Berean Standard Bible

Ecclesiastes 10

1As deadמָ֔וֶתMa.vetH4194fliesזְב֣וּבֵיze.Vu.veiH2070bringיַבִּ֖יעַya.Bi.a'H5042a stenchיַבְאִ֥ישׁyav.'IshH887to the perfumer’sרוֹקֵ֑חַro.Ke.achH7543oilשֶׁ֣מֶןShe.menH8081,so a littleמְעָֽט׃me.'AtH4592follyסִכְל֥וּתsikh.LutH5531outweighsיָקָ֛רya.KarH3368wisdomמֵחָכְמָ֥הme.cha.khe.MahH2451and honorמִכָּב֖וֹדmi.ka.VodH3519.

2A wise man’sחָכָם֙cha.KhamH2450heartלֵ֤בlevH3820inclines to the rightלִֽימִינ֔וֹli.mi.NoH3225,but the heartוְלֵ֥בve.LevH3820of a foolכְּסִ֖ילke.SilH3684to the leftלִשְׂמֹאלֽוֹ׃lis.mo.LoH8040.

3Evenוְגַם־ve.gam-H1571as the foolכְּשֶׁסָּכָ֥לke.she.sa.khalH5530walksהֹלֵ֖ךְho.LekhH1980along the roadבַּדֶּ֛רֶךְba.De.rekhH1870,his senseלִבּ֣וֹli.BoH3820is lackingH2638,and he showsוְאָמַ֥רve.'a.MarH559everyoneלַכֹּ֖לla.KolH3605that heהֽוּא׃Hu'H1931is a foolסָכָ֥לsa.KhalH5530.

4Ifאִם־'im-H518the ruler’sהַמּוֹשֵׁל֙ha.mo.ShelH4910temperר֤וּחַRu.achH7307flaresתַּעֲלֶ֣הta.'a.LehH5927against youעָלֶ֔יךָ'a.Lei.khaH5921,do notאַל־'al-H408abandonתַּנַּ֑חta.NachH5117your postמְקוֹמְךָ֖me.kom.ChaH4725,forכִּ֣יkiH3588calmnessמַרְפֵּ֔אmar.Pe'H4832lays greatגְּדוֹלִֽים׃ge.do.LimH1419offensesחֲטָאִ֥יםcha.ta.'ImH2399to restיַנִּ֖יחַya.Ni.achH5117.

5There isיֵ֣שׁyeshH3426an evilרָעָ֔הra.'AhH7451I have seenרָאִ֖יתִיra.'I.tiH7200underתַּ֣חַתTa.chatH8478the sunהַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁha.Sha.meshH8121—an errorכִּשְׁגָגָ֕הkish.ga.GahH7684that proceedsשֶׁיֹּצָ֖אshei.yo.Tza'H3318fromמִלִּפְנֵ֥יmi.lif.NeiH6440the rulerהַשַּׁלִּֽיט׃ha.sha.LitH7989:

6Follyהַסֶּ֔כֶלha.Se.khelH5529is appointedנִתַּ֣ןni.TanH5414to greatרַבִּ֑יםra.BimH7227heightsבַּמְּרוֹמִ֖יםba.me.ro.MimH4791,but the richוַעֲשִׁירִ֖יםva.'a.shi.RimH6223sitיֵשֵֽׁבוּ׃ye.She.vuH3427in lowly positionsבַּשֵּׁ֥פֶלba.She.felH8216.

7I have seenרָאִ֥יתִיra.'I.tiH7200slavesעֲבָדִ֖ים'a.va.DimH5650onעַל־'al-H5921horsebackסוּסִ֑יםsu.SimH5483,while princesוְשָׂרִ֛יםve.sa.RimH8269goהֹלְכִ֥יםho.le.KhimH1980onעַל־'al-H5921footהָאָֽרֶץ׃ha.'A.retzH776like slavesכַּעֲבָדִ֖יםka.'a.va.DimH5650.

