Berean Standard Bible

Ecclesiastes 2:3-11

3I soughtתַּ֣רְתִּי בְלִבִּ֔יTar.ti ve.li.BiH8446 H3820to cheer my bodyלִמְשׁ֥וֹךְ בְּשָׂרִ֑יlim.Shokh be.sa.RiH1320 H4900with wineבַּיַּ֖יִןbai.Ya.yinH3196אֶת־'et-H853and to embraceוְלֶאֱחֹ֣זve.le.'e.ChozH270follyבְּסִכְל֔וּתbe.sikh.LutH5531—my mindוְלִבִּ֞יve.li.BiH3820still guiding meנֹהֵ֤גno.HegH5090with wisdomבַּֽחָכְמָה֙ba.cha.khe.MahH2451—untilעַ֣ד'adH5704אֲשֶׁר־'a.Sher-H834I could seeאֶרְאֶ֗ה'er.'EhH7200whatאֵי־'ei-H335wasזֶ֨הzehH2088worthwhileט֜וֹבTovH2896for menלִבְנֵ֤י הָאָדָם֙liv.Nei ha.'a.DamH1121 H120אֲשֶׁ֤ר'a.SherH834to doיַעֲשׂוּ֙ya.'a.SuH6213underתַּ֣חַתTa.chatH8478heavenהַשָּׁמַ֔יִםha.sha.Ma.yimH8064during the fewמִסְפַּ֖רmis.ParH4557daysיְמֵ֥יye.MeiH3117of their livesחַיֵּיהֶֽם׃chai.yei.HemH2416.

4I expandedהִגְדַּ֖לְתִּיhig.Dal.tiH1431my pursuitsמַעֲשָׂ֑יma.'a.SaiH4639.I builtבָּנִ֤יתִיba.Ni.tiH1129housesבָּתִּ֔יםba.TimH1004and plantedנָטַ֥עְתִּיna.Ta'.tiH5193vineyardsכְּרָמִֽים׃ke.ra.MimH3754for myself.

5I madeעָשִׂ֣יתִי'a.Si.tiH6213gardensגַּנּ֖וֹתga.NotH1593and parksוּפַרְדֵּסִ֑יםu.far.de.SimH6508for myself, whereI plantedוְנָטַ֥עְתִּיve.na.Ta'.tiH5193all kindsכָּל־kol-H3605of fruitפֶּֽרִי׃Pe.riH6529treesעֵ֥ץ'etzH6086.

6I builtעָשִׂ֥יתִי'a.Si.tiH6213reservoirsבְּרֵכ֣וֹת מָ֑יִםbe.re.Khot Ma.yimH1295 H4325to waterלְהַשְׁק֣וֹתle.hash.KotH8248my grovesיַ֖עַרYa.'arH3293of flourishingצוֹמֵ֥חַtzo.Me.achH6779treesעֵצִֽים׃'e.TzimH6086.

7I acquiredקָנִ֙יתִי֙ka.Ni.tiH7069menservantsעֲבָדִ֣ים'a.va.DimH5650and maidservantsוּשְׁפָח֔וֹתu.she.fa.ChotH8198,and servants were bornוּבְנֵי־u.ve.nei-H1121in my houseבַ֖יִתVa.yitH1004.I alsoגַּ֣םgamH1571ownedH1961moreהַרְבֵּה֙har.BehH7235herdsמִקְנֶה֩ בָקָ֨רmik.Neh va.KarH1241 H4735and flocksוָצֹ֤אןva.TzonH6629than anyoneמִכֹּ֛לmi.KolH3605 H1961in Jerusalemבִּירוּשָׁלִָֽם׃bi.ru.sha.LimH3389before meלְפָנַ֖יle.fa.NaiH6440,

8and Iגַּם־gam-H1571accumulatedכָּנַ֤סְתִּיka.Nas.tiH3664for myselfsilverכֶּ֣סֶףKe.sefH3701and goldוְזָהָ֔בve.za.HavH2091and the treasureוּסְגֻלַּ֥תu.se.gu.LatH5459of kingsמְלָכִ֖יםme.la.KhimH4428and provincesוְהַמְּדִינ֑וֹתve.ha.me.di.NotH4082.I gatheredעָשִׂ֨יתִי'a.Si.tiH6213to myselfmale andשָׁרִ֣יםsha.RimH7891female singersוְשָׁר֗וֹתve.sha.RotH7891,and the delightsוְתַעֲנוּגֹ֛תve.ta.'a.nu.GotH8588of the sonsבְּנֵ֥יbe.NeiH1121of menהָאָדָ֖םha.'a.DamH120—manyשִׁדָּ֥הshi.DahH7705concubinesוְשִׁדּֽוֹת׃ve.shi.DotH7705.

9So I became greatוְגָדַ֣לְתִּיve.ga.Dal.tiH1431and surpassedוְהוֹסַ֔פְתִּיve.ho.Saf.tiH3254allמִכֹּ֛לmi.KolH3605in Jerusalemבִּירוּשָׁלִָ֑םbi.ru.sha.LimH3389who had preceded meשֶׁהָיָ֥ה לְפָנַ֖יshe.ha.Yah le.fa.NaiH1961 H6440;andאַ֥ף'afH637my wisdomחָכְמָתִ֖יcha.khe.ma.TiH2451remainedעָ֥מְדָה'A.me.dahH5975with me.

10Anythingוְכֹל֙ve.KholH3605אֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.SherH834my eyesעֵינַ֔י'ei.NaiH5869desiredשָֽׁאֲל֣וּsha.'a.LuH7592,I did notלֹ֥אlo'H3808deny myselfאָצַ֖לְתִּי'a.Tzal.tiH680.I refusedמָנַ֨עְתִּיma.Na'.tiH4513אֶת־'et-H853my heartלִבִּ֜יli.BiH3820noלֹֽא־ מִכָּל־lo'- mi.kolH3808 H3605pleasureשִׂמְחָ֗הsim.ChahH8057.Forכִּֽי־ki-H3588my heartלִבִּ֤יli.BiH3820took delightשָׂמֵ֙חַ֙sa.Me.achH8056in allמִכָּל־mi.kolH3605my workעֲמָלִ֔י'a.ma.LiH5999,and thisוְזֶֽה־ve.zeh-H2088wasהָיָ֥הha.YahH1961the rewardחֶלְקִ֖יchel.KiH2506for allמִכָּל־mi.kolH3605my laborעֲמָלִֽי׃'a.ma.LiH5999.

11Yet when Iאֲנִ֗י'a.NiH589consideredוּפָנִ֣יתִֽיu.fa.Ni.tiH6437allבְּכָל־be.kholH3605the worksמַעֲשַׂי֙ma.'a.SaiH4639that my handsיָדַ֔יya.DaiH3027had accomplishedשֶֽׁעָשׂ֣וּshe.'a.SuH6213andוּבֶֽעָמָ֖לu.ve.'a.MalH5999whatI had toiledשֶׁעָמַ֣לְתִּיshe.'a.Mal.tiH5998to achieveלַעֲשׂ֑וֹתla.'a.SotH6213,I foundוְהִנֵּ֨הve.hi.NehH2009everythingהַכֹּ֥לha.KolH3605to be futileהֶ֙בֶל֙he.velH1892,a pursuitוּרְע֣וּתu.re.'UtH7469of the windר֔וּחַRu.achH7307;there was nothingוְאֵ֥יןve.'EinH369to be gainedיִתְר֖וֹןyit.RonH3504underתַּ֥חַתTa.chatH8478the sunהַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ha.Sha.meshH8121.

Read all of Ecclesiastes 2

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 2