Revised Literal Translation

Ecclesiastes 5

1Keepשְׁמֹ֣רshe.MorH8104thy footרַגְלְךָ֗rag.lei.khaH7272when thou goestH3212to the houseבֵּ֣יתbeitH1004of GodH430,and be more readyH7138to hearלִשְׁמֹ֔עַlish.Mo.a'H8085,than to giveמִתֵּ֥תmi.TetH5414the sacrificeזָ֑בַחZa.vachH2077of foolsהַכְּסִילִ֖יםha.ke.si.LimH3684:for they considerיוֹדְעִ֖יםyod.'ImH3045not that they doלַעֲשׂ֥וֹתla.'a.SotH6213evilרָֽע׃Ra'H7451.

2Be not rashתְּבַהֵ֨לte.va.HelH926with thy mouthפִּ֜יךָPi.khaH6310,and let not thine heartוְלִבְּךָ֧ve.li.be.KhaH3820be hastyיְמַהֵ֛רye.ma.HerH4116to utterלְהוֹצִ֥יאle.ho.Tzi'H3318anythingH1697beforeלִפְנֵ֣יlif.NeiH6440Godהָאֱלֹהִ֑יםha.'E.lo.HimH430:for Godהָאֱלֹהִ֤יםha.'E.lo.HimH430isin heavenבַּשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙ba.sha.Ma.yimH8064,and thou upon earthהָאָ֔רֶץha.'A.retzH776:therefore let thy wordsH1697be fewמְעַטִּֽים׃me.'a.TimH4592.

3For a dreamהַחֲל֖וֹםha.cha.LomH2472comethבָּ֥אba'H935through the multitudeבְּרֹ֣בbe.RoH7230of businessעִנְיָ֑ן'in.YanH6045;and a fool’sH3684voiceוְק֥וֹלve.KolH6963is knownby multitudeבְּרֹ֥בbe.RoH7230of wordsדְּבָרִֽים׃de.va.RimH1697.

4When thou vowestH5087a vowנֶ֜דֶרNe.derH5088unto Godלֵֽאלֹהִ֗יםle.lo.HimH430,deferתְּאַחֵר֙te.'a.CherH309not to payH7999it; for he hathno pleasureחֵ֖פֶץChe.fetzH2656in foolsבַּכְּסִילִ֑יםba.ke.si.LimH3684:payH7999that which thou hast vowedH5087.

5Betterט֖וֹבTovH2896is itthat thou shouldest not vowתִדֹּ֑רti.DorH5087,than that thou shouldest vowמִשֶׁתִּדּ֖וֹרmi.shet.ti.DorH5087and not payתְשַׁלֵּֽם׃te.sha.LemH7999.

6Sufferתִּתֵּ֤ןti.TenH5414not thy mouthפִּ֙יךָ֙pi.khaH6310to cause thy fleshבְּשָׂרֶ֔ךָbe.sa.Re.khaH1320to sinלַחֲטִ֣יאla.cha.Ti'H2398;neither sayתֹּאמַר֙to.MarH559thou beforeלִפְנֵ֣יlif.NeiH6440the angelהַמַּלְאָ֔ךְha.mal.'AkhH4397, that it wasan errorשְׁגָגָ֖הshe.ga.GahH7684:wherefore should GodH430be angryיִקְצֹ֤ףyik.TzofH7107at thy voiceקוֹלֶ֔ךָko.Le.chaH6963,and destroyוְחִבֵּ֖לve.chi.BelH2254the workמַעֲשֵׂ֥הma.'a.SehH4639of thine handsיָדֶֽיךָ׃ya.Dei.khaH3027?

7For in the multitudeבְרֹ֤בve.RoH7230of dreamsחֲלֹמוֹת֙cha.lo.mOtH2472and manyהַרְבֵּ֑הhar.BehH7235wordsוּדְבָרִ֖יםu.de.va.RimH1697there are also diversvanitiesוַהֲבָלִ֔יםva.ha.va.LimH1892:but fearיְרָֽא׃ye.Ra'H3372thou Godהָאֱלֹהִ֖יםha.'E.lo.HimH430.

8If thou seestתִּרְאֶ֣הtir.'EhH7200the oppressionעֹ֣שֶׁק'O.shekH6233of the poorרָ֠שׁrashH7326,and violentH1499perverting of judgmentמִשְׁפָּ֤טmish.PatH4941and justiceוָצֶ֙דֶק֙va.Tze.dekH6664in a provinceבַמְּדִינָ֔הva.me.di.NahH4082,marvelתִּתְמַ֖הּtit.MahH8539not at the matterהַחֵ֑פֶץha.Che.fetzH2656: for he that ishigherגָבֹ֜הַּga.Vo.ahH1364than the highestגָּבֹ֙הַּ֙ga.Vo.ahH1364regardethשֹׁמֵ֔רsho.MerH8104; and there behigherוּגְבֹהִ֖יםu.ge.vo.HimH1364than theyH5921.

9Moreover the profitוְיִתְר֥וֹןve.yit.RonH3504of the earthאֶ֖רֶץ'E.retzH776is for all: the kingמֶ֥לֶךְMe.lekhH4428himselfis servedנֶעֱבָֽד׃ne.'e.VadH5647by the fieldלְשָׂדֶ֖הle.sa.DehH7704.

10He that lovethאֹהֵ֥ב'o.HevH157silverכֶּ֙סֶף֙ke.sefH3701shall not be satisfiedיִשְׂבַּ֣עyis.Ba'H7646with silverכֶּ֔סֶףKe.sefH3701;nor he that lovethאֹהֵ֥ב'o.HevH157abundanceבֶּהָמ֖וֹןbe.ha.MonH1995with increaseתְבוּאָ֑הte.vu.'AhH8393: this isalso vanityהָֽבֶל׃Ha.velH1892.