8He who digsחֹפֵ֥רcho.FerH2658a pitגּוּמָּ֖ץgu.MatzH1475may fallיִפּ֑וֹלyi.PolH5307into it,and he who breachesוּפֹרֵ֥ץu.fo.RetzH6555a wallגָּדֵ֖רga.DerH1447may be bittenיִשְּׁכֶ֥נּוּyi.she.Khe.nuH5391by a snakeנָחָֽשׁ׃na.ChashH5175.

9The one who quarriesמַסִּ֣יעַma.Si.a'H5265stonesאֲבָנִ֔ים'a.va.NimH68may be injuredיֵעָצֵ֖בye.'a.TzevH6087by them,and he who splitsבּוֹקֵ֥עַbo.Ke.a'H1234logsעֵצִ֖ים'e.TzimH6086endangers himselfיִסָּ֥כֶןyi.Sa.khenH5533.

10Ifאִם־'im-H518the axeהַבַּרְזֶ֗לha.bar.ZelH1270is dullקֵהָ֣הke.HahH6949andוְהוּא֙ve.Hu'H1931the bladeפָנִ֣יםfa.NimH6440unsharpenedלֹא־ קִלְקַ֔לlo'- kil.KalH3808 H7043,more strengthוַחֲיָלִ֖יםva.cha.ya.LimH2428must be exertedיְגַבֵּ֑רye.ga.BerH1396,but skillחָכְמָֽה׃chokh.mahH2451producesוְיִתְר֥וֹןve.yit.RonH3504successהַכְשֵׁ֖רhakh.SheirH3787.

11Ifאִם־'im-H518the snakeהַנָּחָ֖שׁha.na.ChashH5175bitesיִשֹּׁ֥ךְyi.ShokhH5391beforeבְּלוֹא־be.lo'-H3808it is charmedלָ֑חַשׁLa.chashH3908,there is noוְאֵ֣יןve.'EinH369profitיִתְר֔וֹןyit.RonH3504for the charmerלְבַ֖עַל הַלָּשֽׁוֹן׃le.Va.'al ha.la.ShonH1167 H3956.

12The wordsדִּבְרֵ֥יdiv.ReiH1697of a wise man’sחָכָ֖םcha.KhamH2450mouthפִי־fi-H6310are graciousחֵ֑ןChenH2580,but the lipsוְשִׂפְת֥וֹתve.sif.TotH8193of a foolכְּסִ֖ילke.SilH3684consume himתְּבַלְּעֶֽנּוּ׃te.val.le.'E.nuH1104.

13The beginningתְּחִלַּ֥תte.chi.LatH8462of his talkדִּבְרֵי־ פִ֖יהוּdiv.rei- Fi.huH1697 H6310is follyסִכְל֑וּתsikh.LutH5531,and the endוְאַחֲרִ֣יתve.'a.cha.RitH319of his speechפִּ֔יהוּPi.huH6310is evilרָעָֽה׃ra.'AhH7451madnessהוֹלֵל֖וּתho.le.LutH1948.

14Yet the foolוְהַסָּכָ֖לve.ha.sa.KhalH5530multipliesיַרְבֶּ֣הyar.BehH7235wordsדְבָרִ֑יםde.va.RimH1697.Noלֹא־lo'-H3808oneהָאָדָם֙ha.'a.DamH120knowsיֵדַ֤עye.Da'H3045whatמַה־mah-H4100is comingשֶׁיִּֽהְיֶ֔הshei.yih.YehH1961,and whoמִ֖יmiH4310can tellיַגִּ֥ידya.GidH5046himwhatוַאֲשֶׁ֤רva.'a.SherH834will comeיִֽהְיֶה֙yih.YehH1961after himמֵֽאַחֲרָ֔יוme.'a.cha.RavH310?

