Revised Literal Translation

Ecclesiastes 4

1So I returnedוְשַׁ֣בְתִּֽיve.Shav.tiH7725,and consideredוָאֶרְאֶה֙va.'er.'EhH7200all the oppressionsH6217that are doneנַעֲשִׂ֖יםna.'a.SimH6213under the sunהַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁha.Sha.meshH8121:and behold the tearsדִּמְעַ֣תdim.'AtH1832of such as wereoppressedH6231,and they had no comforterמְנַחֵ֔םme.na.ChemH5162;and on the sideוּמִיַּ֤דu.mi.YadH3027of their oppressorsעֹֽשְׁקֵיהֶם֙'o.she.kei.HemH6231there waspowerכֹּ֔חַKo.achH3581;but they had no comforterמְנַחֵֽם׃me.na.ChemH5162.

2Wherefore I praisedוְשַׁבֵּ֧חַve.sha.Be.achH7623the deadהַמֵּתִ֖יםha.me.TimH4191which are alreadyשֶׁכְּבָ֣רshe.ke.VarH3528deadמֵ֑תוּMe.tuH4191more than the livingהַ֣חַיִּ֔יםha.chai.YimH2416which are yetעֲדֶֽנָה׃'a.De.nahH5728aliveחַיִּ֖יםchai.YimH2416.

3Yea, betterוְטוֹב֙ve.tOvH2896is hethan bothמִשְּׁנֵיהֶ֔םmi.she.nei.HemH8147they, which hath not yetעֲדֶ֖ן'a.DenH5728been, who hath not seenרָאָה֙ra.'AhH7200the evilהָרָ֔עha.Ra'H7451workהַמַּעֲשֶׂ֣הha.ma.'a.SehH4639that is doneנַעֲשָׂ֖הna.'a.SahH6213under the sunהַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ha.Sha.meshH8121.

4Again, I consideredוְרָאִ֨יתִֽיve.ra.'I.tiH7200all travailעָמָ֗ל'a.MalH5999,and every rightכִּשְׁר֣וֹןkish.RonH3788workהַֽמַּעֲשֶׂ֔הha.ma.'a.SehH4639,that for this a manאִ֖ישׁ'ishH376is enviedקִנְאַת־kin.'at-H7068of his neighbourמֵרֵעֵ֑הוּme.re.'E.huH7453. This isalso vanityהֶ֖בֶלHe.velH1892and vexationוּרְע֥וּתu.re.'UtH7469of spiritרֽוּחַ׃Ru.achH7307.

5The foolהַכְּסִיל֙ha.ke.SilH3684foldethH2263his handsיָדָ֔יוya.DavH3027togetherH2263,and eatethוְאֹכֵ֖לve.'o.KhelH398his own fleshבְּשָׂרֽוֹ׃be.sa.RoH1320.

6Betterט֕וֹבTovH2896isan handfulכַ֖ףkhafH3709withquietnessנָ֑חַתNa.chatH5183,than both the handsחָפְנַ֛יִםcha.fe.Na.yimH2651fullH4393withtravailעָמָ֖ל'a.MalH5999and vexationוּרְע֥וּתu.re.'UtH7469of spiritרֽוּחַ׃Ru.achH7307.

7Then I returnedוְשַׁ֧בְתִּיve.Shav.tiH7725,and I sawוָאֶרְאֶ֥הva.'er.'EhH7200vanityהֶ֖בֶלHe.velH1892under the sunהַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ha.Sha.meshH8121.

8There isיֵ֣שׁyeshH3426oneאֶחָד֩'e.ChadH259alone, and there isnot a secondשֵׁנִ֜יshe.NiH8145;yea, he hath neither childבֵּ֧ןbenH1121nor brotherוָאָ֣חva.'AchH251: yet is thereno endקֵץ֙ketzH7093of all his labourעֲמָל֔וֹa.ma.LoH5999;neither is his eyeעֵינ֖וֹei.navH5869satisfiedתִשְׂבַּ֣עtis.Ba'H7646with richesעֹ֑שֶׁר'O.sherH6239; neither saith he,For whom do I labourעָמֵ֗ל'a.MelH6001,and bereaveוּמְחַסֵּ֤רu.me.cha.SerH2637my soulנַפְשִׁי֙naf.ShiH5315of goodמִטּוֹבָ֔הmi.to.VahH2896? This isalso vanityהֶ֛בֶלHe.velH1892, yea, it isa soreרָ֖עra'H7451travailוְעִנְיַ֥ןve.'in.YanH6045.

