New American Standard Bible 2020

Ecclesiastes 5

Your Attitude toward God

1Guardשְׁמֹ֣רshe.MorH8104your stepsרַגְלְךָ֗rag.lei.khaH7272as you goתֵּלֵךְ֙te.leKhH1980to the houseבֵּ֣יתbeitH1004of GodH430,and approachוְקָר֣וֹבve.ka.RovH7126to listenלִשְׁמֹ֔עַlish.Mo.a'H8085ratherH4480thanH4480to offerמִתֵּ֥תmi.TetH5414thesacrificeזָ֑בַחZa.vachH2077of foolsהַכְּסִילִ֖יםha.ke.si.LimH3684;for they do not knowיוֹדְעִ֖יםyod.'ImH3045that they are doingלַעֲשׂ֥וֹתla.'a.SotH6213evilרָֽע׃Ra'H7451.

2Do not beH926quickH926with your mouthפִּ֜יךָPi.khaH6310orimpulsiveיְמַהֵ֛רye.ma.HerH4116in thoughtוְלִבְּךָ֧ve.li.be.KhaH3820to bringלְהוֹצִ֥יאle.ho.Tzi'H3318upH3318a matterH1697in the presenceלִפְנֵ֣יlif.NeiH6440of Godהָאֱלֹהִ֑יםha.'E.lo.HimH430.For Godהָאֱלֹהִ֤יםha.'E.lo.HimH430is in heavenבַּשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙ba.sha.Ma.yimH8064and you are on the earthהָאָ֔רֶץha.'A.retzH776;thereforeכֵּ֛ןkenH5921 H3651let yourwordsH1697be fewמְעַטִּֽים׃me.'a.TimH4592.

3For the dreamהַחֲל֖וֹםha.cha.LomH2472comesבָּ֥אba'H935through muchבְּרֹ֣בbe.RoH7230effortעִנְיָ֑ן'in.YanH6045,and the voiceוְק֥וֹלve.KolH6963of afoolH3684through manyבְּרֹ֥בbe.RoH7230wordsדְּבָרִֽים׃de.va.RimH1697.

4WhenH3512youmakeH5087a vowנֶ֜דֶרNe.derH5088to Godלֵֽאלֹהִ֗יםle.lo.HimH430,do not be lateתְּאַחֵר֙te.'a.CherH309in payingH7999it; for He takesnoאֵ֥ין'einH369delightחֵ֖פֶץChe.fetzH2656in foolsבַּכְּסִילִ֑יםba.ke.si.LimH3684.PayH7999whatH834you vowH5087!

5It isbetterט֖וֹבTovH2896that you not vowתִדֹּ֑רti.DorH5087,thanH4480vowמִשֶׁתִּדּ֖וֹרmi.shet.ti.DorH5087and not payתְשַׁלֵּֽם׃te.sha.LemH7999.

6Do not letתִּתֵּ֤ןti.TenH5414yourspeechפִּ֙יךָ֙pi.khaH6310causeyou to sinלַחֲטִ֣יאla.cha.Ti'H2398,and do not sayתֹּאמַר֙to.MarH559in the presenceלִפְנֵ֣יlif.NeiH6440of the messengerהַמַּלְאָ֔ךְha.mal.'AkhH4397of God that it was amistakeשְׁגָגָ֖הshe.ga.GahH7684.Whyלָ֣מָּהLa.mahH4100should GodH430beH7107angryיִקְצֹ֤ףyik.TzofH7107onH5921accountH5921ofH5921your voiceקוֹלֶ֔ךָko.Le.chaH6963,and destroyוְחִבֵּ֖לve.chi.BelH2254the workמַעֲשֵׂ֥הma.'a.SehH4639of your handsיָדֶֽיךָ׃ya.Dei.khaH3027?

