Revised Literal Translation

Ecclesiastes 2:12-23

12And I turnedוּפָנִ֤יתִֽיu.fa.Ni.tiH6437myself to beholdלִרְא֣וֹתlir.'otH7200wisdomחָכְמָ֔הchokh.mahH2451,and madnessוְהוֹלֵל֖וֹתve.ho.le.LotH1947,and follyוְסִכְל֑וּתve.sikh.LutH5531: for what canthe manהָאָדָ֗םha.'a.DamH120dothat comethשֶׁיָּבוֹא֙shei.ya.Vo'H935afterאַחֲרֵ֣י'a.cha.ReiH310the kingהַמֶּ֔לֶךְha.Me.lekhH4428? eventhat which hath been alreadyכְּבָ֖רke.VarH3528doneעָשֽׂוּהוּ׃'a.Su.huH6213.

13Then I sawוְרָאִ֣יתִיve.ra.'I.tiH7200thatשֶׁיֵּ֥שׁshei.YeshH3426wisdomלַֽחָכְמָ֖הla.cha.khe.MahH2451excellethיִתְר֛וֹןyit.RonH3504follyהַסִּכְל֑וּתha.sikh.LutH5531,as far as lightהָא֖וֹרha.'OrH216excellethכִּֽיתְר֥וֹןkit.RonH3504darknessהַחֹֽשֶׁךְ׃ha.Cho.shekhH2822.

14The wise man’sהֶֽחָכָם֙he.cha.KhamH2450eyesעֵינָ֣יו'ei.NavH5869arein his headבְּרֹאשׁ֔וֹbe.ro.ShoH7218;but the foolוְהַכְּסִ֖ילve.ha.ke.SilH3684walkethהוֹלֵ֑ךְho.LekhH1980in darknessבַּחֹ֣שֶׁךְba.Cho.shekhH2822:and I myself perceivedוְיָדַ֣עְתִּיve.ya.Da'.tiH3045also that oneאֶחָ֖ד'e.ChadH259eventשֶׁמִּקְרֶ֥הshe.mik.RehH4745happenethיִקְרֶ֥הyik.RehH7136to them all.

15Thenאָ֣ז'azH227saidוְאָמַ֨רְתִּֽיve.'a.Mar.tiH559I in my heartבְּלִבִּ֗יbe.li.BiH3820,As it happenethכְּמִקְרֵ֤הke.mik.RehH4745to the foolהַכְּסִיל֙ha.ke.SilH3684,so it happenethיִקְרֵ֔נִיyik.Re.niH7136even to meH1571;and why was I then moreיוֹתֵ֑רyo.TerH3148wiseחָכַ֛מְתִּיcha.Kham.tiH2449?Then I saidוְדִבַּ֣רְתִּיve.di.Bar.tiH1696in my heartבְלִבִּ֔יve.li.BiH3820, that this also isvanityהָֽבֶל׃Ha.velH1892.

16For there isno remembranceזִכְר֧וֹןzikh.RonH2146of the wiseלֶחָכָ֛םle.cha.KhamH2450more thanH5973of the foolהַכְּסִ֖ילha.ke.SilH3684for everלְעוֹלָ֑םle.'o.LamH5769;seeing that which nowבְּשֶׁכְּבָ֞רbe.she.ke.VarH3528isin the daysהַיָּמִ֤יםhai.ya.MimH3117to comeהַבָּאִים֙ha.ba.'ImH935shall all be forgottenנִשְׁכָּ֔חnish.KachH7911.And how diethיָמ֥וּתya.MutH4191the wiseהֶחָכָ֖םhe.cha.KhamH2450man?as the foolהַכְּסִֽיל׃ha.ke.SilH3684.