9Twoהַשְּׁנַ֖יִםha.she.Na.yimH8147arebetterטוֹבִ֥יםto.VimH2896than oneהָאֶחָ֑דha.'e.ChadH259;because they haveיֵשׁ־yesh-H3426a goodט֖וֹבTovH2896rewardשָׂכָ֥רsa.KharH7939for their labourבַּעֲמָלָֽם׃ba.'a.ma.LamH5999.

10For if they fallיִפֹּ֔לוּyi.Po.luH5307,the oneהָאֶחָ֖דha.'e.ChadH259will lift upיָקִ֣יםya.KimH6965his fellowחֲבֵר֑וֹcha.ve.RoH2270:but woeוְאִ֣יל֗וֹve.'I.LoH337to him that isaloneהָֽאֶחָד֙ha.'e.ChadH259when he fallethשֶׁיִּפּ֔וֹלshei.yi.PolH5307; for he hathnot anotherשֵׁנִ֖יshe.NiH8145to help him upלַהֲקִימֽוֹ׃la.ha.ki.MoH6965.

11Againגַּ֛םgamH1571,if twoשְׁנַ֖יִםshe.Na.yimH8147lie togetherיִשְׁכְּב֥וּyish.ke.VuH7901,then they have heatH2552:but how can oneוּלְאֶחָ֖דu.le.'e.ChadH259be warmH3179alone?

12And if oneהָאֶחָ֔דha.'e.ChadH259prevailיִתְקְפוֹ֙yit.ke.FoH8630against him, twoהַשְּׁנַ֖יִםha.she.Na.yimH8147shall withstandיַעַמְד֣וּya.'am.DuH5975him; and a threefoldהַֽמְשֻׁלָּ֔שׁham.shu.LashH8027cordוְהַחוּט֙ve.ha.ChutH2339is not quicklyבִמְהֵרָ֖הvim.he.RahH4120brokenיִנָּתֵֽק׃yi.na.TekH5423.

13Betterט֛וֹבTovH2896isa poorמִסְכֵּ֖ןmis.KenH4542and a wiseוְחָכָ֑םve.cha.KhamH2450childיֶ֥לֶדYe.ledH3206than an oldזָקֵן֙za.KenH2205and foolishוּכְסִ֔ילu.khe.SilH3684kingמִמֶּ֤לֶךְmi.Me.lekhH4428,who willיָדַ֥עya.Da'H3045no more be admonishedלְהִזָּהֵ֖רle.hi.za.HerH2094.

14For out of prisonמִבֵּ֥ית הָסוּרִ֖יםmi.Beit ha.su.RimH1004 H631he comethיָצָ֣אya.Tza'H3318to reignלִמְלֹ֑ךְlim.LokhH4427; whereas also he that isbornנוֹלַ֥דno.LadH3205in his kingdomבְּמַלְכוּת֖וֹbe.mal.khu.ToH4438becometh poorרָֽשׁ׃RashH7326.

15I consideredרָאִ֙יתִי֙ra.'I.tiH7200all the livingהַ֣חַיִּ֔יםha.chai.YimH2416which walkהַֽמְהַלְּכִ֖יםham.ha.le.KhimH1980under the sunהַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁha.Sha.meshH8121,with the secondהַשֵּׁנִ֔יha.she.NiH8145childהַיֶּ֣לֶדhai.Ye.ledH3206that shall stand upיַעֲמֹ֖דya.'a.ModH5975in his stead.

16There isno endקֵ֣ץketzH7093of all the peopleהָעָ֗םha.'AmH5971, evenof all that have been beforeלִפְנֵיהֶ֔םlif.nei.HemH6440them: they also that come afterהָאַחֲרוֹנִ֖יםha.'a.cha.ro.NimH314shall not rejoiceיִשְׂמְחוּ־yis.me.chu-H8055in him. Surely this also isvanityהֶ֖בֶלHe.velH1892and vexationוְרַעְי֥וֹןve.ra'.YonH7475of spiritרֽוּחַ׃Ru.achH7307.

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 4