Revised Literal Translation

Ecclesiastes 8

1Who isas the wiseכְּהֶ֣חָכָ֔םke.He.cha.KhamH2450man?and who knowethיוֹדֵ֖עַyo.De.a'H3045the interpretationפֵּ֣שֶׁרPe.sherH6592of a thingדָּבָ֑רda.VarH1697?a man’sאָדָם֙'a.DamH120wisdomחָכְמַ֤תcha.khe.MatH2451maketh his faceפָּנָ֔יוpa.NavH6440to shineתָּאִ֣ירta.'IrH215,and the boldnessוְעֹ֥זve.'OzH5797of his faceפָּנָ֖יוpa.NavH6440shall be changedיְשֻׁנֶּֽא׃ye.shu.Ne'H8132.

2I counsel theeto keepשְׁמ֔וֹרshe.MorH8104the king’sמֶ֣לֶךְMe.lekhH4428commandmentפִּי־pi-H6310, and thatin regardדִּבְרַ֖תdiv.RatH1700of the oathשְׁבוּעַ֥תshe.vu.'AtH7621of Godאֱלֹהִֽים׃'E.lo.HimH430.

3Be not hastyתִּבָּהֵ֤לti.ba.HelH926to go outH3212of his sightמִפָּנָיו֙mi.pa.NavH6440:standתַּעֲמֹ֖דta.'a.ModH5975not in an evilרָ֑עRa'H7451thingבְּדָבָ֣רbe.da.VarH1697;for he doethיַעֲשֶֽׂה׃ya.'a.SehH6213whatsoever pleasethיַחְפֹּ֖ץyach.PotzH2654him.

4Where the wordדְּבַר־de.var-H1697of a kingמֶ֖לֶךְMe.lekhH4428is, there ispowerשִׁלְט֑וֹןshil.TonH7983:and who may sayיֹֽאמַר־yo.mar-H559unto him, What doestתַּעֲשֶֽׂה׃ta.'a.SehH6213thou?

5Whoso keepethשׁוֹמֵ֣רsho.MerH8104the commandmentמִצְוָ֔הmitz.VahH4687shall feelיֵדַ֖עye.Da'H3045no evilרָ֑עRa'H7451thingדָּבָ֣רda.VarH1697:and a wise man’sחָכָֽם׃cha.KhamH2450heartלֵ֥בlevH3820discernethיֵדַ֖עye.Da'H3045both timeוְעֵ֣תve.'EtH6256and judgmentוּמִשְׁפָּ֔טu.mish.PatH4941.

6Because to every purposeחֵ֔פֶץChe.fetzH2656there isיֵ֖שׁyeshH3426timeעֵ֣ת'etH6256and judgmentוּמִשְׁפָּ֑טu.mish.PatH4941,therefore the miseryרָעַ֥תra.'AtH7451of manהָאָדָ֖םha.'a.DamH120isgreatרַבָּ֥הra.BahH7227upon him.

7For he knowethיֹדֵ֖עַyo.De.a'H3045not that which shall be: for who can tellיַגִּ֥ידya.GidH5046him when it shall be?

8There isno manאָדָ֞ם'a.DamH120that hath powerשַׁלִּ֤יטsha.LitH7989over the spiritבָּר֙וּחַ֙ba.Ru.achH7307to retainלִכְל֣וֹאlikh.Lo'H3607the spiritהָר֔וּחַha.Ru.achH7307; neither hath hepowerשִׁלְטוֹן֙shil.tOnH7983in the dayבְּי֣וֹםbe.YomH3117of deathהַמָּ֔וֶתha.Ma.vetH4194: and there isno dischargeמִשְׁלַ֖חַתmish.La.chatH4917in thatwarבַּמִּלְחָמָ֑הba.mil.cha.MahH4421;neither shall wickednessרֶ֖שַׁעRe.sha'H7562deliverיְמַלֵּ֥טye.ma.LetH4422those that are givenבְּעָלָֽיו׃be.'a.LavH1167to it.

9All this have I seenרָאִ֙יתִי֙ra.'I.tiH7200,and appliedוְנָת֣וֹןve.na.TonH5414my heartלִבִּ֔יli.BiH3820unto every workמַעֲשֶׂ֔הma.'a.SehH4639that is doneנַעֲשָׂ֖הna.'a.SahH6213under the sunהַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁha.Sha.meshH8121: there isa timeעֵ֗ת'EtH6256wherein one manH120rulethשָׁלַ֧טsha.LatH7980over another to his own hurtלְרַ֥עle.Ra'H7451.

10And soH3651I sawרָאִיתִי֩ra.'i.TiH7200the wickedרְשָׁעִ֨יםre.sha.'ImH7563buriedקְבֻרִ֜יםke.vu.RimH6912,who had comeוָבָ֗אוּva.Va.'uH935and goneיְהַלֵּ֔כוּye.ha.Le.khuH1980from the placeוּמִמְּק֤וֹםu.mi.me.KomH4725of the holyקָדוֹשׁ֙ka.do.VoshH6918,and they were forgottenוְיִֽשְׁתַּכְּח֥וּve.yish.ta.ke.ChuH7911in the cityבָעִ֖ירva.'IrH5892where they had so doneעָשׂ֑וּ'a.SuH6213: this isalso vanityהָֽבֶל׃Ha.velH1892.

11Because sentenceפִתְגָ֔םfit.GamH6599against an evilהָרָעָ֖הha.ra.'AhH7451workמַעֲשֵׂ֥הma.'a.SehH4639is not executedנַעֲשָׂ֣הna.'a.SahH6213speedilyמְהֵרָ֑הme.he.RahH4120,therefore the heartלֵ֧בlevH3820of the sonsבְּֽנֵי־be.nei-H1121of menהָאָדָ֛םha.'a.DamH120is fully setמָלֵ֞אma.Le'H4390in them to doלַעֲשׂ֥וֹתla.'a.SotH6213evilרָֽע׃Ra'H7451.

