Revised Literal Translation

Ecclesiastes 3

1To every thing there isa seasonזְמָ֑ןze.ManH2165,and a timeוְעֵ֥תve.'EtH6256to every purposeחֵ֖פֶץChe.fetzH2656under the heavenהַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃ סha.sha.Ma.yimH8064:

2A timeעֵ֥ת'etH6256to be bornלָלֶ֖דֶתla.Le.detH3205,and a timeוְעֵ֣תve.'EtH6256to dieלָמ֑וּתla.MutH4191;a timeעֵ֣ת'etH6256to plantלָטַ֔עַתla.Ta.'atH5193,and a timeוְעֵ֖תve.'EtH6256to pluck upלַעֲק֥וֹרla.'a.KorH6131that which isplantedנָטֽוּעַ׃na.Tu.a'H5193;

3A timeעֵ֤ת'etH6256to killלַהֲרוֹג֙la.ha.rOgH2026,and a timeוְעֵ֣תve.'EtH6256to healלִרְפּ֔וֹאlir.Po'H7495;a timeעֵ֥ת'etH6256to break downלִפְר֖וֹץlif.RotzH6555,and a timeוְעֵ֥תve.'EtH6256to build upלִבְנֽוֹת׃liv.NotH1129;

4A timeעֵ֤ת'etH6256to weepלִבְכּוֹת֙liv.kOtH1058,and a timeוְעֵ֣תve.'EtH6256to laughלִשְׂח֔וֹקlis.ChokH7832;a timeעֵ֥ת'etH6256to mournסְפ֖וֹדse.FodH5594,and a timeוְעֵ֥תve.'EtH6256to danceרְקֽוֹד׃re.KodH7540;

5A timeעֵ֚ת'etH6256to cast awayלְהַשְׁלִ֣יךְle.hash.LikhH7993stonesאֲבָנִ֔ים'a.va.NimH68,and a timeוְעֵ֖תve.'EtH6256to gatherכְּנ֣וֹסke.NosH3664stonesאֲבָנִ֑ים'a.va.NimH68togetherH3664;a timeעֵ֣ת'etH6256to embraceלַחֲב֔וֹקla.cha.VokH2263,and a timeוְעֵ֖תve.'EtH6256to refrainלִרְחֹ֥קlir.ChokH7368from embracingמֵחַבֵּֽק׃me.cha.BekH2263;

6A timeעֵ֤ת'etH6256to getלְבַקֵּשׁ֙le.va.KeshH1245,and a timeוְעֵ֣תve.'EtH6256to loseלְאַבֵּ֔דle.'a.BedH6;a timeעֵ֥ת'etH6256to keepלִשְׁמ֖וֹרlish.MorH8104,and a timeוְעֵ֥תve.'EtH6256to cast awayלְהַשְׁלִֽיךְ׃le.hash.LikhH7993;

7A timeעֵ֤ת'etH6256to rendלִקְר֙וֹעַ֙lik.Ro.a'H7167,and a timeוְעֵ֣תve.'EtH6256to sewלִתְפּ֔וֹרlit.PorH8609;a timeעֵ֥ת'etH6256to keep silenceלַחֲשׁ֖וֹתla.cha.ShotH2814,and a timeוְעֵ֥תve.'EtH6256to speakלְדַבֵּֽר׃le.da.BerH1696;

8A timeעֵ֤ת'etH6256to loveלֶֽאֱהֹב֙le.'e.HoH157,and a timeוְעֵ֣תve.'EtH6256to hateלִשְׂנֹ֔אlis.No'H8130;a timeעֵ֥ת'etH6256of warמִלְחָמָ֖הmil.cha.MahH4421,and a timeוְעֵ֥תve.'EtH6256of peaceשָׁלֽוֹם׃ סsha.LomH7965.

9What profitיִּתְרוֹן֙yit.rOnH3504hath he that workethהָֽעוֹשֶׂ֔הha.'o.SehH6213in that whereinבַּאֲשֶׁ֖רba.'a.SherH834he labourethעָמֵֽל׃'a.MelH6001?

