףSofH5490ofallmenH120;andthelivingwilllayittohisheartלִבּֽוֹ׃li.BoH3820.

3Sorrowisbetterט֥וֹבTovH2896thanlaughterמִשְּׂחֹ֑קmi.se.ChokH7814;forbythesadnessבְרֹ֥עַve.Ro.a'H7455ofthecountenancetheheartלֵֽב׃LevH3820ismadeH3190glad.

4Theheartלֵ֤בlevH3820ofthewiseחֲכָמִים֙cha.kha.MimH2450isinthehouseבְּבֵ֣יתbe.VeitH1004ofmourningאֵ֔בֶל'E.velH60;buttheheartוְלֵ֥בve.LevH3820offoolsכְּסִילִ֖יםke.si.LimH3684isinthehouseבְּבֵ֥יתbe.VeitH1004ofmirth.

5Itisbetterט֕וֹבTovH2896tohearH8085therebukeגַּעֲרַ֣תga.'a.RatH1606ofthewiseחָכָ֑םcha.KhamH2450,thanforamanH376tohearH8085thesongשִׁ֥ירshirH7892offoolsכְּסִילִֽים׃ke.si.LimH3684.

6ForasthecracklingofthornsunderapotH5518,soכֵּ֖ןkenH3651isthelaughterשְׂחֹ֣קse.ChokH7814ofthefoolהַכְּסִ֑ילha.ke.SilH3684:thisalsoוְגַם־ve.gam-H1571isvanityH1892.

7SurelyextortionH6233makeththewiseחָכָ֑םcha.KhamH2450manfoolish;andabribedestroyeththeunderstanding.

8Betteristheendאַחֲרִ֥ית'a.cha.RitH319ofathingH1697thanthebeginningthereof;andthepatientinspiritר֖וּחַRu.achH7307isbetterH2896thantheproudinspiritרֽוּחַ׃Ru.achH7307.

9Benothastyinthyspiritבְּרֽוּחֲךָ֖be.ru.cha.KhaH7307tobeangryלִכְע֑וֹסlikh.'osH3707;forangerH3707restethinthebosomבְּחֵ֥יקbe.CheikH2436offoolsכְּסִילִ֖יםke.si.LimH3684.

10Sayתֹּאמַר֙to.MarH559notthou,Whatisthecausethattheformerהָרִ֣אשֹׁנִ֔יםha.Ri.sho.NimH7223daysשֶׁ֤הַיָּמִים֙she.hai.ya.mimH3117wereH1961betterטוֹבִ֖יםto.VimH2896thanthese?forthou dostnotinquirewiselyconcerningthis.

11Wisdomחָכְמָ֖הchokh.mahH2451isasgoodטוֹבָ֥הto.VahH2896asaninheritanceנַחֲלָ֑הna.cha.LahH5159; yea,moreexcellentisitforthemthatseeלְרֹאֵ֥יle.ro.'EiH7200thesunהַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ha.Sha.meshH8121.

12Forwisdomהַֽחָכְמָ֖הha.cha.khe.MahH2451isadefence,evenasmoneyהַכָּ֑סֶףha.Ka.sefH3701isadefence;buttheexcellencyofknowledgeדַּ֔עַתDa.'atH1847is,thatwisdomהַֽחָכְמָ֖הha.cha.khe.MahH2451preserveththelifeH2421ofhimthathathit.

13Considerרְאֵ֖הre.'EhH7200theworkמַעֲשֵׂ֣הma.'a.SehH4639ofGodהָאֱלֹהִ֑יםha.'E.lo.HimH430:forwhocanmakethatstraight,whichhehathmadecrooked?

14Inthedayבְּי֤וֹםbe.YomH3117ofprosperitybeהֱיֵ֣הhe.YehH1961joyful,andinthedayוּבְי֥וֹםu.ve.YomH3117ofadversityconsiderרְאֵ֑הre.'EhH7200; yea,Godהָֽאֱלֹהִ֔יםha.'E.lo.HimH430hathmadeH6213theoneH2088sidebysidewiththeother,totheendthatmanH120shouldnotfindיִמְצָ֧אyim.Tza'H4672outanythingמְאֽוּמָה׃me.'U.mahH3972thatshallbeH1961afterhim.

15AllthishaveIseenH7200inmydaysבִּימֵ֣יbi.MeiH3117ofvanityH1892:thereisarighteousצַדִּיק֙tza.DikH6662manthatperishethinhisrighteousnessבְּצִדְק֔וֹbe.tzid.KoH6664,andthereisawickedרָשָׁ֔עra.Sha'H7563manthatprolongethhislifeinhisevil-doing.

16Beתְּהִ֤יte.HiH1961notrighteousצַדִּיק֙tza.DikH6662overmuch;neithermakeH8074thyself overwise:whyלָ֖מָּהLa.mahH4100shouldest thoudestroythyself?

