Revised Literal Translation

Ecclesiastes 1

1The wordsדִּבְרֵי֙div.ReiH1697of the Preacherקֹהֶ֣לֶתko.He.letH6953,the sonבֶּן־ben-H1121of Davidדָּוִ֔דda.VidH1732,kingמֶ֖לֶךְMe.lekhH4428in Jerusalemבִּירוּשָׁלִָֽם׃bi.ru.sha.LimH3389.

2Vanityהֲבֵ֤לha.VelH1892of vanitiesהֲבָלִים֙ha.va.LimH1892,saithאָמַ֣ר'a.MarH559the Preacherקֹהֶ֔לֶתko.He.letH6953,vanityהֲבֵ֥לha.VelH1892of vanitiesהֲבָלִ֖יםha.va.LimH1892; all isvanityהָֽבֶל׃Ha.velH1892.

3What profitיִּתְר֖וֹןyit.RonH3504hath a manלָֽאָדָ֑םla.'a.DamH120of all his labourעֲמָל֔וֹa.ma.LoH5999which he takethשֶֽׁיַּעֲמֹ֖לshei.ya.'a.MolH5998under the sunהַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ha.Sha.meshH8121?

4Onegenerationדּ֤וֹרDorH1755passeth awayהֹלֵךְ֙ho.leKhH1980, and anothergenerationוְד֣וֹרve.DorH1755comethבָּ֔אBa'H935:but the earthוְהָאָ֖רֶץve.ha.'A.retzH776abidethעֹמָֽדֶת׃'o.Ma.detH5975for everלְעוֹלָ֥םle.'o.LamH5769.

5The sunהַשֶּׁ֖מֶשׁha.She.meshH8121also arisethוְזָרַ֥חve.za.RachH2224,and the sunהַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁha.Sha.meshH8121goeth downוּבָ֣אu.Va'H935,and hastethשׁוֹאֵ֛ףsho.'EfH7602to his placeמְקוֹמ֔וֹme.ko.MoH4725where he aroseזוֹרֵ֥חַֽzo.Re.achH2224.

6The windהָר֔וּחַha.Ru.achH7307goethהוֹלֵךְ֙ho.leKhH1980toward the southדָּר֔וֹםda.RomH1864,and turneth aboutH5437unto the northצָפ֑וֹןtza.FonH6828;it whirleth about continuallyהוֹלֵ֣ךְho.LekhH1980,and the windהָרֽוּחַ׃ha.Ru.achH7307returneth againשָׁ֥בshavH7725according to his circuitsסְבִיבֹתָ֖יוse.vi.vo.TavH5439.

7All the riversהַנְּחָלִים֙ha.ne.cha.LimH5158runH1980into the seaהַיָּ֔םhai.YamH3220;yet the seaוְהַיָּ֖םve.hai.YamH3220isnot fullמָלֵ֑אma.Le'H4392;unto the placeמְק֗וֹםme.KomH4725from whence the riversשֶׁ֤הַנְּחָלִים֙she.ha.ne.cha.limH5158comeH1980,thither they returnשָׁבִ֖יםsha.VimH7725againH3212.

8All thingsהַדְּבָרִ֣יםha.de.va.RimH1697arefull of labourיְגֵעִ֔יםye.ge.'ImH3023;manאִ֖ישׁ'ishH376cannotיוּכַ֥לyu.KhalH3201utterלְדַבֵּ֑רle.da.BerH1696it:the eyeעַ֙יִן֙'a.yinH5869is not satisfiedתִשְׂבַּ֥עtis.Ba'H7646with seeingלִרְא֔וֹתlir.'otH7200,nor the earאֹ֖זֶן'O.zenH241filledתִמָּלֵ֥אti.ma.Le'H4390with hearingמִשְּׁמֹֽעַ׃mi.she.Mo.a'H8085.

9The thing that hath been, it is thatwhich shall be; and that which is doneשֶׁנַּֽעֲשָׂ֔הshe.na.'a.SahH6213isthat which shall be doneשֶׁיֵּעָשֶׂ֑הshei.ye.'a.SehH6213: and there isno newחָדָ֖שׁcha.DashH2319thingunder the sunהַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ha.Sha.meshH8121.

10Is thereיֵ֥שׁyeshH3426anythingדָּבָ֛רda.VarH1697whereof it may be saidשֶׁיֹּאמַ֥רshei.yo.MarH559,Seeרְאֵה־re.'eh-H7200, this isnewחָדָ֣שׁcha.DashH2319?it hath been alreadyכְּבָר֙ke.VarH3528of old timeלְעֹֽלָמִ֔יםle.'o.la.MimH5769,which was beforeמִלְּפָנֵֽנוּ׃mi.le.fa.Ne.nuH6440us.

