Berean Standard Bible

Ecclesiastes 7:16-25

16Do notאַל־'al-H408beתְּהִ֤יte.HiH1961overlyהַרְבֵּ֔הhar.BehH7235righteousצַדִּיק֙tza.DikH6662,and do notוְאַל־ve.'al-H408make yourself tooיוֹתֵ֑רyo.TerH3148wiseתִּתְחַכַּ֖םtit.cha.KamH2449.Whyלָ֖מָּהLa.mahH4100should you destroy yourselfתִּשּׁוֹמֵֽם׃ti.sho.MemH8074?

17Do notאַל־'al-H408be excessivelyהַרְבֵּ֖הhar.BehH7235wickedתִּרְשַׁ֥עtir.Sha'H7561,and do notוְאַל־ve.'al-H408beתְּהִ֣יte.HiH1961a foolסָכָ֑לsa.KhalH5530.Whyלָ֥מָּהLa.mahH4100should you dieתָמ֖וּתta.MutH4191beforeבְּלֹ֥אbe.Lo'H3808your timeעִתֶּֽךָ׃'i.Te.khaH6256?

18It is goodט֚וֹבTovH2896אֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.SherH834to graspתֶּאֱחֹ֣זte.'e.ChozH270the oneבָּזֶ֔הba.ZehH2088andוְגַם־ve.gam-H1571notאַל־'al-H408let the other slipתַּנַּ֣חta.NachH5117אֶת־'et-H853fromמִזֶּ֖הmi.ZehH2088your handיָדֶ֑ךָya.De.khaH3027.Forכִּֽי־ki-H3588he who fearsיְרֵ֥אye.Re'H3373Godאֱלֹהִ֖ים'E.lo.HimH430will followיֵצֵ֥אye.Tze'H3318אֶת־'et-H853bothכֻּלָּֽם׃ku.LamH3605warnings.

19Wisdomהַֽחָכְמָ֖הha.cha.khe.MahH2451makes the wise manלֶחָכָ֑םle.cha.KhamH2450stronger thanתָּעֹ֣זta.'OzH5810tenמֵֽעֲשָׂרָה֙me.'a.sa.RahH6235rulersשַׁלִּיטִ֔יםsha.li.TimH7989אֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.SherH834הָי֖וּha.YuH1961in a cityבָּעִֽיר׃ba.'IrH5892.

20Surelyכִּ֣יkiH3588there is noאֵ֥ין'einH369righteousצַדִּ֖יקtza.DikH6662manאָדָ֔ם'a.DamH120on earthבָּאָ֑רֶץba.'A.retzH776whoאֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.SherH834doesיַעֲשֶׂה־ya.'a.seh-H6213goodטּ֖וֹבTovH2896and neverוְלֹ֥אve.Lo'H3808sinsיֶחֱטָֽא׃ye.che.Ta'H2398.

21גַּ֤םgamH1571Do notאַל־'al-H408payתִּתֵּ֖ןti.TenH5414attentionלִבֶּ֑ךָli.Be.khaH3820אֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.SherH834to everyלְכָל־le.kholH3605wordהַדְּבָרִים֙ha.de.va.RimH1697thatאֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.SherH834is spokenיְדַבֵּ֔רוּye.da.Be.ruH1696,orלֹֽא־lo'-H3808you may hearתִשְׁמַ֥עtish.Ma'H8085אֶֽת־'et-H853your servantעַבְדְּךָ֖'av.de.KhaH5650cursing youמְקַלְלֶֽךָ׃me.ka.Le.chaH7043.

22Forכִּ֛י גַּם־ki gam-H3588 H1571you knowיָדַ֣עya.Da'H3045in your heartלִבֶּ֑ךָli.Be.khaH3820thatאֲשֶׁ֥ר גַּם־'a.Sher gam-H834 H1571manyרַבּ֖וֹתra.BotH7227timesפְּעָמִ֥יםpe.'a.MimH6471you yourselfאַתָּ֖ה'atH859have cursedקִלַּ֥לְתָּki.Lal.taH7043othersאֲחֵרִֽים׃'a.che.RimH312.

23Allכָּל־kol-H3605thisזֹ֖הzohH2090I testedנִסִּ֣יתִיni.Si.tiH5254by wisdomבַֽחָכְמָ֑הva.cha.khe.MahH2451, saying, “I resolveאָמַ֣רְתִּי'a.Mar.tiH559to be wiseאֶחְכָּ֔מָה'ech.Ka.mahH2449.”But itוְהִ֖יאve.Hi'H1931was beyondרְחוֹקָ֥הre.cho.KahH7350meמִמֶּֽנִּי׃mi.Me.niH4480.

24Whatמַה־mah-H4100existsשֶּׁהָיָ֑הshe.ha.YahH1961is out of reachרָח֖וֹקra.ChokH7350and very deepH6013.Whoמִ֥יmiH4310can fathom itיִמְצָאֶֽנּוּ׃yim.tza.'E.nuH4672?

25Iאֲנִ֤י'a.NiH589directedסַבּ֨וֹתִֽיsa.Bo.tiH5437my mindוְלִבִּי֙ve.li.BiH3820to understandלָדַ֣עַתla.Da.'atH3045,to exploreוְלָת֔וּרve.la.TurH8446,to search outוּבַקֵּ֥שׁu.va.KeshH1245wisdomחָכְמָ֖הchokh.mahH2451and explanationsוְחֶשְׁבּ֑וֹןve.chesh.BonH2808,and to understandוְלָדַ֙עַת֙ve.la.Da.'atH3045the stupidityכֶּ֔סֶלKe.selH3689of wickednessרֶ֣שַׁעRe.sha'H7562and the follyוְהַסִּכְל֖וּתve.ha.sikh.LutH5531of madnessהוֹלֵלֽוֹת׃ho.le.LotH1947.

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Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 7