New American Standard Bible 1995

Ecclesiastes 4

The Evils of Oppression

1Then I lookedוָאֶרְאֶה֙va.'er.'EhH7200againוְשַׁ֣בְתִּֽיve.Shav.tiH7725at allכָּל־kol-H3605the actsהָ֣עֲשֻׁקִ֔יםha.'a.shu.KimH6217ofoppressionהָעֲשֻׁקִ֗יםha.'a.shu.KimH6217whichאֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.SherH834were being doneנַעֲשִׂ֖יםna.'a.SimH6213underתַּ֣חַתTa.chatH8478the sunהַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁha.Sha.meshH8121.And beholdוְהִנֵּ֣ה׀ve.hi.NehH2009I sawthe tearsדִּמְעַ֣תdim.'AtH1832of the oppressedH6231and thatthey hadH369noH369oneH369to comfortמְנַחֵ֔םme.na.ChemH5162them;and on the sideוּמִיַּ֤דu.mi.YadH3027of their oppressorsעֹֽשְׁקֵיהֶם֙'o.she.kei.HemH6231was powerכֹּ֔חַKo.achH3581,but they hadH369noH369oneH369to comfortמְנַחֵֽם׃me.na.ChemH5162them.

2SoI congratulatedוְשַׁבֵּ֧חַve.sha.Be.achH7623the deadהַמֵּתִ֖יםha.me.TimH4191whoH7945are alreadyשֶׁכְּבָ֣רshe.ke.VarH3528deadמֵ֑תוּMe.tuH4191moreמִן־min-H4480thanH4480the livingהַ֣חַיִּ֔יםha.chai.YimH2416whoאֲשֶׁ֛ר'a.SherH834are stillעֲדֶֽנָה׃'a.De.nahH5728livingחַיִּ֖יםchai.YimH2416.

3Butbetterוְטוֹב֙ve.tOvH2896offthanH4480bothמִשְּׁנֵיהֶ֔םmi.she.nei.HemH8147of them is the one whoH834has neverלֹ֣אlo'H3808existedהָיָ֑הha.YahH1961,whoH834has neverלֹֽא־lo'-H3808seenרָאָה֙ra.'AhH7200the evilהָרָ֔עha.Ra'H7451activityהַמַּעֲשֶׂ֣הha.ma.'a.SehH4639that is doneנַעֲשָׂ֖הna.'a.SahH6213underתַּ֥חַתTa.chatH8478the sunהַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ha.Sha.meshH8121.

4I have seenוְרָאִ֨יתִֽיve.ra.'I.tiH7200that everyכָּל־kol-H3605laborעָמָ֗ל'a.MalH5999and everyכָּל־kol-H3605skillכִּשְׁר֣וֹןkish.RonH3788which is doneהַֽמַּעֲשֶׂ֔הha.ma.'a.SehH4639is the result ofrivalryקִנְאַת־kin.'at-H7068between a manאִ֖ישׁ'ishH376and his neighborמֵרֵעֵ֑הוּme.re.'E.huH7453.Thisזֶ֥הzehH2088tooגַּם־gam-H1571isvanityהֶ֖בֶלHe.velH1892and strivingוּרְע֥וּתu.re.'UtH7469after windרֽוּחַ׃Ru.achH7307.

5The foolהַכְּסִיל֙ha.ke.SilH3684foldsחֹבֵ֣קcho.VekH2263his handsיָדָ֔יוya.DavH3027andconsumesוְאֹכֵ֖לve.'o.KhelH398his own fleshבְּשָׂרֽוֹ׃be.sa.RoH1320.

6One handכַ֖ףkhafH3709fullמְלֹ֥אme.Lo'H4393of restנָ֑חַתNa.chatH5183isbetterט֕וֹבTovH2896thanH4480two fistsחָפְנַ֛יִםcha.fe.Na.yimH2651fullמִמְּלֹ֥אmi.me.Lo'H4393of laborעָמָ֖ל'a.MalH5999and strivingוּרְע֥וּתu.re.'UtH7469after windרֽוּחַ׃Ru.achH7307.

7Then I lookedוָאֶרְאֶ֥הva.'er.'EhH7200againוְשַׁ֧בְתִּיve.Shav.tiH7725at vanityהֶ֖בֶלHe.velH1892underתַּ֥חַתTa.chatH8478the sunהַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ha.Sha.meshH8121.

8Thereיֵ֣שׁyeshH3426was a certainH259manH259withoutH369adependentשֵׁנִ֜יshe.NiH8145,havingH369neitherגַּ֣םgamH1571 H369a sonבֵּ֧ןbenH1121norH369a brotherוָאָ֣חva.'AchH251,yet thereH369was noH369endקֵץ֙ketzH7093to allלְכָל־le.kholH3605his laborעֲמָל֔וֹa.ma.LoH5999.Indeedגַּם־gam-H1571,his eyesעֵינ֖וֹei.navH5869were not satisfiedתִשְׂבַּ֣עtis.Ba'H7646with richesעֹ֑שֶׁר'O.sherH6239and he never asked, “Andfor whomוּלְמִ֣י׀u.le.MiH4310am I laboringעָמֵ֗ל'a.MelH6001and deprivingוּמְחַסֵּ֤רu.me.cha.SerH2637myselfנַפְשִׁי֙naf.ShiH5315of pleasureH2899?”Thisזֶ֥הzehH2088tooגַּם־gam-H1571is vanityהֶ֛בֶלHe.velH1892and it is agrievousרָ֖עra'H7451taskוְעִנְיַ֥ןve.'in.YanH6045.

