Berean Standard Bible

Ecclesiastes 12

1Rememberוּזְכֹר֙u.ze.KhorH2142אֶת־'et-H853your Creatorבּ֣וֹרְאֶ֔יךָbor.'Ei.khaH1254in the daysבִּימֵ֖יbi.MeiH3117of your youthבְּחוּרֹתֶ֑יךָbe.chu.ro.Tei.khaH979,beforeעַ֣ד'adH5704אֲשֶׁ֤ר'a.SherH834לֹא־lo'-H3808the daysיְמֵ֣יye.MeiH3117of adversityהָֽרָעָ֔הha.ra.'AhH7451comeיָבֹ֙אוּ֙ya.Vo.'uH935and the yearsשָׁנִ֔יםsha.NimH8141approachוְהִגִּ֣יעוּve.hi.Gi.'uH5060of whichאֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.SherH834you will sayתֹּאמַ֔רto.MarH559, “I find noאֵֽין־'ein-H369pleasureחֵֽפֶץ׃Che.fetzH2656in them,”

2beforeעַ֠ד'adH5704אֲשֶׁ֨ר'a.SherH834לֹֽא־lo'-H3808the lightוְהָא֔וֹרve.ha.'OrH216of the sunהַשֶּׁ֙מֶשׁ֙ha.She.meshH8121,moonוְהַיָּרֵ֖חַve.hai.ya.Re.achH3394,and starsוְהַכּוֹכָבִ֑יםve.ha.ko.kha.VimH3556is darkenedתֶחְשַׁ֤ךְtech.ShakhH2821,and the cloudsהֶעָבִ֖יםhe.'a.VimH5645returnוְשָׁ֥בוּve.Sha.vuH7725afterאַחַ֥ר'a.CharH310the rainהַגָּֽשֶׁם׃ha.Ga.shemH1653,

3on the dayבַּיּ֗וֹםbai.YomH3117the keepersשֹׁמְרֵ֣יsho.me.ReiH8104of the houseהַבַּ֔יִתha.Ba.yitH1004trembleשֶׁיָּזֻ֙עוּ֙shei.ya.Zu.'uH2111and the strongהֶחָ֑יִלhe.Cha.yilH2428menאַנְשֵׁ֣י'an.SheiH582stoopוְהִֽתְעַוְּת֖וּve.hit.'a.ve.TuH5791,when those grindingהַטֹּֽחֲנוֹת֙ha.to.cha.nOtH2912ceaseוּבָטְל֤וּu.va.te.LuH988becauseכִּ֣יkiH3588they are fewמִעֵ֔טוּmi.'E.tuH4591and those watchingהָרֹא֖וֹתha.ro.'otH7200through windowsבָּאֲרֻבּֽוֹת׃ba.'a.ru.BotH699see dimlyוְחָשְׁכ֥וּve.cha.she.KhuH2821,

4when the doorsדְלָתַ֙יִם֙de.la.Ta.yimH1817to the streetבַּשּׁ֔וּקba.ShukH7784are shutוְסֻגְּר֤וּve.su.ge.RuH5462and the soundק֣וֹלKolH6963of the millהַֽטַּחֲנָ֑הha.ta.cha.NahH2913fades awayבִּשְׁפַ֖לbish.FalH8213,when one risesוְיָקוּם֙ve.ya.KumH6965at the soundלְק֣וֹלle.KolH6963of a birdהַצִּפּ֔וֹרha.tzi.PorH6833and allכָּל־kol-H3605the daughtersבְּנ֥וֹתbe.NotH1323of songהַשִּֽׁיר׃ha.ShirH7892grow faintוְיִשַּׁ֖חוּve.yi.Sha.chuH7817,

5whenגַּ֣םgamH1571menfearיִרָ֙אוּ֙yi.Ra.'uH3372the heightsמִגָּבֹ֤הַּmi.ga.Vo.ahH1364and dangersוְחַתְחַתִּ֣יםve.chat.cha.TimH2849of the roadבַּדֶּ֔רֶךְba.De.rekhH1870,when the almond treeהַשָּׁקֵד֙ha.sha.KedH8247blossomsוְיָנֵ֤אץve.ya.NetzH5006,the grasshopperהֶֽחָגָ֔בhe.cha.GavH2284loses its springוְיִסְתַּבֵּ֣לve.yis.ta.BelH5445,and the caper berryהָֽאֲבִיּוֹנָ֑הha.'a.vi.yo.NahH35shrivelsוְתָפֵ֖רve.ta.FerH6565—for thenכִּֽי־ki-H3588manהָאָדָם֙ha.'a.DamH120goesהֹלֵ֤ךְho.LekhH1980toאֶל־'el-H413his eternalעוֹלָמ֔וֹo.la.MoH5769homeבֵּ֣יתbeitH1004and mournersהַסֹּפְדִֽים׃ha.so.fe.DimH5594walkוְסָבְב֥וּve.sa.ve.VuH5437the streetsבָשּׁ֖וּקva.ShukH7784.

