New American Standard Bible 2020

Ecclesiastes 2:1-10

1I saidאָמַ֤רְתִּֽי'a.Mar.tiH559to myselfבְּלִבִּ֔יbe.li.BiH3820, “Comeלְכָה־le.khah-H1980nowנָּ֛אna'H4994,I will testאֲנַסְּכָ֛ה'a.na.se.KhahH5254you withpleasureבְשִׂמְחָ֖הve.sim.ChahH8057. Soenjoyוּרְאֵ֣ה בְט֑וֹבu.re.'Eh ve.TovH7200 H2896yourself.” And beholdוְהִנֵּ֥הve.hi.NehH2009,it tooגַם־gam-H1571was futilityהָֽבֶל׃Ha.velH1892.

2I saidאָמַ֣רְתִּי'a.Mar.tiH559of laughterלִשְׂח֖וֹקlis.ChokH7814, “It issenselessמְהוֹלָ֑לme.ho.LalH1984,”and of pleasureוּלְשִׂמְחָ֖הu.le.sim.ChahH8057, “Whatמַה־mah-H4100does thisH2088accomplishעֹשָֽׂה׃'o.SahH6213?”

3I exploredתַּ֣רְתִּיTar.tiH8446with mymindבְלִבִּ֔יve.li.BiH3820how torefreshלִמְשׁ֥וֹךְlim.ShokhH4900my bodyבְּשָׂרִ֑יbe.sa.RiH1320with wineבַּיַּ֖יִןbai.Ya.yinH3196while mymindוְלִבִּ֞יve.li.BiH3820was guidingנֹהֵ֤גno.HegH5090mewiselyבַּֽחָכְמָה֙ba.cha.khe.MahH2451;and how to seizeוְלֶאֱחֹ֣זve.le.'e.ChozH270foolishnessבְּסִכְל֔וּתbe.sikh.LutH5531,untilעַ֣ד'adH5704 H834I could seeאֶרְאֶ֗ה'er.'EhH7200whatאֵי־ זֶ֨ה'ei- zehH335 H2088goodט֜וֹבTovH2896there is for the sonsלִבְנֵ֤יliv.NeiH1121of mankindהָאָדָם֙ha.'a.DamH120to doיַעֲשׂוּ֙ya.'a.SuH6213underתַּ֣חַתTa.chatH8478heavenהַשָּׁמַ֔יִםha.sha.Ma.yimH8064for the fewמִסְפַּ֖רmis.ParH4557yearsיְמֵ֥יye.MeiH3117of their livesH2425.

4I enlargedהִגְדַּ֖לְתִּיhig.Dal.tiH1431my worksמַעֲשָׂ֑יma.'a.SaiH4639: Ibuiltבָּנִ֤יתִיba.Ni.tiH1129housesבָּתִּ֔יםba.TimH1004for myself, I plantedנָטַ֥עְתִּיna.Ta'.tiH5193vineyardsכְּרָמִֽים׃ke.ra.MimH3754for myself;

5I madeעָשִׂ֣יתִי'a.Si.tiH6213gardensגַּנּ֖וֹתga.NotH1593andparksוּפַרְדֵּסִ֑יםu.far.de.SimH6508for myself, and I plantedוְנָטַ֥עְתִּיve.na.Ta'.tiH5193in them allכָּל־kol-H3605kinds of fruitפֶּֽרִי׃Pe.riH6529treesעֵ֥ץ'etzH6086;

6I madeעָשִׂ֥יתִי'a.Si.tiH6213pondsבְּרֵכ֣וֹתbe.re.KhotH1295of waterמָ֑יִםMa.yimH4325for myself from which to irrigateלְהַשְׁק֣וֹתle.hash.KotH8248a forestיַ֖עַרYa.'arH3293of growingצוֹמֵ֥חַtzo.Me.achH6779treesעֵצִֽים׃'e.TzimH6086.

7I boughtקָנִ֙יתִי֙ka.Ni.tiH7069maleעֲבָדִ֣ים'a.va.DimH5650and femaleוּשְׁפָח֔וֹתu.she.fa.ChotH8198slavesH8198 H5650,and I hadH1961slavesוּבְנֵי־u.ve.nei-H1121bornat homeבַ֖יִתVa.yitH1004.I alsoגַּ֣םgamH1571possessed flocksוָצֹ֤אןva.TzonH6629andherdsבָקָ֨רva.KarH1241largerהַרְבֵּה֙har.BehH7235thanH4480allמִכֹּ֛לmi.KolH3605whoH7945precededלְפָנַ֖יle.fa.NaiH6440me in Jerusalemבִּירוּשָׁלִָֽם׃bi.ru.sha.LimH3389.

8I alsoגַּם־gam-H1571amassedכָּנַ֤סְתִּיka.Nas.tiH3664for myself silverכֶּ֣סֶףKe.sefH3701andgoldוְזָהָ֔בve.za.HavH2091,and the treasureוּסְגֻלַּ֥תu.se.gu.LatH5459of kingsמְלָכִ֖יםme.la.KhimH4428and provincesוְהַמְּדִינ֑וֹתve.ha.me.di.NotH4082.I providedעָשִׂ֨יתִי'a.Si.tiH6213for myselfmale and female singersH7891,and the pleasuresוְתַעֲנוּגֹ֛תve.ta.'a.nu.GotH8588of the sonsבְּנֵ֥יbe.NeiH1121of mankindהָאָדָ֖םha.'a.DamH120:manyשִׁדָּ֥הshi.DahH7705concubinesוְשִׁדּֽוֹת׃ve.shi.DotH7705.

9Then I becameH1431greatוְגָדַ֣לְתִּיve.ga.Dal.tiH1431and increasedוְהוֹסַ֔פְתִּיve.ho.Saf.tiH3254moreH4480thanH4480allמִכֹּ֛לmi.KolH3605whoH7945precededלְפָנַ֖יle.fa.NaiH6440me in Jerusalemבִּירוּשָׁלִָ֑םbi.ru.sha.LimH3389.My wisdomחָכְמָתִ֖יcha.khe.ma.TiH2451alsoאַ֥ף'afH637stoodעָ֥מְדָה'A.me.dahH5975by me.

10Allוְכֹל֙ve.KholH3605that my eyesעֵינַ֔י'ei.NaiH5869desiredשָֽׁאֲל֣וּsha.'a.LuH7592,I did not refuseאָצַ֖לְתִּי'a.Tzal.tiH680them. I did not restrainמָנַ֨עְתִּיma.Na'.tiH4513my heartלִבִּ֜יli.BiH3820from anyמִכָּל־mi.kolH3605pleasureשִׂמְחָ֗הsim.ChahH8057,for my heartלִבִּ֤יli.BiH3820was pleasedשָׂמֵ֙חַ֙sa.Me.achH8056becauseH4480of allמִכָּל־mi.kolH3605my laborעֲמָלִ֔י'a.ma.LiH5999;and thisוְזֶֽה־ve.zeh-H2088was myrewardחֶלְקִ֖יchel.KiH2506for allמִכָּל־mi.kolH3605my laborעֲמָלִֽי׃'a.ma.LiH5999.

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Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 2