11When goodsהַטּוֹבָ֔הha.to.VahH2896increaseH7235,they are increasedרַבּ֖וּra.BuH7231that eatH398them: and what goodכִּשְׁרוֹן֙kish.rOnH3788is thereto the ownersלִבְעָלֶ֔יהָliv.'a.Lei.haH1167thereof, savingH518the beholdingרְא֥וּתre.'i.yatH7212 H7207of themwith their eyesעֵינָֽיו׃'ei.NavH5869?

12The sleepשְׁנַ֣תshe.NatH8142of a labouring manהָעֹבֵ֔דha.'o.VedH5647issweetמְתוּקָה֙me.tu.KahH4966,whether he eatיֹאכֵ֑לyo.KhelH398littleמְעַ֥טme.'AtH4592or muchהַרְבֵּ֖הhar.BehH7235:but the abundanceוְהַשָּׂבָע֙ve.ha.sa.Va'H7647of the richלֶֽעָשִׁ֔ירle.'a.ShirH6223will not sufferH3240him to sleepלִישֽׁוֹן׃li.ShonH3462.

13There isיֵ֚שׁyeshH3426a soreחוֹלָ֔הcho.LahH2470evilH7451whichI have seenרָאִ֖יתִיra.'I.tiH7200under the sunהַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁha.Sha.meshH8121, namely,richesH6239keptשָׁמ֥וּרsha.MurH8104for the ownersלִבְעָלָ֖יוliv.'a.LavH1167thereof to their hurtH7451.

14But those richesהָעֹ֥שֶׁרha.'O.sherH6239perishוְאָבַ֛דve.'a.VadH6by evilרָ֑עRa'H7451travailבְּעִנְיַ֣ןbe.'in.YanH6045:and he begettethוְהוֹלִ֣ידve.ho.LidH3205a sonבֵּ֔ןBenH1121, and there isnothingH3972in his handH3027.

15As he came forthיָצָא֙ya.Tza'H3318of his mother’sאִמּ֔וֹ'i.MoH517wombמִבֶּ֣טֶןmi.Be.tenH990,nakedעָר֛וֹםa.RomH6174shall he returnיָשׁ֥וּבya.ShuvH7725to goH3212as he cameH935,and shall takeיִשָּׂ֣אyi.Sa'H5375nothingוּמְא֙וּמָה֙u.me.'U.mahH3972of his labourבַעֲמָל֔וֹva.'a.ma.LoH5999,which he may carry awayH3212in his handבְּיָדֽוֹ׃be.ya.DoH3027.

16And thisזֹה֙zohH2090also isa soreחוֹלָ֔הcho.LahH2470evilרָעָ֣הra.'AhH7451, thatin all pointsעֻמַּ֥ת'u.MatH5980as he cameשֶׁבָּ֖אshe.Ba'H935,so shall he goH3212:and what profitיִּתְר֣וֹןyit.RonH3504hath he that hath labouredשֶֽׁיַּעֲמֹ֖לshei.ya.'a.MolH5998for the windלָרֽוּחַ׃la.Ru.achH7307?

17All his daysH3117also he eatethH398in darknessבַּחֹ֣שֶׁךְba.Cho.shekhH2822, and he hathmuchהַרְבֵּ֖הhar.BehH7235sorrowוְכָעַ֥סve.kha.'AsH3707and wrathוָקָֽצֶף׃va.Ka.tzefH7110with his sicknessוְחָלְי֥וֹve.chal.YoH2483.

18Behold thatwhich I have seenרָאִ֣יתִיra.'I.tiH7200: it isgoodט֣וֹבTovH2896and comelyיָפֶ֣הya.PehH3303for oneto eatH398and to drinkוְ֠לִשְׁתּוֹתVe.lish.totH8354,and to enjoyוְלִרְא֨וֹתve.lir.'otH7200the goodטוֹבָ֜הto.VahH2896of all his labourH5999that he takethשֶׁיַּעֲמֹ֣לshei.ya.'a.MolH5998under the sunהַשֶּׁ֗מֶשׁha.She.meshH8121allמִסְפַּ֧רmis.ParH4557the daysיְמֵי־ye.mei-H3117of his lifeחַיָּ֛יוchai.yavH2416,which GodH430givethH5414him: for it ishis portionH2506.

19Every manהָאָדָ֡םha.'a.DamH120also to whom GodH430hath givenנָֽתַן־na.tan-H5414richesעֹ֨שֶׁר'O.sherH6239and wealthוּנְכָסִ֜יםu.ne.kha.SimH5233,and hath given him powerוְהִשְׁלִיט֨וֹve.hish.li.ToH7980to eatלֶאֱכֹ֤לle.'e.KholH398thereof, and to takeוְלָשֵׂ֣אתve.la.SetH5375his portionחֶלְק֔וֹchel.KoH2506,and to rejoiceוְלִשְׂמֹ֖חַve.lis.Mo.achH8055in his labourבַּעֲמָל֑וֹba.'a.ma.LoH5999;thisזֹ֕הzohH2090isthe giftמַתַּ֥תma.TatH4991of GodH430.

20For he shall not muchהַרְבֵּ֔הhar.BehH7235rememberיִזְכֹּ֖רyiz.KorH2142the daysיְמֵ֣יye.MeiH3117of his lifeחַיָּ֑יוchai.YavH2416;because Godהָאֱלֹהִ֛יםha.'E.lo.HimH430answerethמַעֲנֶ֖הma.'a.NehH6031himin the joyבְּשִׂמְחַ֥תbe.sim.ChatH8057of his heartלִבּֽוֹ׃li.BoH3820.

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 5