Ecclesiastes 1 קֹהֶלֶת

Hebrew · transliteration · JPS 1917

¹דִּבְרֵי֙ קֹהֶ֣לֶת בֶּן־דָּוִ֔ד מֶ֖לֶךְ בִּירוּשָׁלִָֽם׃

divre kohelet ben-david melekh birushalam

THE WORDs OF the Koheleth, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

²הֲבֵ֤ל הֲבָלִים֙ אָמַ֣ר קֹהֶ֔לֶת הֲבֵ֥ל הֲבָלִ֖ים הַכֹּ֥ל הָֽבֶל׃

havel havalim amar kohelet havel havalim hakkol havel

Vanity of vanities, saith Koheleth; Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.

³מַה־יִּתְר֖וֹן לָֽאָדָ֑ם בְּכָל־עֲמָל֔וֹ שֶֽׁיַּעֲמֹ֖ל תַּ֥חַת הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃

ma-yitron la'adam bekhal-amalo sheyya'amol tachat hashamesh

What profit hath man of all his labour Wherein he laboureth under the sun?

⁴דּ֤וֹר הֹלֵךְ֙ וְד֣וֹר בָּ֔א וְהָאָ֖רֶץ לְעוֹלָ֥ם עֹמָֽדֶת׃

dor holekh vedor ba veha'aretz le'olam omadet

One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh; And the earth abideth for ever.

⁵וְזָרַ֥ח הַשֶּׁ֖מֶשׁ וּבָ֣א הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ וְאֶ֨ל־מְקוֹמ֔וֹ שׁוֹאֵ֛ף זוֹרֵ֥חַֽ ה֖וּא שָֽׁם׃

vezarach hashemesh uva hashamesh ve'el-mekomo sho'ef zoreach hu sham

The sun also ariseth, And the sun goeth down, And hasteth to his place where he ariseth.

⁶הוֹלֵךְ֙ אֶל־דָּר֔וֹם וְסוֹבֵ֖ב אֶל־צָפ֑וֹן סוֹבֵ֤ב ׀ סֹבֵב֙ הוֹלֵ֣ךְ הָר֔וּחַ וְעַל־סְבִיבֹתָ֖יו שָׁ֥ב הָרֽוּחַ׃

holekh el-darom vesovev el-tzafon sovev sovev holekh haruach ve'al-sevivotav shav haruach

The wind goeth toward the south, And turneth about unto the north; It turneth about continually in its circuit, And the wind returneth again to its circuits.

⁷כָּל־הַנְּחָלִים֙ הֹלְכִ֣ים אֶל־הַיָּ֔ם וְהַיָּ֖ם אֵינֶ֣נּוּ מָלֵ֑א אֶל־מְק֗וֹם שֶׁ֤הַנְּחָלִים֙ הֹֽלְכִ֔ים שָׁ֛ם הֵ֥ם שָׁבִ֖ים לָלָֽכֶת׃

kal-hannechalim holkhim el-hayyam vehayyam enennu male el-mekom shehannechalim holkhim sham hem shavim lalakhet

All the rivers run into the sea, Yet the sea is not full; Unto the place whither the rivers go, Thither they go again.

⁸כָּל־הַדְּבָרִ֣ים יְגֵעִ֔ים לֹא־יוּכַ֥ל אִ֖ישׁ לְדַבֵּ֑ר לֹא־תִשְׂבַּ֥ע עַ֨יִן֙ לִרְא֔וֹת וְלֹא־תִמָּלֵ֥א אֹ֖זֶן מִשְּׁמֹֽעַ׃

kal-haddevarim yege'im lo-yukhal ish ledabber lo-tisba' ayin lirot velo-timmale ozen mishemoa

All things toil to weariness; Man cannot utter it, The eye is not satisfied with seeing, Nor the ear filled with hearing.

⁹מַה־שֶּֽׁהָיָה֙ ה֣וּא שֶׁיִּהְיֶ֔ה וּמַה־שֶׁנַּֽעֲשָׂ֔ה ה֖וּא שֶׁיֵּעָשֶׂ֑ה וְאֵ֥ין כָּל־חָדָ֖שׁ תַּ֥חַת הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃

ma-shehaya hu sheyyihye uma-shenna'asa hu sheyye'ase ve'en kal-chadash tachat hashamesh

That which hath been is that which shall be, And that which hath been done is that which shall be done; And there is nothing new under the sun.

¹⁰יֵ֥שׁ דָּבָ֛ר שֶׁיֹּאמַ֥ר רְאֵה־זֶ֖ה חָדָ֣שׁ ה֑וּא כְּבָר֙ הָיָ֣ה לְעֹֽלָמִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר הָיָ֖ה מִלְּפָנֵֽנוּ׃

yesh davar sheyyomar re'e-ze chadash hu kevar haya le'olamim asher haya millefanenu

Is there a thing whereof it is said: ‘See, this is new’?—it hath been already, in the ages which were before us.

¹¹אֵ֥ין זִכְר֖וֹן לָרִאשֹׁנִ֑ים וְגַ֨ם לָאַחֲרֹנִ֜ים שֶׁיִּהְי֗וּ לֹֽא־יִהְיֶ֤ה לָהֶם֙ זִכָּר֔וֹן עִ֥ם שֶׁיִּהְי֖וּ לָאַחֲרֹנָֽה׃

en zikhron larishonim vegam la'acharonim sheyyihyu lo-yihye lahem zikkaron im sheyyihyu la'acharona

There is no remembrance of them of former times; neither shall there be any remembrance of them of latter times that are to come, among those that shall come after.