10I have seenרָאִ֣יתִיra.'I.tiH7200the travailהָֽעִנְיָ֗ןha.'in.YanH6045,which Godאֱלֹהִ֛ים'E.lo.HimH430hath givenנָתַ֧ןna.TanH5414to the sonsלִבְנֵ֥יliv.NeiH1121of menהָאָדָ֖םha.'a.DamH120to be exercisedלַעֲנ֥וֹתla.'a.NotH6031in it.

11He hath madeעָשָׂ֖ה'a.SahH6213every thingbeautifulיָפֶ֣הya.PehH3303in his timeבְעִתּ֑וֹve.'i.ToH6256:also he hath setנָתַ֣ןna.TanH5414eternityהָעֹלָם֙ha.'o.LamH5769in their heartבְּלִבָּ֔םbe.li.BamH3820,so thatמִבְּלִ֞יmi.be.LiH1097no manהָאָדָ֗םha.'a.DamH120can find outיִמְצָ֣אyim.Tza'H4672the workהַֽמַּעֲשֶׂ֛הha.ma.'a.SehH4639that Godהָאֱלֹהִ֖יםha.'E.lo.HimH430makethעָשָׂ֥ה'a.SahH6213from the beginningמֵרֹ֥אשׁme.RoshH7218to the endסֽוֹף׃SofH5490.

12I knowיָדַ֕עְתִּיya.Da'.tiH3045that there isno goodט֖וֹבTovH2896in them, but for a manto rejoiceלִשְׂמ֔וֹחַlis.Mo.achH8055,and to doוְלַעֲשׂ֥וֹתve.la.'a.SotH6213goodט֖וֹבTovH2896in his lifeבְּחַיָּֽיו׃be.chai.YavH2416.

13And also that every manהָאָדָם֙ha.'a.DamH120should eatשֶׁיֹּאכַ֣לshei.yo.KhalH398and drinkוְשָׁתָ֔הve.sha.TahH8354,and enjoyוְרָאָ֥הve.ra.'AhH7200the goodט֖וֹבTovH2896of all his labourעֲמָל֑וֹa.ma.LoH5999, it isthe giftמַתַּ֥תma.TatH4991of Godאֱלֹהִ֖ים'E.lo.HimH430.

14I knowיָדַ֗עְתִּיya.Da'.tiH3045that, whatsoever Godהָאֱלֹהִים֙ha.'E.lo.HimH430doethיַעֲשֶׂ֤הya.'a.SehH6213,it shall be for everלְעוֹלָ֔םle.'o.LamH5769:nothingH369can be putלְהוֹסִ֔יףle.ho.SifH3254to it, nor any thing takenלִגְרֹ֑עַlig.Ro.a'H1639from it: and Godוְהָאֱלֹהִ֣יםve.ha.'E.lo.HimH430doethעָשָׂ֔ה'a.SahH6213it, that menshould fearשֶׁיִּֽרְא֖וּshei.yir.'UH3372beforeמִלְּפָנָֽיו׃mi.le.fa.NavH6440him.

15That which hath been is nowכְּבָ֣רke.VarH3528;and that which is to be hath alreadyכְּבָ֣רke.VarH3528been; and Godוְהָאֱלֹהִ֖יםve.ha.'E.lo.HimH430requirethיְבַקֵּ֥שׁye.va.KeshH1245that which is pastנִרְדָּֽף׃nir.DafH7291.

16And moreover I sawרָאִ֖יתִיra.'I.tiH7200under the sunהַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁha.Sha.meshH8121the placeמְק֤וֹםme.KomH4725of judgmentהַמִּשְׁפָּט֙ha.mish.PatH4941, thatwickednessהָרֶ֔שַׁעha.Re.sha'H7562wasthere; and the placeוּמְק֥וֹםu.me.KomH4725of righteousnessהַצֶּ֖דֶקha.Tze.dekH6664, thatiniquityהָרָֽשַׁע׃ha.Ra.sha'H7562was there.

