Revised Webster's Bible

Ecclesiastes 4

1So Ireturnedוְשַׁ֣בְתִּֽיve.Shav.tiH7725, andconsideredוָאֶרְאֶה֙va.'er.'EhH7200all theoppressionsH6217that aredoneנַעֲשִׂ֖יםna.'a.SimH6213under thesunהַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁha.Sha.meshH8121: and behold thetearsדִּמְעַ֣תdim.'AtH1832of such as wereoppressedH6231, and they had nocomforterמְנַחֵ֔םme.na.ChemH5162; and on thesideוּמִיַּ֤דu.mi.YadH3027of theiroppressorsעֹֽשְׁקֵיהֶם֙'o.she.kei.HemH6231there waspowerכֹּ֔חַKo.achH3581; but they had nocomforterמְנַחֵֽם׃me.na.ChemH5162.

2Therefore Ipraisedוְשַׁבֵּ֧חַve.sha.Be.achH7623thedeadהַמֵּתִ֖יםha.me.TimH4191who arealreadyשֶׁכְּבָ֣רshe.ke.VarH3528deadמֵ֑תוּMe.tuH4191more than thelivingהַ֣חַיִּ֔יםha.chai.YimH2416who areyetעֲדֶֽנָה׃'a.De.nahH5728aliveחַיִּ֖יםchai.YimH2416.

3Yea,betterוְטוֹב֙ve.tOvH2896is he thanbothמִשְּׁנֵיהֶ֔םmi.she.nei.HemH8147they, who hath notyetעֲדֶ֖ן'a.DenH5728been, who hath notseenרָאָה֙ra.'AhH7200theevilהָרָ֔עha.Ra'H7451workהַמַּעֲשֶׂ֣הha.ma.'a.SehH4639that isdoneנַעֲשָׂ֖הna.'a.SahH6213under thesunהַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ha.Sha.meshH8121.

4Again, Iconsideredוְרָאִ֨יתִֽיve.ra.'I.tiH7200alllabourעָמָ֗ל'a.MalH5999, and everyrightכִּשְׁר֣וֹןkish.RonH3788workהַֽמַּעֲשֶׂ֔הha.ma.'a.SehH4639, that for this amanאִ֖ישׁ'ishH376isenviedקִנְאַת־kin.'at-H7068by hisneighbourמֵרֵעֵ֑הוּme.re.'E.huH7453. This is alsovanityהֶ֖בֶלHe.velH1892andvexationוּרְע֥וּתu.re.'UtH7469ofspiritרֽוּחַ׃Ru.achH7307.

5Thefoolהַכְּסִיל֙ha.ke.SilH3684foldethH2263hishandsיָדָ֔יוya.DavH3027togetherH2263, andeatethוְאֹכֵ֖לve.'o.KhelH398his ownfleshבְּשָׂרֽוֹ׃be.sa.RoH1320.

6Betterט֕וֹבTovH2896is anhandfulכַ֖ףkhafH3709withquietnessנָ֑חַתNa.chatH5183, than both thehandsחָפְנַ֛יִםcha.fe.Na.yimH2651fullH4393withtoilעָמָ֖ל'a.MalH5999andvexationוּרְע֥וּתu.re.'UtH7469ofspiritרֽוּחַ׃Ru.achH7307.

7Then Ireturnedוְשַׁ֧בְתִּיve.Shav.tiH7725, and Isawוָאֶרְאֶ֥הva.'er.'EhH7200vanityהֶ֖בֶלHe.velH1892under thesunהַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ha.Sha.meshH8121.

8Thereisיֵ֣שׁyeshH3426oneאֶחָד֩'e.ChadH259alone, and there is not asecondשֵׁנִ֜יshe.NiH8145; yea, he hath neitherchildבֵּ֧ןbenH1121norbrotherוָאָ֣חva.'AchH251: yet is there noendקֵץ֙ketzH7093of all hislabourעֲמָל֔וֹa.ma.LoH5999; neither is hiseyeעֵינ֖וֹei.navH5869satisfiedתִשְׂבַּ֣עtis.Ba'H7646withrichesעֹ֑שֶׁר'O.sherH6239; neither saith he, For whom do Ilabourעָמֵ֗ל'a.MelH6001, andbereaveוּמְחַסֵּ֤רu.me.cha.SerH2637mysoulנַפְשִׁי֙naf.ShiH5315ofgoodמִטּוֹבָ֔הmi.to.VahH2896? This is alsovanityהֶ֛בֶלHe.velH1892, yea, it is agrievousרָ֖עra'H7451labourוְעִנְיַ֥ןve.'in.YanH6045.

