Darby Bible
Ecclesiastes 2 1 I said H559 in my heart בְּלִבִּ֔י be.li.Bi H3820 , Come now , I will try thee with mirth , therefore enjoy pleasure בְשִׂמְחָ֖ה ve.sim.Chah H8057 . But behold , this also גַם־ gam- H1571 is vanity H1892 . 2 I said H559 of laughter לִשְׂח֖וֹק lis.Chok H7814 , Madness! and of mirth , What availeth it ? 3 I searched in my heart בְלִבִּ֔י ve.li.Bi H3820 how to cherish my flesh בְּשָׂרִ֑י be.sa.Ri H1320 with wine בַּיַּ֖יִן bai.Ya.yin H3196 , while practising my heart וְלִבִּ֞י ve.li.Bi H3820 with wisdom בַּֽחָכְמָה֙ ba.cha.khe.Mah H2451 ; and how to lay hold וְלֶאֱחֹ֣ז ve.le.'e.Choz H270 on folly בְּסִכְל֔וּת be.sikh.Lut H5531 , till I should see H7200 what was that good ט֜וֹב Tov H2896 for the children of men H120 which they should do under the heavens הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם ha.sha.Ma.yim H8064 all the days יְמֵ֥י ye.Mei H3117 of their life . 4 I made me great הִגְדַּ֖לְתִּי hig.Dal.ti H1431 works מַעֲשָׂ֑י ma.'a.Sai H4639 ; I builded me houses H1004 ; I planted נָטַ֥עְתִּי na.Ta'.ti H5193 me vineyards כְּרָמִֽים׃ ke.ra.Mim H3754 ; 5 I made H6213 me gardens גַּנּ֖וֹת ga.Not H1593 and parks , and I planted וְנָטַ֥עְתִּי ve.na.Ta'.ti H5193 trees עֵ֥ץ 'etz H6086 in them of every kind of fruit פֶּֽרִי׃ Pe.ri H6529 ; 7 I acquired H7069 servants H5650 and maidens, and had servants H5650 born in my house בַ֖יִת Va.yit H1004 ; also גַּ֣ם gam H1571 I had great possessions of herds בָקָ֨ר va.Kar H1241 and flocks וָצֹ֤אן va.Tzon H6629 , above all that had been H1961 in Jerusalem בִּירוּשָׁלִָֽם׃ bi.ru.sha.Lim H3389 before me . 8 I gathered H3664 me also גַּם־ gam- H1571 silver כֶּ֣סֶף Ke.sef H3701 and gold וְזָהָ֔ב ve.za.Hav H2091 , and the peculiar treasure וּסְגֻלַּ֥ת u.se.gu.Lat H5459 of kings מְלָכִ֖ים me.la.Khim H4428 and of the provinces H4082 ; I got me men-singers and women-singers, and the delights of the children of men H120 , a wife and concubines . 9 And I became H1961 great וְגָדַ֣לְתִּי ve.ga.Dal.ti H1431 , and increased H3254 more than all that had been H1961 before me in Jerusalem בִּירוּשָׁלִָ֑ם bi.ru.sha.Lim H3389 : also אַ֥ף 'af H637 my wisdom חָכְמָתִ֖י cha.khe.ma.Ti H2451 remained with me . 10 And whatsoever mine eyes עֵינַ֔י 'ei.Nai H5869 desired I kept not from them : I withheld H4513 not my heart לִבִּ֜י li.Bi H3820 from any joy H8057 ; for my heart לִבִּ֤י li.Bi H3820 rejoiced H8055 in all my labour, and this was H1961 my portion H2506 from all my labour. 11 Then I looked on all the works מַעֲשַׂי֙ ma.'a.Sai H4639 that my hands יָדַ֔י ya.Dai H3027 had wrought , and on the labour that it had cost me to do [ them ]; and behold , all was vanity H1892 and pursuit of the wind ר֔וּחַ Ru.ach H7307 , and there was no profit יִתְר֖וֹן yit.Ron H3504 under the sun הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ ha.Sha.mesh H8121 . 12 And I turned וּפָנִ֤יתִֽי u.fa.Ni.ti H6437 myself to behold wisdom חָכְמָ֔ה chokh.mah H2451 , and madness וְהוֹלֵל֖וֹת ve.ho.le.Lot H1947 , and folly וְסִכְל֑וּת ve.sikh.Lut H5531 ; for what shall the man H120 [ do ] that cometh after the king הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ ha.Me.lekh H4428 ? — that which hath already כְּבָ֖ר ke.Var H3528 been done . 13 And I saw H7200 that wisdom לַֽחָכְמָ֖ה la.cha.khe.Mah H2451 excelleth folly הַסִּכְל֑וּת ha.sikh.Lut H5531 , as light הָא֖וֹר ha.'Or H216 excelleth darkness הַחֹֽשֶׁךְ׃ ha.Cho.shekh H2822 . 14 The wise הֶֽחָכָם֙ he.cha.Kham H2450 man's eyes עֵינָ֣יו 'ei.Nav H5869 are in his head בְּרֹאשׁ֔וֹ be.ro.Sho H7218 , and the fool וְהַכְּסִ֖יל ve.ha.ke.Sil H3684 walketh in darkness בַּחֹ֣שֶׁךְ ba.Cho.shekh H2822 ; but I myself also גַם־ gam- H1571 perceived that one אֶחָ֖ד 'e.Chad H259 event happeneth to them all . 