17Therefore I hatedוְשָׂנֵ֙אתִי֙ve.sa.Ne.tiH8130lifeהַ֣חַיִּ֔יםha.chai.YimH2416;because the workהַֽמַּעֲשֶׂ֔הha.ma.'a.SehH4639that is wroughtשֶׁנַּעֲשָׂ֖הshe.na.'a.SahH6213under the sunהַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁha.Sha.meshH8121isgrievousרַ֤עra'H7451unto me: for all isvanityהֶ֖בֶלHe.velH1892and vexationוּרְע֥וּתu.re.'UtH7469of spiritרֽוּחַ׃Ru.achH7307.

18Yea, I hatedוְשָׂנֵ֤אתִֽיve.sa.Ne.tiH8130all my labourעֲמָלִ֔י'a.ma.LiH5999which I had takenעָמֵ֖ל'a.MelH6001under the sunהַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁha.Sha.meshH8121:because I should leaveH3240it unto the manלָאָדָ֖םla.'a.DamH120that shall be afterאַחֲרָֽי׃'a.cha.RaiH310me.

19And who knowethיוֹדֵ֗עַyo.De.a'H3045whether he shall be a wiseהֶֽחָכָ֤םhe.cha.KhamH2450manor a foolסָכָ֔לsa.KhalH5530?yet shall he have ruleוְיִשְׁלַט֙ve.yish.LatH7980over all my labourעֲמָלִ֔י'a.ma.LiH5999wherein I have labouredשֶֽׁעָמַ֥לְתִּיshe.'a.Mal.tiH5998,and wherein I have shewed myself wiseוְשֶׁחָכַ֖מְתִּיve.she.cha.Kham.tiH2449under the sunהַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁha.Sha.meshH8121. This isalso vanityהָֽבֶל׃Ha.velH1892.

20Therefore I went aboutוְסַבּ֥וֹתִֽיve.sa.Bo.tiH5437to causeH2976my heartלִבִּ֑יli.BiH3820to despairH2976of all the labourהֶ֣עָמָ֔לhe.'a.MalH5999which I tookשֶׁעָמַ֖לְתִּיshe.'a.Mal.tiH5998under the sunהַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ha.Sha.meshH8121.

21For there isיֵ֣שׁyeshH3426a manאָדָ֗ם'a.DamH120whose labourשֶׁעֲמָל֛וֹshe.'a.ma.LoH5999isin wisdomבְּחָכְמָ֥הbe.cha.khe.MahH2451,and in knowledgeוּבְדַ֖עַתu.ve.Da.'atH1847,and in equityוּבְכִשְׁר֑וֹןu.ve.khish.RonH3788;yet to a manוּלְאָדָ֞םu.le.'a.DamH120that hath not labouredעָֽמַל־'a.mal-H5998therein shall he leaveיִתְּנֶ֣נּוּyi.te.Ne.nuH5414it forhis portionחֶלְק֔וֹchel.KoH2506. This also isvanityהֶ֖בֶלHe.velH1892and a greatרַבָּֽה׃ra.BahH7227evilוְרָעָ֥הve.ra.'AhH7451.

22For what hathהֹוֶ֤הho.VehH1933manלָֽאָדָם֙la.'a.DamH120of all his labourעֲמָל֔וֹa.ma.LoH5999,and of the vexationוּבְרַעְי֖וֹןu.ve.ra'.YonH7475of his heartלִבּ֑וֹli.BoH3820,whereinשֶׁה֥וּאshe.Hu'H1931he hath labouredעָמֵ֖ל'a.MelH6001under the sunהַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ha.Sha.meshH8121?

23For all his daysיָמָ֣יוya.MavH3117aresorrowsמַכְאֹבִ֗יםmakh.'o.VimH4341,and his travailעִנְיָנ֔וֹin.ya.NoH6045griefוָכַ֙עַס֙va.Kha.'asH3708;yea, his heartלִבּ֑וֹli.BoH3820taketh not restשָׁכַ֣בsha.KhavH7901in the nightבַּלַּ֖יְלָהba.Lay.lahH3915.This is also vanityהֶ֥בֶלHe.velH1892.

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