King James Version

Ecclesiastes 9

1For all this I consideredנָתַ֤תִּיna.Ta.tiH5414in my heartלִבִּי֙li.BiH3820even to declareוְלָב֣וּרve.la.VurH952all this, that the righteousהַצַּדִּיקִ֧יםha.tza.di.KimH6662,and the wiseוְהַחֲכָמִ֛יםve.ha.cha.kha.MimH2450,and their worksוַעֲבָדֵיהֶ֖םva.'a.va.dei.HemH5652, arein the handבְּיַ֣דbe.YadH3027of Godהָאֱלֹהִ֑יםha.'E.lo.HimH430:no manהָֽאָדָ֔םha.'a.DamH120knowethיוֹדֵ֙עַ֙yo.De.a'H3045eitherH1571loveאַהֲבָ֣ה'a.ha.VahH160or hatredשִׂנְאָ֗הsin.'AhH8135by all that isbeforeלִפְנֵיהֶֽם׃lif.nei.HemH6440them.

2All things come alike to all: there isoneאֶחָ֜ד'e.ChadH259eventמִקְרֶ֨הmik.RehH4745to the righteousלַצַּדִּ֤יקla.tza.DikH6662,and to the wickedוְלָרָשָׁע֙ve.la.ra.Sha'H7563;to the goodלַטּוֹב֙la.tOvH2896and to the cleanוְלַטָּה֣וֹרve.la.ta.HorH2889,and to the uncleanוְלַטָּמֵ֔אve.la.ta.Me'H2931;to him that sacrificethוְלַזֹּבֵ֔חַve.la.zo.Ve.achH2076,and to him thatH834sacrificethזֹבֵ֑חַzo.Ve.achH2076not: as isthe goodכַּטּוֹב֙ka.tOvH2896, so isthe sinnerכַּֽחֹטֶ֔אka.cho.Te'H2398; andhe that swearethהַנִּשְׁבָּ֕עha.nish.Ba'H7650, as hethat fearethיָרֵֽא׃ya.Re'H3373an oathשְׁבוּעָ֥הshe.vu.'AhH7621.

3This isan evilרָ֗עRa'H7451among all thingsthat are doneנַעֲשָׂה֙na.'a.SahH6213under the sunהַשֶּׁ֔מֶשׁha.She.meshH8121, that there isoneאֶחָ֖ד'e.ChadH259eventמִקְרֶ֥הmik.RehH4745unto all: yea, also the heartלֵ֣בlevH3820of the sonsבְּֽנֵי־be.nei-H1121of menהָ֠אָדָםHa.'a.domH120is fullH4390of evilרָ֨עra'H7451,and madnessוְהוֹלֵל֤וֹתve.ho.le.LotH1947isin their heartבִּלְבָבָם֙bil.va.VamH3824while they liveבְּחַיֵּיהֶ֔םbe.chai.yei.HemH2416,and afterוְאַחֲרָ֖יוve.'a.cha.RavH310that they goto the deadהַמֵּתִֽים׃ha.me.TimH4191.

4Forמִי֙miH4310to him that isיֵ֣שׁyeshH3426joinedיְחֻבַּ֔רyi.ba.cherH977 H2266to all the livingהַחַיִּ֖יםha.chai.YimH2416there is hopeבִּטָּח֑וֹןbi.ta.ChonH986:for a livingחַי֙chaiH2416dogלְכֶ֤לֶבle.Khe.levH3611is betterט֔וֹבTovH2896than a deadהַמֵּֽת׃ha.MetH4191lionהָאַרְיֵ֖הha.'ar.YehH738.

5For the livingהַֽחַיִּ֛יםha.chai.YimH2416knowיוֹדְעִ֖יםyod.'ImH3045that they shall dieשֶׁיָּמֻ֑תוּshei.ya.Mu.tuH4191:but the deadוְהַמֵּתִ֞יםve.ha.me.TimH4191knowיוֹדְעִ֣יםyod.'ImH3045not any thingמְא֗וּמָהme.'U.mahH3972,neither have they any more a rewardשָׂכָ֔רsa.KharH7939;for the memoryזִכְרָֽם׃zikh.RamH2143of them is forgottenנִשְׁכַּ֖חnish.KachH7911.

6Also their loveאַהֲבָתָ֧ם'a.ha.va.TamH160,and their hatredשִׂנְאָתָ֛םsin.'a.TamH8135,and their envyקִנְאָתָ֖םkin.'a.TamH7068,is nowכְּבָ֣רke.VarH3528perishedאָבָ֑דָה'a.Va.dahH6;neither have they any more a portionוְחֵ֨לֶקve.Che.lekH2506for everלְעוֹלָ֔םle.'o.LamH5769in any thingthat is doneנַעֲשָׂ֖הna.'a.SahH6213under the sunהַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ha.Sha.meshH8121.