17Beתְּהִ֣יte.HiH1961notovermuchwicked,neitherbeH1961thoufoolish:whyלָ֥מָּהLa.mahH4100shouldest thoudieתָמ֖וּתta.MutH4191beforethytimeעִתֶּֽךָ׃'i.Te.khaH6256?

18Itisgoodט֚וֹבTovH2896thatthou shouldesttakeתֶּאֱחֹ֣זte.'e.ChozH270holdH270ofthis;yea,alsoוְגַם־ve.gam-H1571fromthatwithdrawnotthyhandיָדֶ֑ךָya.De.khaH3027:forhethatfearethGodאֱלֹהִ֖ים'E.lo.HimH430shallcomeH3318forthH3318fromthemall.

19Wisdomהַֽחָכְמָ֖הha.cha.khe.MahH2451isastrengthtothewiseלֶחָכָ֑םle.cha.KhamH2450manmore thantenמֵֽעֲשָׂרָה֙me.'a.sa.RahH6235rulersH7989thatareinacityבָּעִֽיר׃ba.'IrH5892.

20Surelythereisnotarighteousצַדִּ֖יקtza.DikH6662manH120uponearthבָּאָ֑רֶץba.'A.retzH776,thatdoethgoodטּ֖וֹבTovH2896,andsinnethnot.

21Alsoגַּ֤םgamH1571takenotheeduntoallwordsהַדְּבָרִים֙ha.de.va.RimH1697thatarespokenH1696, lest thouhearתִשְׁמַ֥עtish.Ma'H8085thyservantעַבְדְּךָ֖'av.de.KhaH5650curseH7043thee;

22foroftentimesalsoH1571thine ownheartלִבֶּ֑ךָli.Be.khaH3820knoweththatthou thyselflikewisehastcursedH7043othersאֲחֵרִֽים׃'a.che.RimH312.

23AllthishaveIprovedinwisdomבַֽחָכְמָ֑הva.cha.khe.MahH2451:IsaidH559,Iwillbewiseאֶחְכָּ֔מָה'ech.Ka.mahH2449;butitwasfarרְחוֹקָ֥הre.cho.KahH7350fromme.

24Thatwhichis,isfarרָח֖וֹקra.ChokH7350offandexceedingdeepH6013;whocanfindיִמְצָאֶֽנּוּ׃yim.tza.'E.nuH4672itout?

25Iturnedסַבּ֨וֹתִֽיsa.Bo.tiH5437about,andmyheartוְלִבִּי֙ve.li.BiH3820wassettoknowלָדַ֣עַתla.Da.'atH3045andtosearchH1245out,andtoseekוּבַקֵּ֥שׁu.va.KeshH1245wisdomחָכְמָ֖הchokh.mahH2451andthereasonofthings,andtoknowוְלָדַ֙עַת֙ve.la.Da.'atH3045thatwickednessרֶ֣שַׁעRe.sha'H7562isfollyוְהַסִּכְל֖וּתve.ha.sikh.LutH5531,andthatfoolishnessismadnessהוֹלֵלֽוֹת׃ho.le.LotH1947.

26AndIfindוּמוֹצֶ֨אu.mo.Tze'H4672moreH4480bitterמַ֣רmarH4751thandeathמִמָּ֗וֶתmi.Ma.vetH4194thewomanהָֽאִשָּׁה֙ha.'i.ShahH802whoseheartלִבָּ֖הּli.BahH3820issnaresandnetsוַחֲרָמִ֛יםva.cha.ra.MimH2764,andwhosehandsיָדֶ֑יהָya.Dei.haH3027arebands: whoso pleasethGodהָאֱלֹהִים֙ha.'E.lo.HimH430shallescapeH4422fromher;butthesinnerוְחוֹטֵ֖אve.cho.Te'H2398shallbetakenH3920byher.

27Behold,thishaveIfoundH4672, saiththePreacher, layingoneH259thingtoanother,tofindH4672outtheaccount;

28whichmysoulH5315stillH5750seeketh,butIhavenotfoundH4672:oneאֶחָ֤ד'e.ChadH259manאָדָ֞ם'a.DamH120amongathousandמֵאֶ֙לֶף֙me.'E.lefH505haveIfoundH4672;butawomanוְאִשָּׁ֥הve.'i.ShahH802amongallthosehaveInotfoundH4672.

29Behold,thisonlyלְבַד֙le.VadH905haveIfoundH4672:thatGodהָאֱלֹהִ֛יםha.'E.lo.HimH430madeH6213manH120uprightיָשָׁ֑רya.SharH3477;buttheyhavesoughtH1245outmanyרַבִּֽים׃ra.BimH7227inventions.

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 7

American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain