New American Standard Bible 1995

Ecclesiastes 6

The Futility of Life

1Thereיֵ֣שׁyeshH3426is anevilH7463whichאֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.SherH834I have seenרָאִ֖יתִיra.'I.tiH7200underתַּ֣חַתTa.chatH8478the sunהַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁha.Sha.meshH8121and it is prevalentוְרַבָּ֥הve.ra.BahH7227amongעַל־'al-H5921menהָאָדָֽם׃ha.'a.DamH120--

2a manH376to whomH834Godהָאֱלֹהִ֡יםha.'E.lo.HimH430hasgivenיִתֶּן־yi.ten-H5414richesעֹשֶׁר֩'o.SherH6239and wealthוּנְכָסִ֨יםu.ne.kha.SimH5233and honorוְכָב֜וֹדve.kha.VodH3519so that his soulלְנַפְשׁ֣וֹ׀le.naf.ShoH5315lacksחָסֵ֥רcha.SerH2638nothingוְֽאֵינֶ֨נּוּve.'ei.Ne.nuH369of allמִכֹּ֣לmi.KolH3605that he desiresיִתְאַוֶּ֗הyit.'a.VehH183;yet Godהָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ha.'E.lo.HimH430has not empoweredיַשְׁלִיטֶ֤נּוּyash.li.Te.nuH7980him to eatלֶאֱכֹ֣לle.'e.KholH398from them, for a foreignerנָכְרִ֖יna.khe.RiH5237enjoysיֹֽאכֲלֶ֑נּוּyo.kha.Le.nuH398them. Thisזֶ֥הzehH2088isvanityהֶ֛בֶלHe.velH1892and a severeרָ֖עra'H7451afflictionוָחֳלִ֥יvo.cho.LiH2483.

3Ifאִם־'im-H518a manאִ֣ישׁ'ishH376fathersיוֹלִ֣ידyo.LidH3205a hundredמֵאָ֡הme.'AhH3967childrenand livesיִֽחְיֶ֜הyich.YehH2421manyרַבּ֨וֹתra.BotH7227yearsH8141,however manyוְרַ֣ב׀ve.RavH7227they be, but his soulוְנַפְשׁוֹ֙ve.naf.ShoH5315is not satisfiedתִשְׂבַּ֣עtis.Ba'H7646with goodH2899thingsH2899and he does not evenוְגַם־ve.gam-H1571haveH1961a properburialקְבוּרָ֖הke.vu.RahH6900, thenI sayאָמַ֕רְתִּי'a.Mar.tiH559, “BetterH2896the miscarriageהַנָּֽפֶל׃ha.Na.felH5309thanH4480he,

4for it comesבָּ֖אba'H935in futilityבַהֶ֥בֶלva.He.velH1892and goesיֵלֵ֑ךְye.LekhH1980into obscurityוּבַחֹ֣שֶׁךְu.va.Cho.shekhH2822;and its nameשְׁמ֥וֹshe.MoH8034is coveredיְכֻסֶּֽה׃ye.khu.SehH3680in obscurityוּבַחֹ֖שֶׁךְu.va.Cho.shekhH2822.

5It neverלֹא־lo'-H3808seesרָאָ֖הra.'AhH7200the sunשֶׁ֥מֶשׁShe.meshH8121and it neverוְלֹ֣אve.Lo'H3808knowsיָדָ֑עya.Da'H3045anything;it is betterנַ֥חַתNa.chatH5183off thanH4480he.

6Even ifוְאִלּ֣וּve.'i.LuH432the otherman livesחָיָ֗הcha.YahH2421a thousandאֶ֤לֶף'E.lefH505yearsשָׁנִים֙sha.NimH8141twiceפַּעֲמַ֔יִםpa.'a.Ma.yimH6471and does notenjoyרָאָ֑הra.'AhH7200 H2899goodH2899thingsH2899--do not allהַכֹּ֥לha.KolH3605goהוֹלֵֽךְ׃ho.LekhH1980to oneאֶחָ֖ד'e.ChadH259placeמָק֥וֹםma.KomH4725?”

