Berean Standard Bible

Ecclesiastes 4

1Againוְשַׁ֣בְתִּֽיve.Shav.tiH7725I looked,and Iאֲנִ֗י'a.NiH589consideredוָאֶרְאֶה֙va.'er.'EhH7200אֶת־'et-H853allכָּל־kol-H3605the oppressionהָ֣עֲשֻׁקִ֔יםha.'a.shu.KimH6217אֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.SherH834taking placeנַעֲשִׂ֖יםna.'a.SimH6213underתַּ֣חַתTa.chatH8478the sunהַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁha.Sha.meshH8121. Isawוְהִנֵּ֣ה׀ve.hi.NehH2009the tearsדִּמְעַ֣תdim.'AtH1832of the oppressedהָעֲשֻׁקִ֗יםha.'a.shu.KimH6217,and they had noוְאֵ֤יןve.'EinH369comforterמְנַחֵ֔םme.na.ChemH5162;the powerכֹּ֔חַKo.achH3581layin the handsוּמִיַּ֤דu.mi.YadH3027of their oppressorsעֹֽשְׁקֵיהֶם֙'o.she.kei.HemH6231,and there was noוְאֵ֥יןve.'EinH369comforterמְנַחֵֽם׃me.na.ChemH5162.

2So Iאֲנִ֛י'a.NiH589אֶת־'et-H853admiredוְשַׁבֵּ֧חַve.sha.Be.achH7623the deadהַמֵּתִ֖יםha.me.TimH4191,who had alreadyשֶׁכְּבָ֣רshe.ke.VarH3528diedמֵ֑תוּMe.tuH4191,aboveמִן־min-H4480the livingהַ֣חַיִּ֔יםha.chai.YimH2416,whoאֲשֶׁ֛ר הֵ֥מָּה'a.Sher He.mahH834 H1992are stillעֲדֶֽנָה׃'a.De.nahH5728aliveחַיִּ֖יםchai.YimH2416.

3But betterוְטוֹב֙ve.tOvH2896than bothמִשְּׁנֵיהֶ֔םmi.she.nei.HemH8147אֵ֥ת'etH853is he whoאֲשֶׁר־'a.Sher-H834has notלֹ֣אlo'H3808yetעֲדֶ֖ן'a.DenH5728existedהָיָ֑הha.YahH1961,whoאֲשֶׁ֤ר'a.SherH834has notלֹֽא־lo'-H3808seenרָאָה֙ra.'AhH7200אֶת־'et-H853the evilהַמַּעֲשֶׂ֣ה הָרָ֔עha.ma.'a.Seh ha.Ra'H7451 H4639thatאֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.SherH834is doneנַעֲשָׂ֖הna.'a.SahH6213underתַּ֥חַתTa.chatH8478the sunהַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ha.Sha.meshH8121.

4Iאֲנִ֜י'a.NiH589אֶת־'et-H853sawוְרָאִ֨יתִֽיve.ra.'I.tiH7200that allכָּל־kol-H3605laborעָמָ֗ל'a.MalH5999andוְאֵת֙ve.'EtH853כָּל־kol-H3605successכִּשְׁר֣וֹן הַֽמַּעֲשֶׂ֔הkish.Ron ha.ma.'a.SehH3788 H4639spring fromכִּ֛י הִ֥יאki hi'H3588 H1931a man’sאִ֖ישׁ'ishH376envyקִנְאַת־kin.'at-H7068of his neighborמֵרֵעֵ֑הוּme.re.'E.huH7453.Thisזֶ֥הzehH2088tooגַּם־gam-H1571is futileהֶ֖בֶלHe.velH1892and a pursuitוּרְע֥וּתu.re.'UtH7469of the windרֽוּחַ׃Ru.achH7307.