17I saidאָמַ֤רְתִּֽי'a.Mar.tiH559in mine heartבְּלִבִּ֔יbe.li.BiH3820,Godהָאֱלֹהִ֑יםha.'E.lo.HimH430shall judgeיִשְׁפֹּ֖טyish.PotH8199the righteousהַצַּדִּיק֙ha.tza.DikH6662and the wickedהָ֣רָשָׁ֔עha.ra.Sha'H7563: for there isa timeעֵ֣ת'etH6256there for every purposeחֵ֔פֶץChe.fetzH2656and for every workהַֽמַּעֲשֶׂ֖הha.ma.'a.SehH4639.

18I saidאָמַ֤רְתִּֽי'a.Mar.tiH559in mine heartבְּלִבִּ֔יbe.li.BiH3820concerning the estateדִּבְרַת֙div.RatH1700of the sonsבְּנֵ֣יbe.NeiH1121of menהָאָדָ֔םha.'a.DamH120,that Godהָאֱלֹהִ֑יםha.'E.lo.HimH430might manifestלְבָרָ֖םle.va.RamH1305them, and that they might seeוְלִרְא֕וֹתve.lir.'otH7200that theyH1992themselves are beastsבְּהֵמָ֥הbe.he.MahH929.

19For that which befallethמִקְרֶ֨הmik.RehH4745the sonsבְֽנֵי־ve.nei-H1121of menהָאָדָ֜םha.'a.DamH120befallethוּמִקְרֶ֣הu.mik.RehH4745beastsהַבְּהֵמָ֗הha.be.he.MahH929;even one thingאֶחָד֙'e.ChadH259befallethוּמִקְרֶ֤הu.mik.RehH4745them: as the one diethכְּמ֥וֹתke.MotH4194,so diethמ֣וֹתMotH4194the otherH2088;yea, they have all oneאֶחָ֖ד'e.ChadH259breathוְר֥וּחַve.Ru.achH7307;so that a manהָאָדָ֤םha.'a.DamH120hath no preeminenceוּמוֹתַ֨רu.mo.TarH4195above a beastהַבְּהֵמָה֙ha.be.he.MahH929: for all isvanityהָֽבֶל׃Ha.velH1892.

20All goהוֹלֵ֖ךְho.LekhH1980unto oneאֶחָ֑ד'e.ChadH259placeמָק֣וֹםma.KomH4725;all are of the dustהֶֽעָפָ֔רhe.'a.FarH6083,and all turnH7725to dustהֶעָפָֽר׃he.'a.FarH6083againH7725.

21Who knowethיוֹדֵ֗עַyo.De.a'H3045the spiritר֚וּחַRu.achH7307of manבְּנֵ֣י הָאָדָ֔םbe.Nei ha.'a.DamH120 H1121that goethהָעֹלָ֥הha.'o.LahH5927upwardלְמָ֑עְלָהle.Ma.'e.lahH4605,and the spiritוְר֙וּחַ֙ve.Ru.achH7307of the beastהַבְּהֵמָ֔הha.be.he.MahH929that goethהַיֹּרֶ֥דֶתhai.yo.Re.detH3381downwardלְמַ֥טָּהle.Ma.tahH4295to the earthלָאָֽרֶץ׃la.'A.retzH776?

22Wherefore I perceiveוְרָאִ֗יתִיve.ra.'I.tiH7200that there isnothing betterטוֹב֙tOvH2896,than that a manהָאָדָם֙ha.'a.DamH120should rejoiceיִשְׂמַ֤חyis.MachH8055in his own worksבְּֽמַעֲשָׂ֔יוbe.ma.'a.SavH4639; for that ishis portionחֶלְק֑וֹchel.KoH2506:for who shall bringיְבִיאֶ֙נּוּ֙ye.vi.'E.nuH935him to seeלִרְא֔וֹתlir.'otH7200what shall be afterאַחֲרָֽיו׃'a.cha.RavH310him?

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 3