7For in manyבְרֹ֤בve.RoH7230dreamsחֲלֹמוֹת֙cha.lo.mOtH2472and in manyהַרְבֵּ֑הhar.BehH7235wordsוּדְבָרִ֖יםu.de.va.RimH1697there is futilityוַהֲבָלִ֔יםva.ha.va.LimH1892.RatherH3588,fearיְרָֽא׃ye.Ra'H3372Godהָאֱלֹהִ֖יםha.'E.lo.HimH430.

8Ifאִם־'im-H518you seeתִּרְאֶ֣הtir.'EhH7200oppressionעֹ֣שֶׁק'O.shekH6233of the poorרָ֠שׁrashH7326anddenialוְגֵ֨זֶלve.Ge.zelH1498of justiceמִשְׁפָּ֤טmish.PatH4941and righteousnessוָצֶ֙דֶק֙va.Tze.dekH6664in the provinceבַמְּדִינָ֔הva.me.di.NahH4082,do not beH8539shockedH8539at thesightהַחֵ֑פֶץha.Che.fetzH2656; for oneofficialH1364watchesשֹׁמֵ֔רsho.MerH8104overH4480 H5921anotherofficialH1364,and there are higherH1364officialsH1364overH5921them.

9After allבַּכֹּ֣לba.KolH3605,a kingמֶ֥לֶךְMe.lekhH4428who cultivatesנֶעֱבָֽד׃ne.'e.VadH5647the fieldלְשָׂדֶ֖הle.sa.DehH7704is beneficialוְיִתְר֥וֹןve.yit.RonH3504to the landאֶ֖רֶץ'E.retzH776.

The Foolishness of Riches

10One who lovesאֹהֵ֥ב'o.HevH157moneyכֶּ֙סֶף֙ke.sefH3701will not beH7646satisfiedH7646with moneyכֶּ֔סֶףKe.sefH3701,norH3808one whoוּמִֽי־u.mi-H4310lovesאֹהֵ֥ב'o.HevH157abundanceבֶּהָמ֖וֹןbe.ha.MonH1995with itsincomeתְבוּאָ֑הte.vu.'AhH8393.Thisזֶ֖הzehH2088tooגַּם־gam-H1571is futilityהָֽבֶל׃Ha.velH1892.

11When goodH2899thingsH2899increaseH7235,those who consumeH398them increaseרַבּ֖וּra.BuH7231.So whatוּמַה־u.mah-H4100is the advantageכִּשְׁרוֹן֙kish.rOnH3788to their ownersלִבְעָלֶ֔יהָliv.'a.Lei.haH1167exceptכִּ֖יkiH3588 H518tolookרְא֥וּת עֵינָֽיו׃re.'i.yat 'ei.NavH7212 H5869at them?

12The sleepשְׁנַ֣תshe.NatH8142of the laborerהָעֹבֵ֔דha.'o.VedH5647issweetמְתוּקָה֙me.tu.KahH4966,whetherH518he eatsיֹאכֵ֑לyo.KhelH398littleמְעַ֥טme.'AtH4592or muchהַרְבֵּ֖הhar.BehH7235; but thefullH7647stomachH7647of the richלֶֽעָשִׁ֔ירle.'a.ShirH6223personH6223does not allowמַנִּ֥יחַֽma.Ni.achH5117him to sleepלִישֽׁוֹן׃li.ShonH3462.

13ThereH3426isH3426a sickeningחוֹלָ֔הcho.LahH2470evilH7463whichI have seenרָאִ֖יתִיra.'I.tiH7200underתַּ֣חַתTa.chatH8478the sunהַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁha.Sha.meshH8121:wealthH6239beinghoardedשָׁמ֥וּרsha.MurH8104by its ownerלִבְעָלָ֖יוliv.'a.LavH1167to his detrimentH7463.

14When that wealthהָעֹ֥שֶׁרha.'O.sherH6239was lostוְאָבַ֛דve.'a.VadH6through badרָ֑עRa'H7451businessבְּעִנְיַ֣ןbe.'in.YanH6045and he had fatheredוְהוֹלִ֣ידve.ho.LidH3205a sonבֵּ֔ןBenH1121,then thereH369wasH369nothingH369 H3972to supportH3027him.