7Go thy wayH3212,eatאֱכֹ֤ל'e.KholH398thy breadלַחְמֶ֔ךָlach.Me.khaH3899with joyבְּשִׂמְחָה֙be.sim.ChahH8057,and drinkוּֽשֲׁתֵ֥הu.sha.TehH8354thy wineיֵינֶ֑ךָyei.Ne.khaH3196with a merryט֖וֹבTovH2896heartבְלֶב־ve.lev-H3820;for Godהָאֱלֹהִ֖יםha.'E.lo.HimH430nowכְבָ֔רkhe.VarH3528acceptethרָצָ֥הra.TzahH7521thy worksמַעֲשֶֽׂיךָ׃ma.'a.Sei.khaH4639.

8Let thy garmentsבְגָדֶ֖יךָve.ga.Dei.khaH899be alwaysעֵ֕ת'etH6256whiteלְבָנִ֑יםle.va.NimH3836;and let thy headרֹאשְׁךָ֥ro.she.KhaH7218lackיֶחְסָֽר׃yech.SarH2637no ointmentוְשֶׁ֖מֶןve.She.menH8081.

9Liveחַיִּ֜יםchai.YimH2416joyfullyרְאֵ֨הre.'EhH7200with the wifeאִשָּׁ֣ה'i.ShahH802whom thou lovestאָהַ֗בְתָּ'a.Hav.taH157all the daysיְמֵי֙ye.MeiH3117of the lifeחַיֵּ֣יchai.YeiH2416of thy vanityהֶבְלֶ֔ךָhev.Le.khaH1892,which he hath givenנָֽתַן־na.tan-H5414thee under the sunהַשֶּׁ֔מֶשׁha.She.meshH8121,all the daysיְמֵ֣יye.MeiH3117of thy vanityהֶבְלֶ֑ךָhev.Le.khaH1892: for that isthy portionחֶלְקְךָ֙chel.ke.ChaH2506in thislifeבַּֽחַיִּ֔יםba.chai.YimH2416,and in thy labourוּבַעֲמָ֣לְךָ֔u.va.'a.Mal.khaH5999which thou takestעָמֵ֖ל'a.MelH6001under the sunהַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ha.Sha.meshH8121.

10Whatsoever thy handיָֽדְךָ֛ya.de.KhaH3027findethתִּמְצָ֧אtim.Tza'H4672to doלַעֲשׂ֥וֹתla.'a.SotH6213,doעֲשֵׂ֑ה'a.SehH6213itwith thy mightבְּכֹחֲךָ֖be.kho.cha.KhaH3581; for there isno workמַעֲשֶׂ֤הma.'a.SehH4639,nor deviceוְחֶשְׁבּוֹן֙ve.chesh.bOnH2808,nor knowledgeוְדַ֣עַתve.Da.'atH1847,nor wisdomוְחָכְמָ֔הve.cha.khe.MahH2451,in the graveבִּשְׁא֕וֹלbish.'olH7585,whither thou goestהֹלֵ֥ךְho.LekhH1980.

11I returnedשַׁ֜בְתִּיShav.tiH7725,and sawוְרָאֹ֣הve.ra.'OhH7200under the sunהַשֶּׁ֗מֶשׁha.She.meshH8121,that the raceהַמֵּר֜וֹץha.me.RotzH4793isnot to the swiftלַקַּלִּ֨יםla.ka.LimH7031,nor the battleהַמִּלְחָמָ֗הha.mil.cha.MahH4421to the strongלַגִּבּוֹרִ֣יםla.gi.bo.RimH1368,neither yet breadלֶ֙חֶם֙le.chemH3899to the wiseלַחֲכָמִ֥יםla.cha.kha.MimH2450,nor yet richesעֹ֔שֶׁר'O.sherH6239to men of understandingלַנְּבֹנִים֙la.ne.vo.NimH995,nor yet favourחֵ֑ןChenH2580to men of skillלַיֹּדְעִ֖יםlai.yo.de.'ImH3045;but timeעֵ֥ת'etH6256and chanceוָפֶ֖גַעva.Fe.ga'H6294happenethיִקְרֶ֥הyik.RehH7136to them all.