¹²אֲנִ֣י קֹהֶ֗לֶת הָיִ֥יתִי מֶ֛לֶךְ עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בִּירוּשָׁלִָֽם׃

ani kohelet hayiti melekh al-yisra'el birushalam

I Koheleth have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.

¹³וְנָתַ֣תִּי אֶת־לִבִּ֗י לִדְר֤וֹשׁ וְלָתוּר֙ בַּֽחָכְמָ֔ה עַ֛ל כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֥ר נַעֲשָׂ֖ה תַּ֣חַת הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם ה֣וּא ׀ עִנְיַ֣ן רָ֗ע נָתַ֧ן אֱלֹהִ֛ים לִבְנֵ֥י הָאָדָ֖ם לַעֲנ֥וֹת בּֽוֹ׃

venatatti et-libbi lidrosh velatur bachakhma al kal-asher na'asa tachat hashamayim hu inyan ra' natan elohim livne ha'adam la'anot bo

And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven; it is a sore task that God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith.

¹⁴רָאִ֨יתִי֙ אֶת־כָּל־הַֽמַּעֲשִׂ֔ים שֶֽׁנַּעֲשׂ֖וּ תַּ֣חַת הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ וְהִנֵּ֥ה הַכֹּ֛ל הֶ֖בֶל וּרְע֥וּת רֽוּחַ׃

ra'iti et-kal-hamma'asim shenna'asu tachat hashamesh vehinne hakkol hevel ure'ut ruach

I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.

¹⁵מְעֻוָּ֖ת לֹא־יוּכַ֣ל לִתְקֹ֑ן וְחֶסְר֖וֹן לֹא־יוּכַ֥ל לְהִמָּנֽוֹת׃

me'uvvat lo-yukhal litkon vechesron lo-yukhal lehimmanot

That which is crooked cannot be made straight; And that which is wanting cannot be numbered.

¹⁶דִּבַּ֨רְתִּי אֲנִ֤י עִם־לִבִּי֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר אֲנִ֗י הִנֵּ֨ה הִגְדַּ֤לְתִּי וְהוֹסַ֨פְתִּי֙ חָכְמָ֔ה עַ֛ל כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־הָיָ֥ה לְפָנַ֖י עַל־יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑ם וְלִבִּ֛י רָאָ֥ה הַרְבֵּ֖ה חָכְמָ֥ה וָדָֽעַת׃

dibbarti ani im-libbi lemor ani hinne higdalti vehosafti chakhma al kal-asher-haya lefanay al-yerushalam velibbi ra'a harbe chakhma vada'at

I spoke with my own heart, saying: ‘Lo, I have gotten great wisdom, more also than all that were before me over Jerusalem’; yea, my heart hath had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.

¹⁷וָאֶתְּנָ֤ה לִבִּי֙ לָדַ֣עַת חָכְמָ֔ה וְדַ֥עַת הוֹלֵל֖וֹת וְשִׂכְל֑וּת יָדַ֕עְתִּי שֶׁגַּם־זֶ֥ה ה֖וּא רַעְי֥וֹן רֽוּחַ׃

va'ettena libbi lada'at chakhma veda'at holelot vesikhlut yada'ti sheggam-ze hu ra'yon ruach

And I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly—I perceived that this also was a striving after wind.

¹⁸כִּ֛י בְּרֹ֥ב חָכְמָ֖ה רָב־כָּ֑עַס וְיוֹסִ֥יף דַּ֖עַת יוֹסִ֥יף מַכְאֽוֹב׃

ki berov chakhma rav-ka'as veyosif da'at yosif makhov

For in much wisdom is much vexation; And he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.

World Messianic Bible (English numbering)

¹The words of Kohelet, the son of David, king in Jerusalem:

²“Vanity of vanities,” says Kohelet; “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.”

³What does man gain from all his labor in which he labors under the sun?

⁴One generation goes, and another generation comes; but the earth remains forever.

⁵The sun also rises, and the sun goes down, and hurries to its place where it rises.

⁶The wind goes toward the south, and turns around to the north. It turns around continually as it goes, and the wind returns again to its courses.

⁷All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full. To the place where the rivers flow, there they flow again.

⁸All things are full of weariness beyond uttering. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.

⁹That which has been is that which shall be, and that which has been done is that which shall be done; and there is no new thing under the sun.

¹⁰Is there a thing of which it may be said, “Behold, this is new”? It has been long ago, in the ages which were before us.

¹¹There is no memory of the former; neither shall there be any memory of the latter that are to come, among those that shall come after.

¹²I, Kohelet, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.

¹³I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the sky. It is a heavy burden that God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.

¹⁴I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and behold, all is vanity and a chasing after wind.

¹⁵That which is crooked can’t be made straight; and that which is lacking can’t be counted.

¹⁶I said to myself, “Behold, I have obtained for myself great wisdom above all who were before me in Jerusalem. Yes, my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.”

¹⁷I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also was a chasing after wind.

¹⁸For in much wisdom is much grief; and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.

Sister sites

JesusTokEvery word Jesus spoke, as cinematic cards you can swipe.AngelTokWhat Scripture says about angels, and real encounters.DivineTokSwipe Scripture. Tap deeper.BibVidRead the Bible: watch the story, enter the world.

Hebrew: Westminster Leningrad Codex (ketiv shown with the qere in brackets). JPS 1917 and the Hebrew use Hebrew verse numbers; the English column uses English numbering, which sometimes differs by a verse.

Welcome to JewTok

Ecclesiastes 1 קֹהֶלֶת

Hebrew · transliteration · JPS 1917

Sister sites

Install JewTok