15The toilעֲמַ֥ל'a.MalH5999of a foolהַכְּסִילִ֖יםha.ke.si.LimH3684wearies himתְּיַגְּעֶ֑נּוּte.yag.ge.'E.nuH3021,forאֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.SherH834he does notלֹֽא־lo'-H3808knowיָדַ֖עya.Da'H3045the wayלָלֶ֥כֶתla.Le.khetH1980toאֶל־'el-H413the cityעִֽיר׃'IrH5892.

16Woeאִֽי־'i-H337to you,O landאֶ֔רֶץ'E.retzH776whose kingשֶׁמַּלְכֵּ֖ךְshe.mal.KekhH4428is a youthנָ֑עַרNa.'arH5288,and whose princesוְשָׂרַ֖יִךְve.sa.Ra.yikhH8269feastיֹאכֵֽלוּ׃yo.Khe.luH398in the morningבַּבֹּ֥קֶרba.Bo.kerH1242.

17Blessed are youאַשְׁרֵ֣יךְ'ash.ReikhH835,O landאֶ֔רֶץ'E.retzH776whose kingשֶׁמַּלְכֵּ֖ךְshe.mal.KekhH4428is a sonבֶּן־ben-H1121of noblesחוֹרִ֑יםcho.RimH2715,and whose princesוְשָׂרַ֙יִךְ֙ve.sa.Ra.yikhH8269feastיֹאכֵ֔לוּyo.Khe.luH398at the proper timeבָּעֵ֣תba.'EtH6256—for strengthבִּגְבוּרָ֖הbig.vu.RahH1369and notוְלֹ֥אve.Lo'H3808for drunkennessבַשְּׁתִֽי׃va.she.TiH8358.

18Through lazinessבַּעֲצַלְתַּ֖יִםba.'a.tzal.Ta.yimH6103the roofהַמְּקָרֶ֑הha.me.ka.RehH4746caves inיִמַּ֣ךְyi.MakhH4355,and in the handsיָדַ֖יִםya.Da.yimH3027of the idleוּבְשִׁפְל֥וּתu.ve.shif.LutH8220,the houseהַבָּֽיִת׃ha.Ba.yitH1004leaksיִדְלֹ֥ףyid.LofH1811.

19A feastלֶ֔חֶםLe.chemH3899is preparedעֹשִׂ֣ים'o.SimH6213for laughterלִשְׂחוֹק֙lis.chOkH7814,and wineוְיַ֖יִןve.Ya.yinH3196makes lifeחַיִּ֑יםchai.YimH2416merryיְשַׂמַּ֣חye.sa.MachH8055,but moneyוְהַכֶּ֖סֶףve.ha.Ke.sefH3701is the answerיַעֲנֶ֥הya.'a.NehH6030אֶת־'et-H853for everythingהַכֹּֽל׃ha.KolH3605.

20Do notאַל־'al-H408curseתְּקַלֵּ֔לte.ka.LelH7043the kingמֶ֚לֶךְMe.lekhH4428evenגַּ֣םgamH1571in your thoughtsבְּמַדָּֽעֲךָ֗be.ma.da.'a.KhaH4093, orאַל־'al-H408curseתְּקַלֵּ֖לte.ka.LelH7043the richעָשִׁ֑יר'a.ShirH6223even in your bedroomוּבְחַדְרֵי֙ מִשְׁכָּ֣בְךָ֔u.ve.chad.Rei mish.Ka.ve.khaH2315 H4904,forכִּ֣יkiH3588a birdע֤וֹףofH5775of the airהַשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙ha.sha.Ma.yimH8064may carryיוֹלִ֣יךְyo.LikhH1980אֶת־'et-H853your wordsהַקּ֔וֹלha.KolH6963,and a winged creatureוּבַ֥עַל כְּנָפַ֖יִםu.Va.'al ke.na.fa.yimH1167 H3671may reportיַגֵּ֥ידya.GeidH5046your speechדָּבָֽר׃da.VarH1697.

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 10