12For manהָאָדָ֜םha.'a.DamH120also knowethיֵדַ֨עye.Da'H3045not his timeעִתּ֗וֹi.ToH6256:as the fishesכַּדָּגִים֙ka.da.GimH1709that are takenשֶׁנֶּֽאֱחָזִים֙she.ne.'e.cha.ZimH270in an evilרָעָ֔הra.'AhH7451netבִּמְצוֹדָ֣הbim.tzo.DahH4685,and as the birdsוְכַ֨צִּפֳּרִ֔יםve.Khatz.tzi.po.RimH6833that are caughtהָאֲחֻז֖וֹתha.'a.chu.ZotH270in the snareבַּפָּ֑חba.PachH6341;soH1992arethe sonsבְּנֵ֣יbe.NeiH1121of menהָֽאָדָ֔םha.'a.DamH120snaredיֽוּקָשִׁים֙yu.ka.ShimH3369in an evilרָעָ֔הra.'AhH7451timeלְעֵ֣תle.'EtH6256,when it fallethכְּשֶׁתִּפּ֥וֹלke.shet.ti.PolH5307suddenlyפִּתְאֹֽם׃pit.'OmH6597upon them.

13Thisזֹ֛הzohH2090wisdomחָכְמָ֖הchokh.mahH2451have I seenרָאִ֥יתִיra.'I.tiH7200also under the sunהַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁha.Sha.meshH8121, and it seemedgreatוּגְדוֹלָ֥הu.ge.do.LahH1419unto me:

14There wasa littleקְטַנָּ֔הke.ta.NahH6996cityעִ֣יר'irH5892,and fewמְעָ֑טme.'AtH4592menוַאֲנָשִׁ֥יםva.'a.na.ShimH582within it; and there cameוּבָֽא־u.va'-H935a greatגָּדוֹל֙ga.dOlH1419kingמֶ֤לֶךְMe.lekhH4428against it, and besiegedוְסָבַ֣בve.sa.VavH5437it, and builtוּבָנָ֥הu.va.NahH1129greatגְּדֹלִֽים׃ge.do.LimH1419bulwarksמְצוֹדִ֥יםme.tzo.DimH4685against it:

15Now there was foundוּמָ֣צָאu.Ma.tza'H4672in it a poorמִסְכֵּן֙mis.KenH4542wiseחָכָ֔םcha.KhamH2450manאִ֤ישׁ'ishH376,and he by his wisdomבְּחָכְמָת֑וֹbe.cha.khe.ma.ToH2451deliveredוּמִלַּט־u.mi.lat-H4422the cityהָעִ֖ירha.'IrH5892;yet no manוְאָדָם֙ve.'a.DamH120rememberedזָכַ֔רza.KharH2142that same poorהַמִּסְכֵּ֖ןha.mis.KenH4542manהָאִ֥ישׁha.'IshH376.

16Then saidוְאָמַ֣רְתִּיve.'a.Mar.tiH559I, Wisdomחָכְמָ֖הchokh.mahH2451isbetterטוֹבָ֥הto.VahH2896than strengthמִגְּבוּרָ֑הmi.ge.vu.RahH1369:nevertheless the poor man’sהַמִּסְכֵּן֙ha.mis.KenH4542wisdomוְחָכְמַ֤תve.cha.khe.MatH2451isdespisedבְּזוּיָ֔הbe.zu.YahH959,and his wordsוּדְבָרָ֖יוu.de.va.RavH1697are not heardנִשְׁמָעִֽים׃nish.ma.'ImH8085.

17The wordsדִּבְרֵ֣יdiv.ReiH1697of wiseחֲכָמִ֔יםcha.kha.MimH2450men areheardנִשְׁמָעִ֑יםnish.ma.'ImH8085in quietבְּנַ֖חַתbe.Na.chatH5183more than the cryמִזַּעֲקַ֥תmi.za.'a.KatH2201of him that rulethמוֹשֵׁ֖לmo.ShelH4910among foolsבַּכְּסִילִֽים׃ba.ke.si.LimH3684.

18Wisdomחָכְמָ֖הchokh.mahH2451isbetterטוֹבָ֥הto.VahH2896than weaponsמִכְּלֵ֣יmi.ke.LeiH3627of warקְרָ֑בke.RavH7128:but oneאֶחָ֔ד'e.ChadH259sinnerוְחוֹטֶ֣אve.cho.Te'H2398destroyethיְאַבֵּ֥דye.'a.BedH6muchהַרְבֵּֽה׃har.BehH7235goodטוֹבָ֥הto.VahH2896.

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 9

King James Version — Public Domain except in the United Kingdom (Crown rights)