American Standard Version

Ecclesiastes 9

1ForallthisIlaidtomyheartלִבִּי֙li.BiH3820,eventoexploreallthis:thattherighteousהַצַּדִּיקִ֧יםha.tza.di.KimH6662,andthewiseוְהַחֲכָמִ֛יםve.ha.cha.kha.MimH2450,andtheirworks,areinthehandבְּיַ֣דbe.YadH3027ofGodהָאֱלֹהִ֑יםha.'E.lo.HimH430;whetheritbeloveאַהֲבָ֣ה'a.ha.VahH160orhatredשִׂנְאָ֗הsin.'AhH8135,manH120knowethitnot;allisbeforethem.

2Allthingscomealiketoall:thereisoneאֶחָ֜ד'e.ChadH259eventtotherighteousלַצַּדִּ֤יקla.tza.DikH6662andtothewickedוְלָרָשָׁע֙ve.la.ra.Sha'H7563;tothegoodלַטּוֹב֙la.tOvH2896andtothecleanוְלַטָּה֣וֹרve.la.ta.HorH2889andtotheuncleanוְלַטָּמֵ֔אve.la.ta.Me'H2931;tohimthatsacrificethandtohimthatsacrificethnot;asisthegoodכַּטּוֹב֙ka.tOvH2896,soisthesinnerכַּֽחֹטֶ֔אka.cho.Te'H2398;andhethatsweareth,ashethatfearethanoathשְׁבוּעָ֥הshe.vu.'AhH7621.

3Thisisanevilרָ֗עRa'H7451inallthatisdoneunderthesunהַשֶּׁ֔מֶשׁha.She.meshH8121,thatthereisoneאֶחָ֖ד'e.ChadH259event untoall:yeaalsoוְגַ֣םve.GamH1571,theheartלֵ֣בlevH3820ofthesonsH1121ofmenH120isfullH4390ofevilרָ֨עra'H7451,andmadnessוְהוֹלֵל֤וֹתve.ho.le.LotH1947isintheirheartH3820whiletheylive,andafterthattheygotothedeadהַמֵּתִֽים׃ha.me.TimH4191.

4Fortohimthatisjoinedwithallthelivingthereishope;foralivingdogלְכֶ֤לֶבle.Khe.levH3611isbetterט֔וֹבTovH2896thanadeadהַמֵּֽת׃ha.MetH4191lionהָאַרְיֵ֖הha.'ar.YehH738.

5Forthelivingknowיוֹדְעִ֖יםyod.'ImH3045thattheyshalldieשֶׁיָּמֻ֑תוּshei.ya.Mu.tuH4191:butthedeadוְהַמֵּתִ֞יםve.ha.me.TimH4191knowיוֹדְעִ֣יםyod.'ImH3045notanythingמְא֗וּמָהme.'U.mahH3972,neitherhavetheyanymorearewardשָׂכָ֔רsa.KharH7939;forthememoryזִכְרָֽם׃zikh.RamH2143ofthemisforgottenנִשְׁכַּ֖חnish.KachH7911.

6AswellH1571theirloveאַהֲבָתָ֧ם'a.ha.va.TamH160,astheirhatredשִׂנְאָתָ֛םsin.'a.TamH8135andtheirenvyקִנְאָתָ֖םkin.'a.TamH7068,isperishedאָבָ֑דָה'a.Va.dahH6longH5769agoH5769;neitherhavetheyanymoreaportionוְחֵ֨לֶקve.Che.lekH2506foreverלְעוֹלָ֔םle.'o.LamH5769inanythingthatisdoneunderthesunהַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ha.Sha.meshH8121.

7Go thy way,eatאֱכֹ֤ל'e.KholH398thybreadH3899withjoyH8057,anddrinkוּֽשֲׁתֵ֥הu.sha.TehH8354thywineיֵינֶ֑ךָyei.Ne.khaH3196withamerryheartבְלֶב־ve.lev-H3820;forGodהָאֱלֹהִ֖יםha.'E.lo.HimH430hathalreadyכְבָ֔רkhe.VarH3528acceptedH7521thyworksH4639.

8LetthygarmentsH899beיִהְי֥וּyih.YuH1961alwayswhiteלְבָנִ֑יםle.va.NimH3836;andletnotthyheadרֹאשְׁךָ֥ro.she.KhaH7218lackיֶחְסָֽר׃yech.SarH2637oilוְשֶׁ֖מֶןve.She.menH8081.

9Livejoyfullywiththewifeאִשָּׁ֣ה'i.ShahH802whomthou lovestallthedaysיְמֵי֙ye.MeiH3117ofthylifeofvanityH1892,whichhehathgivenH5414theeunderthesunהַשֶּׁ֔מֶשׁha.She.meshH8121,allthydaysיְמֵ֣יye.MeiH3117ofvanityH1892:forthatisthyportionחֶלְקְךָ֙chel.ke.ChaH2506inlife,andinthylaborH5999whereinthou laborestunderthesunהַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ha.Sha.meshH8121.