15 And I said H559 in my heart בְּלִבִּ֗י be.li.Bi H3820 , As it happeneth to the fool הַכְּסִיל֙ ha.ke.Sil H3684 so will it happen even to me ; and why וְלָ֧מָּה ve.La.mah H4100 was I then אָ֣ז 'az H227 so wise חָכַ֛מְתִּי cha.Kham.ti H2449 ? Then H227 I said H559 in my heart בְלִבִּ֔י ve.li.Bi H3820 that this also H1571 is vanity H1892 . 16 For there shall be no remembrance זִכְר֧וֹן zikh.Ron H2146 of the wise לֶחָכָ֛ם le.cha.Kham H2450 more than of the fool הַכְּסִ֖יל ha.ke.Sil H3684 for ever H5769 ; because everything הַכֹּ֣ל ha.Kol H3605 is already בְּשֶׁכְּבָ֞ר be.she.ke.Var H3528 forgotten נִשְׁכָּ֔ח nish.Kach H7911 in the days הַיָּמִ֤ים hai.ya.Mim H3117 which come H935 . And how וְאֵ֛יךְ ve.'Eikh H349 dieth the wise הֶחָכָ֖ם he.cha.Kham H2450 even as the fool הַכְּסִֽיל׃ ha.ke.Sil H3684 ? 17 And I hated וְשָׂנֵ֙אתִי֙ ve.sa.Ne.ti H8130 life הַ֣חַיִּ֔ים ha.chai.Yim H2416 ; for the work הַֽמַּעֲשֶׂ֔ה ha.ma.'a.Seh H4639 that is wrought under the sun הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ ha.Sha.mesh H8121 was grievous unto me ; for all is vanity H1892 and pursuit of the wind רֽוּחַ׃ Ru.ach H7307 . 18 And I hated וְשָׂנֵ֤אתִֽי ve.sa.Ne.ti H8130 all my labour wherewith I had been שֶׁיִּהְיֶ֥ה shei.yih.Yeh H1961 toiling under the sun הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ ha.Sha.mesh H8121 , because I should leave it unto the man H120 that shall be H1961 after me . 19 And who knoweth whether he will be יִהְיֶה֙ yih.Yeh H1961 a wise הֶֽחָכָ֤ם he.cha.Kham H2450 [ man ] or a fool סָכָ֔ל sa.Khal H5530 ? yet shall he have rule over all my labour at which I have laboured, and wherein I have been H1961 wise H2450 under the sun הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ ha.Sha.mesh H8121 . This also גַּם־ gam- H1571 is vanity H1892 . 20 Then I went H5437 about to cause my heart לִבִּ֑י li.Bi H3820 to despair H2976 of all the labour wherewith I had laboured under the sun הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ ha.Sha.mesh H8121 . 21 For there is a man H120 whose labour hath been with wisdom בְּחָכְמָ֥ה be.cha.khe.Mah H2451 , and with knowledge וּבְדַ֖עַת u.ve.Da.'at H1847 , and with skill H2451 , and who leaveth it to a man H120 that hath not laboured therein, to be his portion חֶלְק֔וֹ chel.Ko H2506 . This also גַּם־ gam- H1571 is vanity H1892 and a great רַבָּֽה׃ ra.Bah H7227 evil וְרָעָ֥ה ve.ra.'Ah H7451 . 22 For what will man H120 have of all his labour and of the striving of his heart לִבּ֑וֹ li.Bo H3820 , wherewith he hath wearied himself under the sun הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ ha.Sha.mesh H8121 ? 23 For all his days יָמָ֣יו ya.Mav H3117 are sorrows , and his travail vexation: even in the night בַּלַּ֖יְלָה ba.Lay.lah H3915 his heart לִבּ֑וֹ li.Bo H3820 taketh no rest H7901 . This also H1571 is vanity H1892 . 24 There is nothing H369 good ט֤וֹב Tov H2896 for man H120 , but that he should eat שֶׁיֹּאכַ֣ל shei.yo.Khal H398 and drink וְשָׁתָ֔ה ve.sha.Tah H8354 , and that he should make his soul H5315 enjoy good ט֖וֹב Tov H2896 in his labour. This also גַּם־ gam- H1571 I saw H7200 , that it was from the hand מִיַּ֥ד mi.Yad H3027 of God הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים ha.'E.lo.Him H430 . 25 For who can eat יֹאכַ֛ל yo.Khal H398 , or who be eager, more H4480 than I ? 26 For he giveth to a man H120 that is good שֶׁטּ֣וֹב she.Tov H2896 in his sight wisdom חָכְמָ֥ה chokh.mah H2451 , and knowledge וְדַ֖עַת ve.Da.'at H1847 , and joy וְשִׂמְחָ֑ה ve.sim.Chah H8057 ; but to the sinner וְלַחוֹטֶא֩ ve.la.cho.Te' H2398 he giveth travail to gather לֶאֱס֣וֹף le.'e.Sof H622 and to heap up , that he may give H5414 to him that is good לְטוֹב֙ le.tOv H2896 in God's sight . This also גַּם־ gam- H1571 is vanity H1892 and pursuit of the wind רֽוּחַ׃ Ru.ach H7307 . ← Ecclesiastes 1 Ecclesiastes 3 → Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 2 Darby Bible — 1889 — Public Domain
Commentaries