15As he cameיָצָא֙ya.Tza'H3318nakedעָר֛וֹםa.RomH6174from his mother’sאִמּ֔וֹ'i.MoH517wombמִבֶּ֣טֶןmi.Be.tenH990,so he will returnיָשׁ֥וּבya.ShuvH7725 H1980as he cameH935. He willtakeיִשָּׂ֣אyi.Sa'H5375nothingוּמְא֙וּמָה֙ לֹא־u.me.'U.mah lo'-H3972 H3808from the fruitH5999ofH5999his laborH5999that he can carryH1980in his handבְּיָדֽוֹ׃be.ya.DoH3027.

16Thisזֹה֙zohH2090alsoH1571is a sickeningחוֹלָ֔הcho.LahH2470evilH7463:exactlyעֻמַּ֥ת'u.MatH3605 H5980as a personisH935bornH935,soכֵּ֣ןkenH3651will hedieיֵלֵ֑ךְye.LekhH1980.Whatוּמַה־u.mah-H4100then is the advantageיִּתְר֣וֹןyit.RonH3504for him whoH7945laborsשֶֽׁיַּעֲמֹ֖לshei.ya.'a.MolH5998for the windלָרֽוּחַ׃la.Ru.achH7307?

17AllH3605his lifeH3117healsoגַּ֥םgamH1571eatsH398in darknessבַּחֹ֣שֶׁךְba.Cho.shekhH2822withgreatהַרְבֵּ֖הhar.BehH7235irritationH3708,sicknessוְחָלְי֥וֹve.chal.YoH2483,and angerוָקָֽצֶף׃va.Ka.tzefH7110.

18Hereהִנֵּ֞הhi.NehH2009is whatH834I have seenרָאִ֣יתִיra.'I.tiH7200to begoodH2896andfittingיָפֶ֣הya.PehH3303:to eatH398,to drinkוְ֠לִשְׁתּוֹתVe.lish.totH8354, andenjoyוְלִרְא֨וֹתve.lir.'otH7200 H2899oneself in allH3605one’s laborH5999in whichH7945he laborsשֶׁיַּעֲמֹ֣לshei.ya.'a.MolH5998underתַּֽחַת־ta.chat-H8478the sunהַשֶּׁ֗מֶשׁha.She.meshH8121duringthe fewמִסְפַּ֧רmis.ParH4557yearsיְמֵי־ye.mei-H3117of his lifeH2425whichH834GodH430has givenH5414him; for thisH1931is hisrewardH2506.

19Furthermoreגַּ֣םgamH1571,as for everyכָּֽל־kal-H3605personהָאָדָ֡םha.'a.DamH120to whomאֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.SherH834GodH430has givenנָֽתַן־na.tan-H5414richesעֹ֨שֶׁר'O.sherH6239and wealthוּנְכָסִ֜יםu.ne.kha.SimH5233, He has alsogivenH7980him theH7980opportunityH7980toenjoyלֶאֱכֹ֤לle.'e.KholH398them and to receiveוְלָשֵׂ֣אתve.la.SetH5375hisrewardחֶלְק֔וֹchel.KoH2506and rejoiceוְלִשְׂמֹ֖חַve.lis.Mo.achH8055in his laborבַּעֲמָל֑וֹba.'a.ma.LoH5999;thisזֹ֕הzohH2090is thegiftמַתַּ֥תma.TatH4991of GodH430.

20For he will not oftenהַרְבֵּ֔הhar.BehH7235callH2142toH2142mindH2142theyearsיְמֵ֣יye.MeiH3117of his lifeH2425,becauseH3588Godהָאֱלֹהִ֛יםha.'E.lo.HimH430keepsH6030him busyH6030with the joyבְּשִׂמְחַ֥תbe.sim.ChatH8057of his heartלִבּֽוֹ׃li.BoH3820.

Your Attitude toward God

The Foolishness of Riches

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 5