7Allכָּל־kol-H3605a man’sהָאָדָ֖םha.'a.DamH120laborעֲמַ֥ל'a.MalH5999is for his mouthלְפִ֑יהוּle.Fi.huH6310and yetוְגַם־ve.gam-H1571theappetiteהַנֶּ֖פֶשׁha.Ne.feshH5315is notsatisfiedתִמָּלֵֽא׃ti.ma.Le'H4390.

8Forwhatמַה־mah-H4100advantageיּוֹתֵ֥רyo.TerH3148does the wiseלֶחָכָ֖םle.cha.KhamH2450manH2450have overמִֽן־min-H4480the foolהַכְּסִ֑ילha.ke.SilH3684?Whatמַה־mah-H4100advantagedoes the poorלֶּעָנִ֣יle.'a.NiH6041manH6041have, knowingיוֹדֵ֔עַyo.De.a'H3045howto walkלַהֲלֹ֖ךְla.ha.LokhH1980beforeנֶ֥גֶדNe.gedH5048the livingהַחַיִּֽים׃ha.chai.YimH2416?

9WhatH4758the eyesעֵינַ֖יִם'ei.Na.yimH5869seeH4758is betterט֛וֹבTovH2896thanH4480what the soulנָ֑פֶשׁNa.feshH5315desiresמֵֽהֲלָךְ־me.ha.lokh-H1980.Thisזֶ֥הzehH2088tooגַּם־gam-H1571isfutilityהֶ֖בֶלHe.velH1892and a strivingוּרְע֥וּתu.re.'UtH7469after windרֽוּחַ׃Ru.achH7307.

10Whateverמַה־mah-H4100 H7945existsשֶּֽׁהָיָ֗הshe.ha.YahH1961has alreadyכְּבָר֙ke.VarH3528been namedנִקְרָ֣א שְׁמ֔וֹnik.Ra' she.MoH7121 H8034,and it is knownוְנוֹדָ֖עve.no.Da'H3045whatאֲשֶׁר־'a.Sher-H834manאָדָ֑ם'a.DamH120is; for hecannotוְלֹא־ יוּכַ֣לve.lo'- yu.KhalH3201 H3808disputeלָדִ֔יןla.DinH1777with him whoH7945is strongerשֶׁתַּקִּ֖יףshe.hat.kifH8623thanמִמֶּֽנּוּ׃mi.Me.nuH4480he is.

11For thereיֵשׁ־yesh-H3426are manyהַרְבֵּ֖הhar.BehH7235wordsדְּבָרִ֥יםde.va.RimH1697which increaseמַרְבִּ֣יםmar.BimH7235futilityהָ֑בֶלHa.velH1892.Whatמַה־mah-H4100thenis the advantageיֹּתֵ֖רyo.TerH3148to a manלָאָדָֽם׃la.'a.DamH120?

12For whoמִֽי־mi-H4310knowsיוֹדֵעַ֩yo.de.a'H3045whatמַה־mah-H4100is goodטּ֨וֹבTovH2896for a manלָֽאָדָ֜םla.'a.DamH120during hislifetimeH2425, duringthe fewמִסְפַּ֛רmis.ParH4557yearsיְמֵי־ye.mei-H3117of his futileהֶבְל֖וֹhev.LoH1892lifeH2425? He willspendוְיַעֲשֵׂ֣םve.ya.'a.SemH6213them like a shadowכַּצֵּ֑לka.TzelH6738.For whoמִֽי־mi-H4310can tellיַגִּ֣ידya.GidH5046a manלָֽאָדָ֔םla.'a.DamH120whatמַה־mah-H4100will be afterאַחֲרָ֖יו'a.cha.RavH310him underתַּ֥חַתTa.chatH8478the sunהַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ha.Sha.meshH8121?

The Futility of Life

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 6