Revised Version 1895

Ecclesiastes 3

1ToeveryH3605thingH3605there is aseasonוְעֵ֥תve.'EtH6256, and a time toeveryH3605purposeחֵ֖פֶץChe.fetzH2656underתַּ֥חַתTa.chatH8478theheavenהַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃ סha.sha.Ma.yimH8064:

2a time to bebornלָלֶ֖דֶתla.Le.detH3205, and a time todieלָמ֑וּתla.MutH4191; a time toplantלָטַ֔עַתla.Ta.'atH5193, and a time to pluck up that which isplantedנָטֽוּעַ׃na.Tu.a'H5193;

3a time tokillלַהֲרוֹג֙la.ha.rOgH2026, and a time tohealלִרְפּ֔וֹאlir.Po'H7495; a time tobreakלִפְר֖וֹץlif.RotzH6555downH6555, and a time tobuildלִבְנֽוֹת׃liv.NotH1129upH1129;

4a time toweepלִבְכּוֹת֙liv.kOtH1058, and a time tolaughלִשְׂח֔וֹקlis.ChokH7832; a time tomournסְפ֖וֹדse.FodH5594, and a time todanceרְקֽוֹד׃re.KodH7540;

5a time tocastH7993awayלְהַשְׁלִ֣יךְle.hash.LikhH7993stonesאֲבָנִ֔ים'a.va.NimH68, and a time togatherכְּנ֣וֹסke.NosH3664stonesאֲבָנִ֑ים'a.va.NimH68together; a time toembraceלַחֲב֔וֹקla.cha.VokH2263, and a time to refrain fromembracingמֵחַבֵּֽק׃me.cha.BekH2263;

6a time toseekלְבַקֵּשׁ֙le.va.KeshH1245, and a time to lose; a time tokeepלִשְׁמ֖וֹרlish.MorH8104, and a time tocastH7993awayלְהַשְׁלִֽיךְ׃le.hash.LikhH7993;

7a time torendלִקְר֙וֹעַ֙lik.Ro.a'H7167, and a time tosewלִתְפּ֔וֹרlit.PorH8609; a time tokeepלַחֲשׁ֖וֹתla.cha.ShotH2814silence, and a time tospeakלְדַבֵּֽר׃le.da.BerH1696;

8a time toloveלֶֽאֱהֹב֙le.'e.HoH157, and a time tohateלִשְׂנֹ֔אlis.No'H8130; a time forwarמִלְחָמָ֖הmil.cha.MahH4421, and a time forpeaceשָׁלֽוֹם׃ סsha.LomH7965.

9Whatמַה־mah-H4100profitיִּתְרוֹן֙yit.rOnH3504hath he that worketh in thatwhereinבַּאֲשֶׁ֖רba.'a.SherH834he laboureth?

10I haveseenרָאִ֣יתִיra.'I.tiH7200the travailwhichאֲשֶׁ֨ר'a.SherH834Godאֱלֹהִ֛ים'E.lo.HimH430hathgivenנָתַ֧ןna.TanH5414to thesonsלִבְנֵ֥יliv.NeiH1121ofmenהָאָדָ֖םha.'a.DamH120to be exercised therewith.

11He hathmadeH6213everyH3605thingH3605beautifulיָפֶ֣הya.PehH3303initsH3605time: also he hathsetנָתַ֣ןna.TanH5414the world in theirheartבְּלִבָּ֔םbe.li.BamH3820, yetsoH6213thatmanהָאָדָ֗םha.'a.DamH120cannotלֹא־lo'-H3808findיִמְצָ֣אyim.Tza'H4672outH3605theworkהַֽמַּעֲשֶׂ֛הha.ma.'a.SehH4639thatGodהָאֱלֹהִ֖יםha.'E.lo.HimH430hathdoneH6213from thebeginningמֵרֹ֥אשׁme.RoshH7218evenגַּ֤םgamH1571to theendסֽוֹף׃SofH5490.

12Iknowיָדַ֕עְתִּיya.Da'.tiH3045that there isnothingאֵ֥ין'einH369betterט֖וֹבTovH2896for them,thanH2896torejoiceלִשְׂמ֔וֹחַlis.Mo.achH8055, and todoH6213goodט֖וֹבTovH2896soH6213long as theyliveבְּחַיָּֽיו׃be.chai.YavH2416.

13And also thateveryכָּל־kol-H3605manהָאָדָם֙ha.'a.DamH120shouldeatשֶׁיֹּאכַ֣לshei.yo.KhalH398anddrinkוְשָׁתָ֔הve.sha.TahH8354, andenjoyוְרָאָ֥הve.ra.'AhH7200goodט֖וֹבTovH2896inallבְּכָל־be.kholH3605his labour, is thegiftמַתַּ֥תma.TatH4991ofGodאֱלֹהִ֖ים'E.lo.HimH430.

