New American Standard Bible 2020

Ecclesiastes 4:1-8

1Then I lookedוָאֶרְאֶה֙va.'er.'EhH7200againוְשַׁ֣בְתִּֽיve.Shav.tiH7725at allכָּל־kol-H3605the actsH6217ofH6217oppressionH6217whichאֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.SherH834were being doneנַעֲשִׂ֖יםna.'a.SimH6213underתַּ֣חַתTa.chatH8478the sunהַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁha.Sha.meshH8121.And beholdוְהִנֵּ֣ה׀ve.hi.NehH2009, I sawthe tearsדִּמְעַ֣תdim.'AtH1832of the oppressedH6231and thatthey hadH369noH369oneH369to comfortמְנַחֵ֔םme.na.ChemH5162them;and powerכֹּ֔חַKo.achH3581was on the sideוּמִיַּ֤דu.mi.YadH3027of their oppressorsעֹֽשְׁקֵיהֶם֙'o.she.kei.HemH6231,but they hadH369noH369oneH369to comfortמְנַחֵֽם׃me.na.ChemH5162them.

2SoI congratulatedוְשַׁבֵּ֧חַve.sha.Be.achH7623the deadהַמֵּתִ֖יםha.me.TimH4191whoH7945are alreadyשֶׁכְּבָ֣רshe.ke.VarH3528deadמֵ֑תוּMe.tuH4191,moreמִן־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 personאִ֖ישׁ'ishH376and his neighborמֵרֵעֵ֑הוּme.re.'E.huH7453.Thisזֶ֥הzehH2088tooגַּם־gam-H1571isfutilityהֶ֖בֶלHe.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 futilityהֶ֖בֶלHe.velH1892underתַּ֥חַתTa.chatH8478the sunהַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ha.Sha.meshH8121.

8ThereH3426wasH3426a manאֶחָד֩'e.ChadH259withoutH369adependentשֵׁנִ֜יshe.NiH8145,havingH369neitherגַּ֣םgamH1571 H369a sonבֵּ֧ןbenH1121norH369a brotherוָאָ֣חva.'AchH251,yet thereH369wasH369noH369endקֵץ֙ketzH7093to allלְכָל־le.kholH3605his laborעֲמָל֔וֹa.ma.LoH5999.Indeedגַּם־gam-H1571,his eyesעֵינ֖וֹei.navH5869wereH7646not satisfiedH7646with richesעֹ֑שֶׁר'O.sherH6239, and he never asked, “Andfor whomוּלְמִ֣י׀u.le.MiH4310do I laborעָמֵ֗ל'a.MelH6001and depriveוּמְחַסֵּ֤רu.me.cha.SerH2637myselfנַפְשִׁי֙naf.ShiH5315of pleasureH2899?”Thisזֶ֥הzehH2088tooגַּם־gam-H1571is futilityהֶ֛בֶלHe.velH1892, and it is anunhappyרָ֖עra'H7451taskוְעִנְיַ֥ןve.'in.YanH6045.

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