11There isno remembranceזִכְר֖וֹןzikh.RonH2146of formerלָרִאשֹׁנִ֑יםla.ri.sho.NimH7223things; neither shall there be anyremembranceזִכָּר֔וֹןzi.ka.RonH2146of thingsthat are to comeלָאַחֲרֹנִ֜יםla.'a.cha.ro.NimH314with thosethat shall come afterלָאַחֲרֹנָֽה׃ פla.'a.cha.ro.NahH314.

12I the Preacherקֹהֶ֗לֶתko.He.letH6953was kingמֶ֛לֶךְMe.lekhH4428over Israelיִשְׂרָאֵ֖לYis.ra.'ElH3478in Jerusalemבִּירוּשָׁלִָֽם׃bi.ru.sha.LimH3389.

13And I gaveוְנָתַ֣תִּיve.na.Ta.tiH5414my heartלִבִּ֗יli.BiH3820to seekלִדְר֤וֹשׁlid.Ro.oshH1875and search outוְלָתוּר֙ve.la.TurH8446by wisdomבַּֽחָכְמָ֔הba.cha.khe.MahH2451concerning all thingsthat are doneנַעֲשָׂ֖הna.'a.SahH6213under heavenהַשָּׁמָ֑יִםha.sha.Ma.yimH8064:this soreרָ֗עRa'H7451travailעִנְיַ֣ן'in.YanH6045hath Godאֱלֹהִ֛ים'E.lo.HimH430givenנָתַ֧ןna.TanH5414to the sonsלִבְנֵ֥יliv.NeiH1121of manהָאָדָ֖םha.'a.DamH120to be exercisedלַעֲנ֥וֹתla.'a.NotH6031therewith.

14I have seenרָאִ֙יתִי֙ra.'I.tiH7200all the worksהַֽמַּעֲשִׂ֔יםha.ma.'a.SimH4639that are doneשֶֽׁנַּעֲשׂ֖וּshe.na.'a.SuH6213under the sunהַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁha.Sha.meshH8121; and, behold, all isvanityהֶ֖בֶלHe.velH1892and vexationוּרְע֥וּתu.re.'UtH7469of spiritרֽוּחַ׃Ru.achH7307.

15That which iscrookedמְעֻוָּ֖תme.'u.VatH5791cannotיוּכַ֣לyu.KhalH3201be made straightלִתְקֹ֑ןlit.KonH8626:and that which is wantingוְחֶסְר֖וֹןve.ches.RonH2642cannotיוּכַ֥לyu.KhalH3201be numberedלְהִמָּנֽוֹת׃le.hi.ma.NotH4487.

16I communedדִּבַּ֨רְתִּיdi.Bar.tiH1696with mine own heartלִבִּי֙li.BiH3820,sayingלֵאמֹ֔רle.MorH559,Lo, I am come to great estateהִגְדַּ֤לְתִּיhig.Dal.tiH1431,and have gottenוְהוֹסַ֙פְתִּי֙ve.ho.Saf.tiH3254more wisdomחָכְמָ֔הchokh.mahH2451than all theythat have been beforeלְפָנַ֖יle.fa.NaiH6440me in Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִָ֑םye.ru.sha.LimH3389:yea, my heartוְלִבִּ֛יve.li.BiH3820had greatהַרְבֵּ֖הhar.BehH7235experienceרָאָ֥הra.'AhH7200of wisdomחָכְמָ֥הchokh.mahH2451and knowledgeוָדָֽעַת׃va.Da.'atH1847.

17And I gaveוָאֶתְּנָ֤הva.'e.te.NahH5414my heartלִבִּי֙li.BiH3820to knowלָדַ֣עַתla.Da.'atH3045wisdomחָכְמָ֔הchokh.mahH2451,and to knowוְדַ֥עַתve.Da.'atH3045madnessהוֹלֵל֖וֹתho.le.LotH1947and follyוְשִׂכְל֑וּתve.sikh.LutH5531:I perceivedיָדַ֕עְתִּיya.Da'.tiH3045that thisשֶׁגַּם־she.gam-H1571also is vexationרַעְי֥וֹןra'.YonH7475of spiritרֽוּחַ׃Ru.achH7307.

18For in muchH7230wisdomחָכְמָ֖הchokh.mahH2451ismuchH7230griefכָּ֑עַסKa.'asH3708:and he that increasethוְיוֹסִ֥יףve.yo.SifH3254knowledgeדַּ֖עַתDa.'atH1847increasethיוֹסִ֥יףyo.SifH3254sorrowמַכְאֽוֹב׃makh.'ovH4341.

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 1