6Remember Himbeforeעַ֣ד'adH5704אֲשֶׁ֤ר'a.SherH834לֹֽא־lo'-H3808the silverהַכֶּ֔סֶףha.Ke.sefH3701cordחֶ֣בֶלChe.velH2256is snappedH7368and the goldenהַזָּהָ֑בha.za.HavH2091bowlגֻּלַּ֣תgu.LatH1543is crushedוְתָרֻ֖ץve.ta.RutzH7533, beforethe pitcherכַּד֙kadH3537is shatteredוְתִשָּׁ֤בֶרve.ti.Sha.verH7665atעַל־'al-H5921the springהַמַּבּ֔וּעַha.ma.Bu.a'H4002and the wheelהַגַּלְגַּ֖לha.gal.GalH1534is brokenוְנָרֹ֥ץve.na.RotzH7533atאֶל־'el-H413the wellהַבּֽוֹר׃ha.BorH953,

7beforethe dustהֶעָפָ֛רhe.'a.FarH6083returnsוְיָשֹׁ֧בve.ya.ShoH7725toעַל־'al-H5921the groundהָאָ֖רֶץha.'A.retzH776from which it cameכְּשֶׁהָיָ֑הke.she.ha.YahH1961and the spiritוְהָר֣וּחַve.ha.Ru.achH7307returnsתָּשׁ֔וּבta.ShuvH7725toאֶל־'el-H413Godהָאֱלֹהִ֖יםha.'E.lo.HimH430whoאֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.SherH834gave itנְתָנָֽהּ׃ne.ta.NahH5414.

8“Futilityהֲבֵ֧לha.VelH1892of futilitiesהֲבָלִ֛יםha.va.LimH1892,”saysאָמַ֥ר'a.MarH559the Teacherהַקּוֹהֶ֖לֶתha.ko.He.letH6953. “Everythingהַכֹּ֥לha.KolH3605is futileהָֽבֶל׃Ha.velH1892!”

The Whole Duty of Man

9Not onlyוְיֹתֵ֕רve.yo.TerH3148wasשֶׁהָיָ֥הshe.ha.YahH1961the Teacherקֹהֶ֖לֶתko.He.letH6953wiseחָכָ֑םcha.KhamH2450,but he alsoע֗וֹדodH5750taughtלִמַּד־li.mad-H3925the peopleהָעָ֔םha.'AmH5971knowledgeדַּ֙עַת֙da.'atH1847אֶת־'et-H853;he ponderedוְאִזֵּ֣ןve.'i.ZenH239,searched outוְחִקֵּ֔רve.chi.KerH2713,and arrangedתִּקֵּ֖ןti.KenH8626manyהַרְבֵּֽה׃har.BehH7235proverbsמְשָׁלִ֥יםme.sha.LimH4912.

10The Teacherקֹהֶ֔לֶתko.He.letH6953searchedבִּקֵּ֣שׁbi.KeshH1245to findלִמְצֹ֖אlim.Tzo'H4672delightfulחֵ֑פֶץChe.fetzH2656sayingsדִּבְרֵי־div.rei-H1697and to recordוְכָת֥וּבve.kha.TuvH3789accurateיֹ֖שֶׁרYo.sherH3476wordsדִּבְרֵ֥יdiv.ReiH1697of truthאֱמֶֽת׃'e.MetH571.

11The wordsדִּבְרֵ֤יdiv.ReiH1697of the wiseחֲכָמִים֙cha.kha.MimH2450are like goadsכַּדָּ֣רְבֹנ֔וֹתka.Da.re.vo.NotH1861,and the anthologiesאֲסֻפּ֑וֹת'a.su.PotH627of the mastersבַּעֲלֵ֣יba.'a.LeiH1167are like firmly embeddedנְטוּעִ֖יםne.tu.'ImH5193nailsוּֽכְמַשְׂמְר֥וֹתu.khe.mas.me.RotH4930drivenנִתְּנ֖וּni.te.NuH5414by a singleאֶחָֽד׃'e.ChadH259Shepherdמֵרֹעֶ֥הme.ro.'EhH7462.

12And by these,my sonבְּנִ֣יbe.NiH1121,be furtherוְיֹתֵ֥רve.yo.TerH3148warnedהִזָּהֵ֑רhi.za.HerH2094:There is noאֵ֣ין'einH369endקֵ֔ץKetzH7093to the makingעֲשׂ֨וֹתa.SotH6213of manyהַרְבֵּה֙har.BehH7235booksסְפָרִ֤יםse.fa.RimH5612,and muchהַרְבֵּ֖הhar.BehH7235studyוְלַ֥הַגve.La.hagH3854weariesיְגִעַ֥תye.gi.'AtH3024the bodyבָּשָֽׂר׃ba.SarH1320.

13When allהַכֹּ֣לha.KolH3605has been heardנִשְׁמָ֑עnish.Ma'H8085אֶת־'et-H853,the conclusionס֥וֹףSofH5490of the matterדָּבָ֖רda.VarH1697is this:Fearיְרָא֙ye.Ra'H3372Godהָאֱלֹהִ֤יםha.'E.lo.HimH430andוְאֶת־ve.'EtH853keepשְׁמ֔וֹרshe.MorH8104His commandmentsמִצְוֹתָ֣יוmitz.vo.TavH4687,becauseכִּי־ki-H3588this isזֶ֖הzehH2088the wholeכָּל־kol-H3605dutyof manהָאָדָֽם׃ha.'a.DamH120.

14Forכִּ֤יkiH3588אֶת־'et-H853Godהָאֱלֹהִ֛יםha.'E.lo.HimH430will bringיָבִ֥אya.Vi'H935everyכָּל־kol-H3605deedמַֽעֲשֶׂ֔הma.'a.SehH4639into judgmentבְמִשְׁפָּ֖טve.mish.PatH4941,along withעַ֣ל'alH5921every hiddenנֶעְלָ֑םne'.LamH5956thingכָּל־kol-H3605,whetherאִם־'im-H518goodט֖וֹבTovH2896orוְאִם־ve.'im-H518evilרָֽע׃Ra'H7451.

The Whole Duty of Man

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 12