New American Standard Bible 1995

Ecclesiastes 7:16-25

16Do not be excessivelyהַרְבֵּ֔הhar.BehH7235righteousצַדִּיק֙tza.DikH6662and do notbe overlyיוֹתֵ֑רyo.TerH3148wiseתִּתְחַכַּ֖םtit.cha.KamH2449.Whyלָ֖מָּהLa.mahH4100should you ruinתִּשּׁוֹמֵֽם׃ti.sho.MemH8074yourself?

17Do not be excessivelyהַרְבֵּ֖הhar.BehH7235wickedתִּרְשַׁ֥עtir.Sha'H7561and do not be a foolסָכָ֑לsa.KhalH5530.Whyלָ֥מָּהLa.mahH4100should youdieתָמ֖וּתta.MutH4191beforeבְּלֹ֥אbe.Lo'H3808your timeעִתֶּֽךָ׃'i.Te.khaH6256?

18It is goodט֚וֹבTovH2896that you graspתֶּאֱחֹ֣זte.'e.ChozH270oneH2088thingH2088and alsoוְגַם־ve.gam-H1571notletH5117 H3027goH5117 H3027of the otherH2088; for the one whofearsH3372Godאֱלֹהִ֖ים'E.lo.HimH430comesH3318forthH3318withbothכֻּלָּֽם׃ku.LamH3605of them.

19Wisdomהַֽחָכְמָ֖הha.cha.khe.MahH2451strengthensתָּעֹ֣זta.'OzH5810a wiseלֶחָכָ֑םle.cha.KhamH2450manH2450moreH4480thanH4480tenמֵֽעֲשָׂרָה֙me.'a.sa.RahH6235rulersשַׁלִּיטִ֔יםsha.li.TimH7989whoאֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.SherH834are in a cityבָּעִֽיר׃ba.'IrH5892.

20Indeedכִּ֣יkiH3588,thereאֵ֥ין'einH369is not a righteousצַדִּ֖יקtza.DikH6662manאָדָ֔ם'a.DamH120on earthבָּאָ֑רֶץba.'A.retzH776whoאֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.SherH834continuallydoesיַעֲשֶׂה־ya.'a.seh-H6213goodטּ֖וֹבTovH2896and who neverוְלֹ֥אve.Lo'H3808sinsיֶחֱטָֽא׃ye.che.Ta'H2398.

21Alsoגַּ֤םgamH1571, do nottakeתִּתֵּ֖ןti.TenH5414seriouslyלִבֶּ֑ךָli.Be.khaH3820allלְכָל־le.kholH3605wordsהַדְּבָרִים֙ha.de.va.RimH1697whichH834are spokenיְדַבֵּ֔רוּye.da.Be.ruH1696,soלֹֽא־lo'-H3808that you will not hearתִשְׁמַ֥עtish.Ma'H8085your servantעַבְדְּךָ֖'av.de.KhaH5650cursingמְקַלְלֶֽךָ׃me.ka.Le.chaH7043you.

22Foryou alsoגַּם־gam-H1571have realizedיָדַ֣עya.Da'H3045that you likewiseגַּם־gam-H1571have manyרַבּ֖וֹתra.BotH7227timesפְּעָמִ֥יםpe.'a.MimH6471cursedקִלַּ֥לְתָּki.Lal.taH7043othersאֲחֵרִֽים׃'a.che.RimH312.

23I testedנִסִּ֣יתִיni.Si.tiH5254allכָּל־kol-H3605thisזֹ֖הzohH2090with wisdomבַֽחָכְמָ֑הva.cha.khe.MahH2451, andI saidאָמַ֣רְתִּי'a.Mar.tiH559, “I will be wiseאֶחְכָּ֔מָה'ech.Ka.mahH2449,”but it was farרְחוֹקָ֥הre.cho.KahH7350from me.

24Whatמַה־mah-H4100has beenשֶּׁהָיָ֑הshe.ha.YahH1961is remoteרָח֖וֹקra.ChokH7350andexceedinglyוְעָמֹ֥ק׀ve.'a.MokH6013mysteriousעָמֹ֖ק'a.MokH6013.Whoמִ֥יmiH4310can discoverיִמְצָאֶֽנּוּ׃yim.tza.'E.nuH4672it?

25Idirectedסַבּ֨וֹתִֽיsa.Bo.tiH5437mymindוְלִבִּי֙ve.li.BiH3820to knowלָדַ֣עַתla.Da.'atH3045,to investigateוְלָת֔וּרve.la.TurH8446and to seekוּבַקֵּ֥שׁu.va.KeshH1245wisdomחָכְמָ֖הchokh.mahH2451and an explanationוְחֶשְׁבּ֑וֹןve.chesh.BonH2808,and to knowוְלָדַ֙עַת֙ve.la.Da.'atH3045the evilרֶ֣שַׁעRe.sha'H7562of follyH3689and the foolishnessH3689of madnessהוֹלֵלֽוֹת׃ho.le.LotH1947.

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