9Twoהַשְּׁנַ֖יִםha.she.Na.yimH8147are betterטוֹבִ֥יםto.VimH2896thanמִן־min-H4480oneהָאֶחָ֑דha.'e.ChadH259becauseאֲשֶׁ֧ר'a.SherH834they haveיֵשׁ־yesh-H3426a goodט֖וֹבTovH2896returnH7725for their laborבַּעֲמָלָֽם׃ba.'a.ma.LamH5999.

10For ifאִם־'im-H518either of them fallsיִפֹּ֔לוּyi.Po.luH5307,the oneהָאֶחָ֖דha.'e.ChadH259will liftיָקִ֣יםya.KimH6965up his companionחֲבֵר֑וֹcha.ve.RoH2270.But woeוְאִ֣יל֗וֹve.'I.LoH337to the oneהָֽאֶחָד֙ha.'e.ChadH259whoH7945fallsשֶׁיִּפּ֔וֹלshei.yi.PolH5307when thereוְאֵ֥יןve.'EinH369is notanotherשֵׁנִ֖יshe.NiH8145to liftלַהֲקִימֽוֹ׃la.ha.ki.MoH6965him up.

11Furthermoreגַּ֛םgamH1571,ifאִם־'im-H518twoשְׁנַ֖יִםshe.Na.yimH8147lieיִשְׁכְּב֥וּyish.ke.VuH7901downH7901together theykeepH2552warmH2552, buthowאֵ֥יךְ'eikhH349can oneוּלְאֶחָ֖דu.le.'e.ChadH259be warmH2552alone?

12And ifוְאִֽם־ve.'im-H518oneהָאֶחָ֔דha.'e.ChadH259can overpowerיִתְקְפוֹ֙yit.ke.FoH8630him whoH259is alone, twoהַשְּׁנַ֖יִםha.she.Na.yimH8147can resistיַעַמְד֣וּ נֶגְדּ֑וֹya.'am.Du neg.DoH5975 H5048him. A cordוְהַחוּט֙ve.ha.ChutH2339of threeהַֽמְשֻׁלָּ֔שׁham.shu.LashH8027strandsis not quicklyבִמְהֵרָ֖הvim.he.RahH4120tornיִנָּתֵֽק׃yi.na.TekH5423apartH5423.

13Apoorמִסְכֵּ֖ןmis.KenH4542yet wiseוְחָכָ֑םve.cha.KhamH2450ladיֶ֥לֶדYe.ledH3206is betterט֛וֹבTovH2896thanH4480an oldזָקֵן֙za.KenH2205and foolishוּכְסִ֔ילu.khe.SilH3684kingמִמֶּ֤לֶךְmi.Me.lekhH4428whoאֲשֶׁ֛ר'a.SherH834noלֹא־lo'-H3808longerעֽוֹד׃odH5750knowsיָדַ֥עya.Da'H3045howto receiveH2094instructionH2094.

14For he has comeיָצָ֣אya.Tza'H3318out of prisonמִבֵּ֥ית הָסוּרִ֖יםmi.Beit ha.su.RimH1004 H631to becomeלִמְלֹ֑ךְlim.LokhH4427kingH4427,evenגַּ֥םgamH1571thoughH3588he was bornנוֹלַ֥דno.LadH3205poorרָֽשׁ׃RashH7326in his kingdomבְּמַלְכוּת֖וֹbe.mal.khu.ToH4438.

15I have seenרָאִ֙יתִי֙ra.'I.tiH7200allכָּל־kol-H3605the livingהַ֣חַיִּ֔יםha.chai.YimH2416underתַּ֣חַתTa.chatH8478the sunהַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁha.Sha.meshH8121throngהַֽמְהַלְּכִ֖יםham.ha.le.KhimH1980to the sideעִ֚ם'imH5973of the secondהַשֵּׁנִ֔יha.she.NiH8145ladהַיֶּ֣לֶדhai.Ye.ledH3206whoאֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.SherH834replacesיַעֲמֹ֖ד תַּחְתָּֽיו׃ya.'a.Mod tach.TavH5975 H8478him.

16ThereH369is noH369endקֵ֣ץketzH7093to allלְכָל־le.kholH3605the peopleהָעָ֗םha.'AmH5971,to allלְכֹ֤לle.KholH3605whoאֲשֶׁר־'a.Sher-H834were beforeלִפְנֵיהֶ֔םlif.nei.HemH6440them, and evenגַּ֥םgamH1571the onesH314whoH314will comeH314laterH314will not be happyיִשְׂמְחוּ־yis.me.chu-H8055with him, for thisזֶ֥הzehH2088tooגַם־gam-H1571isvanityהֶ֖בֶלHe.velH1892and strivingוְרַעְי֥וֹןve.ra'.YonH7475after windרֽוּחַ׃Ru.achH7307.

The Evils of Oppression

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 4