5The foolהַכְּסִיל֙ha.ke.SilH3684foldsחֹבֵ֣קcho.VekH2263אֶת־'et-H853his handsיָדָ֔יוya.DavH3027and consumesוְאֹכֵ֖לve.'o.KhelH398אֶת־'et-H853his own fleshבְּשָׂרֽוֹ׃be.sa.RoH1320.

6Betterט֕וֹבTovH2896one handfulמְלֹ֥א כַ֖ףme.Lo' khafH4393 H3709with tranquilityנָ֑חַתNa.chatH5183than two handfulsמִמְּלֹ֥א חָפְנַ֛יִםmi.me.Lo' cha.fe.Na.yimH4393 H2651with toilעָמָ֖ל'a.MalH5999and pursuitוּרְע֥וּתu.re.'UtH7469of the windרֽוּחַ׃Ru.achH7307.

7Againוְשַׁ֧בְתִּיve.Shav.tiH7725,Iאֲנִ֛י'a.NiH589sawוָאֶרְאֶ֥הva.'er.'EhH7200futilityהֶ֖בֶלHe.velH1892underתַּ֥חַתTa.chatH8478the sunהַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ha.Sha.meshH8121.

8There isיֵ֣שׁyeshH3426aאֶחָד֩'e.ChadH259man all aloneוְאֵ֨ין שֵׁנִ֜יve.'Ein she.NiH369 H8145,withoutאֵֽין־'ein-H369evenגַּ֣םgamH1571a sonבֵּ֧ןbenH1121or brotherוָאָ֣חva.'AchH251.And though there is noוְאֵ֥יןve.'EinH369endקֵץ֙ketzH7093לְכָל־le.kholH3605to his laborעֲמָל֔וֹa.ma.LoH5999,his eyesעֵינ֖וֹei.navH5869are stillגַּם־gam-H1571notלֹא־lo'-H3808contentתִשְׂבַּ֣עtis.Ba'H7646with his wealthעֹ֑שֶׁר'O.sherH6239: “For whomוּלְמִ֣י׀u.le.MiH4310do Iאֲנִ֣י'a.NiH589toilעָמֵ֗ל'a.MelH6001and bereaveוּמְחַסֵּ֤רu.me.cha.SerH2637אֶת־'et-H853my soulנַפְשִׁי֙naf.ShiH5315of enjoymentמִטּוֹבָ֔הmi.to.VahH2896?”Thisזֶ֥הzehH2088tooגַּם־gam-H1571is futileהֶ֛בֶלHe.velH1892—a miserableרָ֖ע הֽוּא׃ra' Hu'H7451 H1931taskוְעִנְיַ֥ןve.'in.YanH6045.

9Twoהַשְּׁנַ֖יִםha.she.Na.yimH8147are betterטוֹבִ֥יםto.VimH2896thanמִן־min-H4480oneהָאֶחָ֑דha.'e.ChadH259,becauseאֲשֶׁ֧ר'a.SherH834they haveיֵשׁ־yesh-H3426a goodט֖וֹבTovH2896returnשָׂכָ֥רsa.KharH7939for their laborבַּעֲמָלָֽם׃ba.'a.ma.LamH5999.

10Forכִּ֣יkiH3588ifאִם־'im-H518oneהָאֶחָ֖דha.'e.ChadH259falls downיִפֹּ֔לוּyi.Po.luH5307,his companionחֲבֵר֑וֹcha.ve.RoH2270can lift him upיָקִ֣יםya.KimH6965אֶת־'et-H853;but pityוְאִ֣יל֗וֹve.'I.LoH337the oneהָֽאֶחָד֙ha.'e.ChadH259who fallsשֶׁיִּפּ֔וֹלshei.yi.PolH5307withoutוְאֵ֥יןve.'EinH369anotherשֵׁנִ֖יshe.NiH8145to help him upלַהֲקִימֽוֹ׃la.ha.ki.MoH6965!