14Iknowיָדַ֗עְתִּיya.Da'.tiH3045that,whatsoeverH3605Godהָאֱלֹהִים֙ha.'E.lo.HimH430doeth, it shall be foreverלְעוֹלָ֔םle.'o.LamH5769:nothingאֵ֣ין'einH369canאֲשֶׁ֨ר'a.SherH834be put to it,norאֵ֣ין'einH369anyH3605thingכִּ֠יkiH3588takenלִגְרֹ֑עַlig.Ro.a'H1639from it: andGodוְהָאֱלֹהִ֣יםve.ha.'E.lo.HimH430hathdoneH6213it, thatmenH3605shouldfearשֶׁיִּֽרְא֖וּshei.yir.'UH3372beforeמִלְּפָנָֽיו׃mi.le.fa.NavH6440him.

15ThatwhichH834is hath beenalreadyכְּבָ֣רke.VarH3528; and thatwhichH834is to be hathalreadyכְּבָ֣רke.VarH3528been: andGodוְהָאֱלֹהִ֖יםve.ha.'E.lo.HimH430seekethagainH1961thatwhichH834ispassedH1961away.

16Andmoreoverוְע֥וֹדve.'odH5750Isawרָאִ֖יתִיra.'I.tiH7200underתַּ֣חַתTa.chatH8478thesunהַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁha.Sha.meshH8121, in theplaceמְק֤וֹםme.KomH4725ofjudgmentהַמִּשְׁפָּט֙ha.mish.PatH4941, thatwickednessהָרֶ֔שַׁעha.Re.sha'H7562was there; and in theplaceוּמְק֥וֹםu.me.KomH4725ofrighteousnessהַצֶּ֖דֶקha.Tze.dekH6664, thatwickednessהָרָֽשַׁע׃ha.Ra.sha'H7562was there.

17Isaidאָמַ֤רְתִּֽי'a.Mar.tiH559in mineheartבְּלִבִּ֔יbe.li.BiH3820,Godהָאֱלֹהִ֑יםha.'E.lo.HimH430shalljudgeיִשְׁפֹּ֖טyish.PotH8199therighteousהַצַּדִּיק֙ha.tza.DikH6662and thewickedהָ֣רָשָׁ֔עha.ra.Sha'H7563: for there is a time there foreveryלְכָל־le.kholH3605purposeH3820and foreveryכָּל־kol-H3605workהַֽמַּעֲשֶׂ֖הha.ma.'a.SehH4639.

18Isaidאָמַ֤רְתִּֽי'a.Mar.tiH559in mineheartבְּלִבִּ֔יbe.li.BiH3820, It isbecauseעַל־'al-H5921of thesonsבְּנֵ֣יbe.NeiH1121ofmenהָאָדָ֔םha.'a.DamH120, thatGodהָאֱלֹהִ֑יםha.'E.lo.HimH430may prove them, and that they mayseeוְלִרְא֕וֹתve.lir.'otH7200that theythemselvesH1992are but asbeastsבְּהֵמָ֥הbe.he.MahH929.

19For thatwhichזֶה֙zehH2088befalleth thesonsבְֽנֵי־ve.nei-H1121ofmenהָאָדָ֜םha.'a.DamH120befallethbeastsהַבְּהֵמָ֗הha.be.he.MahH929;evenכִּי֩kiH3588onethingזֶ֔הZehH2088befalleth them: as the one dieth,soכֵּ֣ןkenH3651dieth theotherH259;yeaכִּ֥יkiH3588, they haveallלַכֹּ֑לla.KolH3605onebreathוְר֥וּחַve.Ru.achH7307; andmanהָאָדָ֤םha.'a.DamH120hathnoאָ֔יִן'A.yinH369preeminenceaboveמִן־min-H4480thebeastsהַבְּהֵמָה֙ha.be.he.MahH929: forallהַכֹּ֖לha.KolH3605isvanityהָֽבֶל׃Ha.velH1892.

20Allהַכֹּ֥לha.KolH3605goהוֹלֵ֖ךְho.LekhH1980unto oneplaceמָק֣וֹםma.KomH4725;allהַכֹּל֙ha.KolH3605are of thedustהֶֽעָפָ֔רhe.'a.FarH6083, andallוְהַכֹּ֖לve.ha.KolH3605turnH7725todustהֶעָפָֽר׃he.'a.FarH6083againH7725.

21Who knoweth thespiritר֚וּחַRu.achH7307ofmanהָאָדָ֔םha.'a.DamH120whether it goethupwardלְמָ֑עְלָהle.Ma.'e.lahH4605, and thespiritוְר֙וּחַ֙ve.Ru.achH7307of thebeastהַבְּהֵמָ֔הha.be.he.MahH929whether it goethdownwardלְמַ֥טָּהle.Ma.tahH4295to theearthלָאָֽרֶץ׃la.'A.retzH776?

22Wherefore Isawוְרָאִ֗יתִיve.ra.'I.tiH7200that there isnothingאֵ֥ין'einH369betterטוֹב֙tOvH2896,thanH2896that amanהָאָדָם֙ha.'a.DamH120shouldrejoiceיִשְׂמַ֤חyis.MachH8055in hisworksבְּֽמַעֲשָׂ֔יוbe.ma.'a.SavH4639; for that is hisportionחֶלְק֑וֹchel.KoH2506: for who shallbringיְבִיאֶ֙נּוּ֙ye.vi.'E.nuH935himbackH310toseeלִרְא֔וֹתlir.'otH7200whatבְּמֶ֖הbe.MehH4100shall beafterH310him?

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 3

Revised Version 1895 — 1895 — Public Domain