9Twoהַשְּׁנַ֖יִםha.she.Na.yimH8147arebetterטוֹבִ֥יםto.VimH2896thanoneהָאֶחָ֑דha.'e.ChadH259; because theyhaveיֵשׁ־yesh-H3426agoodט֖וֹבTovH2896rewardשָׂכָ֥רsa.KharH7939for theirlabourבַּעֲמָלָֽם׃ba.'a.ma.LamH5999.

10For if theyfallיִפֹּ֔לוּyi.Po.luH5307, theoneהָאֶחָ֖דha.'e.ChadH259will liftupיָקִ֣יםya.KimH6965hiscompanionחֲבֵר֑וֹcha.ve.RoH2270: butwoeוְאִ֣יל֗וֹve.'I.LoH337to him that isaloneהָֽאֶחָד֙ha.'e.ChadH259when hefallethשֶׁיִּפּ֔וֹלshei.yi.PolH5307; for he hath notanotherשֵׁנִ֖יshe.NiH8145to help him toriseלַהֲקִימֽוֹ׃la.ha.ki.MoH6965.

11Againגַּ֛םgamH1571, iftwoשְׁנַ֖יִםshe.Na.yimH8147lietogetherיִשְׁכְּב֥וּyish.ke.VuH7901, then they haveheatH2552: but how canoneוּלְאֶחָ֖דu.le.'e.ChadH259bewarmH3179alone ?

12And ifoneהָאֶחָ֔דha.'e.ChadH259prevailethיִתְקְפוֹ֙yit.ke.FoH8630against him,twoהַשְּׁנַ֖יִםha.she.Na.yimH8147shallwithstandיַעַמְד֣וּya.'am.DuH5975him; and athreefoldהַֽמְשֻׁלָּ֔שׁham.shu.LashH8027cordוְהַחוּט֙ve.ha.ChutH2339is notquicklyבִמְהֵרָ֖הvim.he.RahH4120brokenיִנָּתֵֽק׃yi.na.TekH5423.

13Betterט֛וֹבTovH2896is apoorמִסְכֵּ֖ןmis.KenH4542and awiseוְחָכָ֑םve.cha.KhamH2450childיֶ֥לֶדYe.ledH3206than anoldזָקֵן֙za.KenH2205andfoolishוּכְסִ֔ילu.khe.SilH3684kingמִמֶּ֤לֶךְmi.Me.lekhH4428, whowillיָדַ֥עya.Da'H3045no longer beadmonishedלְהִזָּהֵ֖רle.hi.za.HerH2094.

14For out ofprisonמִבֵּ֥ית הָסוּרִ֖יםmi.Beit ha.su.RimH631 H1004hecomethיָצָ֣אya.Tza'H3318toreignלִמְלֹ֑ךְlim.LokhH4427; though also he that isbornנוֹלַ֥דno.LadH3205in hiskingdomבְּמַלְכוּת֖וֹbe.mal.khu.ToH4438becomethpoorרָֽשׁ׃RashH7326.

15Iconsideredרָאִ֙יתִי֙ra.'I.tiH7200all thelivingהַ֣חַיִּ֔יםha.chai.YimH2416whowalkהַֽמְהַלְּכִ֖יםham.ha.le.KhimH1980under thesunהַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁha.Sha.meshH8121, with thesecondהַשֵּׁנִ֔יha.she.NiH8145childהַיֶּ֣לֶדhai.Ye.ledH3206that shall standupיַעֲמֹ֖דya.'a.ModH5975in his stead.

16There is noendקֵ֣ץketzH7093of all thepeopleהָעָ֗םha.'AmH5971, even of all that have beenbeforeלִפְנֵיהֶ֔םlif.nei.HemH6440them: they also that comeafterהָאַחֲרוֹנִ֖יםha.'a.cha.ro.NimH314shall notrejoiceיִשְׂמְחוּ־yis.me.chu-H8055in him. Surely this also isvanityהֶ֖בֶלHe.velH1892andvexationוְרַעְי֥וֹןve.ra'.YonH7475ofspiritרֽוּחַ׃Ru.achH7307.

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 4

Revised Webster's Bible — 1833 — Public Domain