11Againגַּ֛םgamH1571,ifאִם־'im-H518twoשְׁנַ֖יִםshe.Na.yimH8147lie down togetherיִשְׁכְּב֥וּyish.ke.VuH7901,they will keep warmוְחַ֣םve.ChamH2552;but howאֵ֥יךְ'eikhH349can oneוּלְאֶחָ֖דu.le.'e.ChadH259keep warm aloneיֵחָֽם׃ye.ChamH2552?

12And thoughוְאִֽם־ve.'im-H518oneהָאֶחָ֔דha.'e.ChadH259may be overpoweredיִתְקְפוֹ֙yit.ke.FoH8630,twoהַשְּׁנַ֖יִםha.she.Na.yimH8147can resistיַעַמְד֣וּya.'am.DuH5975נֶגְדּ֑וֹneg.DoH5048.Moreover, a cordוְהַחוּט֙ve.ha.ChutH2339of threeהַֽמְשֻׁלָּ֔שׁham.shu.LashH8027strands is notלֹ֥אlo'H3808quicklyבִמְהֵרָ֖הvim.he.RahH4120brokenיִנָּתֵֽק׃yi.na.TekH5423.

The Futility of Power

13Betterט֛וֹבTovH2896is a poorמִסְכֵּ֖ןmis.KenH4542but wiseוְחָכָ֑םve.cha.KhamH2450youthיֶ֥לֶדYe.ledH3206than an oldזָקֵן֙za.KenH2205but foolishוּכְסִ֔ילu.khe.SilH3684kingמִמֶּ֤לֶךְmi.Me.lekhH4428whoאֲשֶׁ֛ר'a.SherH834noלֹא־lo'-H3808longerעֽוֹד׃odH5750knowsיָדַ֥עya.Da'H3045how to take a warningלְהִזָּהֵ֖רle.hi.za.HerH2094.

14Forכִּֽי־ki-H3588the youthhas comeיָצָ֣אya.Tza'H3318from the prisonמִבֵּ֥ית הָסוּרִ֖יםmi.Beit ha.su.RimH1004 H631to the kingshipלִמְלֹ֑ךְlim.LokhH4427,thoughכִּ֛י גַּ֥םki gamH3588 H1571he was bornנוֹלַ֥דno.LadH3205poorרָֽשׁ׃RashH7326in his own kingdomבְּמַלְכוּת֖וֹbe.mal.khu.ToH4438.

15I saw thatרָאִ֙יתִי֙ra.'I.tiH7200אֶת־'et-H853allכָּל־kol-H3605who livedהַ֣חַיִּ֔יםha.chai.YimH2416and walkedהַֽמְהַלְּכִ֖יםham.ha.le.KhimH1980underתַּ֣חַתTa.chatH8478the sunהַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁha.Sha.meshH8121followedעִ֚ם'imH5973this second oneהַשֵּׁנִ֔יha.she.NiH8145,the youthהַיֶּ֣לֶדhai.Ye.ledH3206whoאֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.SherH834succeededיַעֲמֹ֖דya.'a.ModH5975the kingתַּחְתָּֽיו׃tach.TavH8478.

16There is noאֵֽין־'ein-H369limitקֵ֣ץketzH7093to allלְכָל־le.kholH3605the peopleהָעָ֗ם לְכֹ֤לha.'Am le.KholH5971 H3605whoאֲשֶׁר־'a.Sher-H834wereהָיָה֙ha.YahH1961before themלִפְנֵיהֶ֔םlif.nei.HemH6440.Yetגַּ֥םgamH1571the successorwill notלֹ֣אlo'H3808be celebratedיִשְׂמְחוּ־yis.me.chu-H8055by those who come even laterהָאַחֲרוֹנִ֖יםha.'a.cha.ro.NimH314.Thisזֶ֥הzehH2088tooכִּֽי־ גַם־ki- gam-H3588 H1571is futileהֶ֖בֶלHe.velH1892and a pursuitוְרַעְי֥וֹןve.ra'.YonH7475of the windרֽוּחַ׃Ru.achH7307.

The Futility of Power

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 4