10Whatsoeverthyhandיָֽדְךָ֛ya.de.KhaH3027findethtodo,doitwiththymight;forthereisnoworkמַעֲשֶׂ֤הma.'a.SehH4639,nordevice,norknowledgeוְדַ֣עַתve.Da.'atH1847,norwisdomוְחָכְמָ֔הve.cha.khe.MahH2451,inSheolבִּשְׁא֕וֹלbish.'olH7585, whither thou goest.

11Ireturnedשַׁ֜בְתִּיShav.tiH7725,andsawH7200underthesunהַשֶּׁ֗מֶשׁha.She.meshH8121,thattheraceisnottotheswiftלַקַּלִּ֨יםla.ka.LimH7031,northebattleהַמִּלְחָמָ֗הha.mil.cha.MahH4421tothestrong,neitheryetbreadH3899tothewiseלַחֲכָמִ֥יםla.cha.kha.MimH2450,noryetrichesH6239tomenH1368ofunderstandingלַנְּבֹנִים֙la.ne.vo.NimH995,noryetfavorחֵ֑ןChenH2580tomenH1368ofskill;buttimeעֵ֥ת'etH6256andchancehappenethtothemall.

12FormanH120alsoגַּם֩gamH1571knowethnothistimeעִתּ֗וֹi.ToH6256:asthefishesthataretakenH270inanevilרָעָ֔הra.'AhH7451net,andasthebirdsוְכַ֨צִּפֳּרִ֔יםve.Khatz.tzi.po.RimH6833thatarecaughtinthesnare,evensoarethesonsH1121ofmenH120snaredinanevilרָעָ֔הra.'AhH7451timeלְעֵ֣תle.'EtH6256,whenitfallethsuddenlyפִּתְאֹֽם׃pit.'OmH6597uponthem.

13Ihavealsoגַּם־gam-H1571seenH7200wisdomחָכְמָ֖הchokh.mahH2451underthesunהַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁha.Sha.meshH8121onthiswise,anditseemedgreatוּגְדוֹלָ֥הu.ge.do.LahH1419untome:

14TherewasalittleH4592cityעִ֣יר'irH5892,andfewמְעָ֑טme.'AtH4592menH376withinit;andtherecameH935agreatגָּדוֹל֙ga.dOlH1419kingמֶ֤לֶךְMe.lekhH4428againstit,andbesiegedit,andbuiltH1129greatגְּדֹלִֽים׃ge.do.LimH1419bulwarksagainstit.

15NowtherewasfoundH4672initapoorמִסְכֵּן֙mis.KenH4542wiseחָכָ֔םcha.KhamH2450manאִ֤ישׁ'ishH376,andhebyhiswisdomבְּחָכְמָת֑וֹbe.cha.khe.ma.ToH2451deliveredוּמִלַּט־u.mi.lat-H4422thecityהָעִ֖ירha.'IrH5892;yetnomanהָאִ֥ישׁha.'IshH376rememberedזָכַ֔רza.KharH2142thatsamepoorהַמִּסְכֵּ֖ןha.mis.KenH4542manH376.

16ThensaidH559I,Wisdomחָכְמָ֖הchokh.mahH2451isbetterטוֹבָ֥הto.VahH2896thanstrengthמִגְּבוּרָ֑הmi.ge.vu.RahH1369: neverthelessthepoorהַמִּסְכֵּן֙ha.mis.KenH4542man’swisdomוְחָכְמַ֤תve.cha.khe.MatH2451isdespisedH959,andhiswordsוּדְבָרָ֖יוu.de.va.RavH1697arenotheardH8085.

17Thewordsדִּבְרֵ֣יdiv.ReiH1697ofthewiseחֲכָמִ֔יםcha.kha.MimH2450heardH8085inquietarebetter thanthecryמִזַּעֲקַ֥תmi.za.'a.KatH2201ofhimthatrulethamongfoolsבַּכְּסִילִֽים׃ba.ke.si.LimH3684.

18Wisdomחָכְמָ֖הchokh.mahH2451isbetterטוֹבָ֥הto.VahH2896thanweaponsמִכְּלֵ֣יmi.ke.LeiH3627ofwarקְרָ֑בke.RavH7128; butoneאֶחָ֔ד'e.ChadH259sinnerוְחוֹטֶ֣אve.cho.Te'H2398destroyethmuchהַרְבֵּֽה׃har.BehH7235goodטוֹבָ֥הto.VahH2896.

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 9

American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain