Revised Webster's Bible

Ecclesiastes 8

1Who is as thewiseכְּהֶ֣חָכָ֔םke.He.cha.KhamH2450man ? and whoknowethיוֹדֵ֖עַyo.De.a'H3045theinterpretationפֵּ֣שֶׁרPe.sherH6592of athingדָּבָ֑רda.VarH1697? aman’sאָדָם֙'a.DamH120wisdomחָכְמַ֤תcha.khe.MatH2451maketh hisfaceפָּנָ֔יוpa.NavH6440toshineתָּאִ֣ירta.'IrH215, and theboldnessוְעֹ֥זve.'OzH5797of hisfaceפָּנָ֖יוpa.NavH6440shall bechangedיְשֻׁנֶּֽא׃ye.shu.Ne'H8132.

2I counsel thee tokeepשְׁמ֔וֹרshe.MorH8104theking’sמֶ֣לֶךְMe.lekhH4428commandmentפִּי־pi-H6310, and that inregardדִּבְרַ֖תdiv.RatH1700of theoathשְׁבוּעַ֥תshe.vu.'AtH7621ofGodאֱלֹהִֽים׃'E.lo.HimH430.

3Be nothastyתִּבָּהֵ֤לti.ba.HelH926to gooutH3212of hissightמִפָּנָיו֙mi.pa.NavH6440:standתַּעֲמֹ֖דta.'a.ModH5975not in anevilרָ֑עRa'H7451thingבְּדָבָ֣רbe.da.VarH1697; for hedoethיַעֲשֶֽׂה׃ya.'a.SehH6213whateverpleasethיַחְפֹּ֖ץyach.PotzH2654him.

4Where thewordדְּבַר־de.var-H1697of akingמֶ֖לֶךְMe.lekhH4428is, there ispowerשִׁלְט֑וֹןshil.TonH7983: and who maysayיֹֽאמַר־yo.mar-H559to him, Whatdoestתַּעֲשֶֽׂה׃ta.'a.SehH6213thou?

5He whokeepethשׁוֹמֵ֣רsho.MerH8104thecommandmentמִצְוָ֔הmitz.VahH4687shallfeelיֵדַ֖עye.Da'H3045noevilרָ֑עRa'H7451thingדָּבָ֣רda.VarH1697: and a wiseman’sחָכָֽם׃cha.KhamH2450heartלֵ֥בlevH3820discernethיֵדַ֖עye.Da'H3045bothtimeוְעֵ֣תve.'EtH6256andjudgmentוּמִשְׁפָּ֔טu.mish.PatH4941.

6Because to everypurposeחֵ֔פֶץChe.fetzH2656thereisיֵ֖שׁyeshH3426timeעֵ֣ת'etH6256andjudgmentוּמִשְׁפָּ֑טu.mish.PatH4941, therefore themiseryרָעַ֥תra.'AtH7451ofmanהָאָדָ֖םha.'a.DamH120isgreatרַבָּ֥הra.BahH7227upon him.

7For heknowethיֹדֵ֖עַyo.De.a'H3045not that which shall be: for who cantellיַגִּ֥ידya.GidH5046him when it shall be?

8There is nomanאָדָ֞ם'a.DamH120that hathpowerשַׁלִּ֤יטsha.LitH7989over thespiritבָּר֙וּחַ֙ba.Ru.achH7307toretainלִכְל֣וֹאlikh.Lo'H3607thespiritהָר֔וּחַha.Ru.achH7307; neither hath hepowerשִׁלְטוֹן֙shil.tOnH7983in thedayבְּי֣וֹםbe.YomH3117ofdeathהַמָּ֔וֶתha.Ma.vetH4194: and there is nodischargeמִשְׁלַ֖חַתmish.La.chatH4917in thatwarבַּמִּלְחָמָ֑הba.mil.cha.MahH4421; neither shallwickednessרֶ֖שַׁעRe.sha'H7562deliverיְמַלֵּ֥טye.ma.LetH4422those that aregivenבְּעָלָֽיו׃be.'a.LavH1167to it.

9All this have Iseenרָאִ֙יתִי֙ra.'I.tiH7200, andappliedוְנָת֣וֹןve.na.TonH5414myheartלִבִּ֔יli.BiH3820to everyworkמַעֲשֶׂ֔הma.'a.SehH4639that isdoneנַעֲשָׂ֖הna.'a.SahH6213under thesunהַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁha.Sha.meshH8121: there is atimeעֵ֗ת'EtH6256in which onemanH120rulethשָׁלַ֧טsha.LatH7980over another to his ownhurtלְרַ֥עle.Ra'H7451.

10AndsoH3651Isawרָאִיתִי֩ra.'i.TiH7200thewickedרְשָׁעִ֨יםre.sha.'ImH7563buriedקְבֻרִ֜יםke.vu.RimH6912, who hadcomeוָבָ֗אוּva.Va.'uH935andgoneיְהַלֵּ֔כוּye.ha.Le.khuH1980from theplaceוּמִמְּק֤וֹםu.mi.me.KomH4725of theholyקָדוֹשׁ֙ka.do.VoshH6918, and they wereforgottenוְיִֽשְׁתַּכְּח֥וּve.yish.ta.ke.ChuH7911in thecityבָעִ֖ירva.'IrH5892where they had sodoneעָשׂ֑וּ'a.SuH6213: this is alsovanityהָֽבֶל׃Ha.velH1892.

11Becausesentenceפִתְגָ֔םfit.GamH6599against anevilהָרָעָ֖הha.ra.'AhH7451workמַעֲשֵׂ֥הma.'a.SehH4639is notexecutedנַעֲשָׂ֣הna.'a.SahH6213speedilyמְהֵרָ֑הme.he.RahH4120, therefore theheartלֵ֧בlevH3820of thesonsבְּֽנֵי־be.nei-H1121ofmenהָאָדָ֛םha.'a.DamH120is fullysetמָלֵ֞אma.Le'H4390in them todoלַעֲשׂ֥וֹתla.'a.SotH6213evilרָֽע׃Ra'H7451.

12Though asinnerחֹטֶ֗אcho.Te'H2398doethעֹשֶׂ֥ה'o.SehH6213evilרָ֛עra'H7451an hundredtimesמְאַ֖תme.'AtH3967, and his days areprolongedוּמַאֲרִ֣יךְu.ma.'a.RikhH748, yet surely Iknowיוֹדֵ֣עַyo.De.a'H3045that it shall bewellטּוֹב֙tOvH2896with them thatfearלְיִרְאֵ֣יle.yir.'EiH3373Godהָאֱלֹהִ֔יםha.'E.lo.HimH430, whofearיִֽירְא֖וּyi.re.'UH3372beforeמִלְּפָנָֽיו׃mi.le.fa.NavH6440him:

13But it shall not bewellוְטוֹב֙ve.tOvH2896with thewickedלָֽרָשָׁ֔עla.ra.Sha'H7563, neither shall heprolongיַאֲרִ֥יךְya.'a.RikhH748hisdaysיָמִ֖יםya.MimH3117, which are as ashadowכַּצֵּ֑לka.TzelH6738; because hefearethיָרֵ֖אya.Re'H3373notbeforeמִלִּפְנֵ֥יmi.lif.NeiH6440Godאֱלֹהִֽים׃'E.lo.HimH430.

14ThereisH3426avanityהֶבֶל֮he.VelH1892which isdoneנַעֲשָׂ֣הna.'a.SahH6213upon theearthהָאָרֶץ֒ha.'a.RetzH776; that there arejustצַדִּיקִ֗יםtza.di.KimH6662men, to whom ithappenethמַגִּ֤יעַma.Gi.a'H5060according to theworkכְּמַעֲשֵׂ֣הke.ma.'a.SehH4639of thewickedהָרְשָׁעִ֔יםha.re.sha.'ImH7563; again, thereareH3426wickedרְשָׁעִ֔יםre.sha.'ImH7563men, to whom ithappenethשֶׁמַּגִּ֥יעַshe.ma.Gi.a'H5060according to theworkכְּמַעֲשֵׂ֣הke.ma.'a.SehH4639of therighteousהַצַּדִּיקִ֑יםha.tza.di.KimH6662: Isaidאָמַ֕רְתִּי'a.Mar.tiH559that thisalsoשֶׁגַּם־she.gam-H1571isvanityהָֽבֶל׃Ha.velH1892.

15Then Icommendedוְשִׁבַּ֤חְתִּֽיve.shi.Bach.tiH7623mirthהַשִּׂמְחָ֔הha.sim.ChahH8057, because amanלָֽאָדָם֙la.'a.DamH120hath no betterthingט֤וֹבTovH2896under thesunהַשֶּׁ֔מֶשׁha.She.meshH8121, than toeatלֶאֱכ֥וֹלle.'e.KholH398, and todrinkוְלִשְׁתּ֖וֹתve.lish.TotH8354, and to bemerryוְלִשְׂמ֑וֹחַve.lis.Mo.achH8055: for that shallabideיִלְוֶ֣נּוּyil.Ve.nuH3867with him of hislabourבַעֲמָל֗וֹva.'a.ma.LoH5999thedaysיְמֵ֥יye.MeiH3117of hislifeחַיָּ֛יוchai.YavH2416, whichGodהָאֱלֹהִ֖יםha.'E.lo.HimH430givethנָֽתַן־na.tan-H5414him under thesunהַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ha.Sha.meshH8121.

16When Iappliedנָתַ֤תִּיna.Ta.tiH5414myheartלִבִּי֙li.BiH3820toknowלָדַ֣עַתla.Da.'atH3045wisdomחָכְמָ֔הchokh.mahH2451, and toseeוְלִרְאוֹת֙ve.lir.'OtH7200thebusinessהָ֣עִנְיָ֔ןha.'in.YanH6045that isdoneנַעֲשָׂ֖הna.'a.SahH6213upon theearthהָאָ֑רֶץha.'A.retzH776: (for also there is that neitherdayבַּיּוֹם֙bai.yOmH3117nornightוּבַלַּ֔יְלָהu.va.Lay.lahH3915seethרֹאֶֽה׃ro.'EhH7200sleepשֵׁנָ֕הshe.NahH8142with hiseyesבְּעֵינָ֖יוbe.'ei.NavH5869:)

17Then Ibeheldוְרָאִיתִי֮ve.ra.'i.TiH7200all theworkמַעֲשֵׂ֣הma.'a.SehH4639ofGodהָאֱלֹהִים֒ha.'E.lo.HimH430, that amanהָאָדָ֗םha.'a.DamH120cannotיוּכַ֜לyu.KhalH3201findoutלִמְצוֹא֙lim.tzO'H4672theworkהַֽמַּעֲשֶׂה֙ha.ma.'a.SehH4639that isdoneנַעֲשָׂ֣הna.'a.SahH6213under thesunהַשֶּׁ֔מֶשׁha.She.meshH8121:becauseH834thoughH7945amanהָאָדָ֛םha.'a.DamH120maylabourיַעֲמֹ֧לya.'a.MolH5998to seek itoutלְבַקֵּ֖שׁle.va.KeshH1245, yet he shall notfindיִמְצָ֑אyim.Tza'H4672it ; yea further; though awiseהֶֽחָכָם֙he.cha.KhamH2450manthinkethיֹאמַ֤רyo.MarH559toknowלָדַ֔עַתla.Da.'atH3045it, yet shall he not beableיוּכַ֖לyu.KhalH3201tofindלִמְצֹֽא׃lim.Tzo'H4672it .

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 8

Revised Webster's Bible — 1833 — Public Domain