12Though a sinnerחֹטֶ֗אcho.Te'H2398doעֹשֶׂ֥ה'o.SehH6213evilרָ֛עra'H7451an hundred timesמְאַ֖תme.'AtH3967, and his daysbe prolongedוּמַאֲרִ֣יךְu.ma.'a.RikhH748,yet surely I knowיוֹדֵ֣עַyo.De.a'H3045that it shall be wellטּוֹב֙tOvH2896with them that fearלְיִרְאֵ֣יle.yir.'EiH3373Godהָאֱלֹהִ֔יםha.'E.lo.HimH430,which fearיִֽירְא֖וּyi.re.'UH3372beforeמִלְּפָנָֽיו׃mi.le.fa.NavH6440him:

13But it shall not be wellוְטוֹב֙ve.tOvH2896with the wickedלָֽרָשָׁ֔עla.ra.Sha'H7563,neither shall he prolongיַאֲרִ֥יךְya.'a.RikhH748hisdaysיָמִ֖יםya.MimH3117, which areas a shadowכַּצֵּ֑לka.TzelH6738;because he fearethיָרֵ֖אya.Re'H3373not beforeמִלִּפְנֵ֥יmi.lif.NeiH6440Godאֱלֹהִֽים׃'E.lo.HimH430.

14There isH3426a vanityהֶבֶל֮he.VelH1892which is doneנַעֲשָׂ֣הna.'a.SahH6213upon the earthהָאָרֶץ֒ha.'a.RetzH776;that there be justצַדִּיקִ֗יםtza.di.KimH6662men,unto whom it happenethמַגִּ֤יעַma.Gi.a'H5060according to the workכְּמַעֲשֵׂ֣הke.ma.'a.SehH4639of the wickedהָרְשָׁעִ֔יםha.re.sha.'ImH7563;again, there beH3426wickedרְשָׁעִ֔יםre.sha.'ImH7563men,to whom it happenethשֶׁמַּגִּ֥יעַshe.ma.Gi.a'H5060according to the workכְּמַעֲשֵׂ֣הke.ma.'a.SehH4639of the righteousהַצַּדִּיקִ֑יםha.tza.di.KimH6662:I saidאָמַ֕רְתִּי'a.Mar.tiH559that this alsoשֶׁגַּם־she.gam-H1571isvanityהָֽבֶל׃Ha.velH1892.

15Then I commendedוְשִׁבַּ֤חְתִּֽיve.shi.Bach.tiH7623mirthהַשִּׂמְחָ֔הha.sim.ChahH8057,because a manלָֽאָדָם֙la.'a.DamH120hath no better thingט֤וֹבTovH2896under the sunהַשֶּׁ֔מֶשׁha.She.meshH8121,than to eatלֶאֱכ֥וֹלle.'e.KholH398,and to drinkוְלִשְׁתּ֖וֹתve.lish.TotH8354,and to be merryוְלִשְׂמ֑וֹחַve.lis.Mo.achH8055:for that shall abideיִלְוֶ֣נּוּyil.Ve.nuH3867with him of his labourבַעֲמָל֗וֹva.'a.ma.LoH5999the daysיְמֵ֥יye.MeiH3117of his lifeחַיָּ֛יוchai.YavH2416,which Godהָאֱלֹהִ֖יםha.'E.lo.HimH430givethנָֽתַן־na.tan-H5414him under the sunהַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ha.Sha.meshH8121.

16When I appliedנָתַ֤תִּיna.Ta.tiH5414mine heartלִבִּי֙li.BiH3820to knowלָדַ֣עַתla.Da.'atH3045wisdomחָכְמָ֔הchokh.mahH2451,and to seeוְלִרְאוֹת֙ve.lir.'OtH7200the businessהָ֣עִנְיָ֔ןha.'in.YanH6045that is doneנַעֲשָׂ֖הna.'a.SahH6213upon the earthהָאָ֑רֶץha.'A.retzH776: (for also there is thatneither dayבַּיּוֹם֙bai.yOmH3117nor nightוּבַלַּ֔יְלָהu.va.Lay.lahH3915seethרֹאֶֽה׃ro.'EhH7200sleepשֵׁנָ֕הshe.NahH8142with his eyesבְּעֵינָ֖יוbe.'ei.NavH5869:)

17Then I beheldוְרָאִיתִי֮ve.ra.'i.TiH7200all the workמַעֲשֵׂ֣הma.'a.SehH4639of Godהָאֱלֹהִים֒ha.'E.lo.HimH430,that a manהָאָדָ֗םha.'a.DamH120cannotיוּכַ֜לyu.KhalH3201find outלִמְצוֹא֙lim.tzO'H4672the workהַֽמַּעֲשֶׂה֙ha.ma.'a.SehH4639that is doneנַעֲשָׂ֣הna.'a.SahH6213under the sunהַשֶּׁ֔מֶשׁha.She.meshH8121:becauseH834thoughH7945a manהָאָדָ֛םha.'a.DamH120labourיַעֲמֹ֧לya.'a.MolH5998to seek itoutלְבַקֵּ֖שׁle.va.KeshH1245,yet he shall not findיִמְצָ֑אyim.Tza'H4672it;yea further; though a wiseהֶֽחָכָם֙he.cha.KhamH2450manthinkיֹאמַ֤רyo.MarH559to knowלָדַ֔עַתla.Da.'atH3045it,yet shall he not be ableיוּכַ֖לyu.KhalH3201to findלִמְצֹֽא׃lim.Tzo'H4672it.

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 8