Ecclesiastes 11 קֹהֶלֶת
Hebrew · transliteration · JPS 1917
1שַׁלַּ֥ח לַחְמְךָ֖ עַל־פְּנֵ֣י הַמָּ֑יִם כִּֽי־בְרֹ֥ב הַיָּמִ֖ים תִּמְצָאֶֽנּוּ׃
shallach lachmekha al-pene hammayim ki-verov hayyamim timtza'ennu
Cast thy bread upon the waters, For thou shalt find it after many days.
2תֶּן־חֵ֥לֶק לְשִׁבְעָ֖ה וְגַ֣ם לִשְׁמוֹנָ֑ה כִּ֚י לֹ֣א תֵדַ֔ע מַה־יִּהְיֶ֥ה רָעָ֖ה עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃
ten-chelek leshiv'a vegam lishmona ki lo teda' ma-yihye ra'a al-ha'aretz
Divide a portion into seven, yea, even into eight; For thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth.
3אִם־יִמָּלְא֨וּ הֶעָבִ֥ים גֶּ֨שֶׁם֙ עַל־הָאָ֣רֶץ יָרִ֔יקוּ וְאִם־יִפּ֥וֹל עֵ֛ץ בַּדָּר֖וֹם וְאִ֣ם בַּצָּפ֑וֹן מְק֛וֹם שֶׁיִּפּ֥וֹל הָעֵ֖ץ שָׁ֥ם יְהֽוּא׃
im-yimmalu he'avim geshem al-ha'aretz yariku ve'im-yippol etz baddarom ve'im batzafon mekom sheyyippol ha'etz sham yehu
If the clouds be full of rain, They empty themselves upon the earth; And if a tree fall in the south, or in the north, In the place where the tree falleth, there shall it be.
4שֹׁמֵ֥ר ר֖וּחַ לֹ֣א יִזְרָ֑ע וְרֹאֶ֥ה בֶעָבִ֖ים לֹ֥א יִקְצֽוֹר׃
shomer ruach lo yizra' vero'e ve'avim lo yiktzor
He that observeth the wind shall not sow; And he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.
5כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר אֵֽינְךָ֤ יוֹדֵ֨עַ֙ מַה־דֶּ֣רֶךְ הָר֔וּחַ כַּעֲצָמִ֖ים בְּבֶ֣טֶן הַמְּלֵאָ֑ה כָּ֗כָה לֹ֤א תֵדַע֙ אֶת־מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר יַעֲשֶׂ֖ה אֶת־הַכֹּֽל׃
ka'asher enkha yodea ma-derekh haruach ka'atzamim beveten hammele'a kakha lo teda' et-ma'ase ha'elohim asher ya'ase et-hakkol
As thou knowest not what is the way of the wind, Nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child; Even so thou knowest not the work of God Who doeth all things.
6בַּבֹּ֨קֶר֙ זְרַ֣ע אֶת־זַרְעֶ֔ךָ וְלָעֶ֖רֶב אַל־תַּנַּ֣ח יָדֶ֑ךָ כִּי֩ אֵֽינְךָ֨ יוֹדֵ֜ע אֵ֣י זֶ֤ה יִכְשָׁר֙ הֲזֶ֣ה אוֹ־זֶ֔ה וְאִם־שְׁנֵיהֶ֥ם כְּאֶחָ֖ד טוֹבִֽים׃
babboker zera' et-zar'ekha vela'erev al-tannach yadekha ki enkha yode' e ze yikhshar haze o-ze ve'im-shenehem ke'echad tovim
In the morning sow thy seed, And in the evening withhold not thy hand; For thou knowest not which shall prosper, whether this or that, Or whether they both shall be alike good.
7וּמָת֖וֹק הָא֑וֹר וְט֥וֹב לַֽעֵינַ֖יִם לִרְא֥וֹת אֶת־הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃
umatok haor vetov la'enayim lirot et-hashamesh
And the light is sweet, And a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun.
8כִּ֣י אִם־שָׁנִ֥ים הַרְבֵּ֛ה יִחְיֶ֥ה הָאָדָ֖ם בְּכֻלָּ֣ם יִשְׂמָ֑ח וְיִזְכֹּר֙ אֶת־יְמֵ֣י הַחֹ֔שֶׁךְ כִּֽי־הַרְבֵּ֥ה יִהְי֖וּ כָּל־שֶׁבָּ֥א הָֽבֶל׃
ki im-shanim harbe yichye ha'adam bekhullam yismach veyizkor et-yeme hachoshekh ki-harbe yihyu kal-shebba havel
For if a man live many years, Let him rejoice in them all, And remember the days of darkness, For they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity.
9שְׂמַ֧ח בָּח֣וּר בְּיַלְדוּתֶ֗יךָ וִֽיטִֽיבְךָ֤ לִבְּךָ֙ בִּימֵ֣י בְחוּרוֹתֶ֔ךָ וְהַלֵּךְ֙ בְּדַרְכֵ֣י לִבְּךָ֔ וּבְמַרְאֵ֖י עֵינֶ֑יךָ וְדָ֕ע כִּ֧י עַל־כָּל־אֵ֛לֶּה יְבִֽיאֲךָ֥ הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים בַּמִּשְׁפָּֽט׃
semach bachur beyaldutekha vitivkha libbekha bime vechurotekha vehallekh bedarkhe libbekha uvemar'e enekha veda' ki al-kal-elle yevi'akha ha'elohim bammishpat
Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; And let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, And walk in the ways of thy heart, And in the sight of thine eyes; But know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.
10וְהָסֵ֥ר כַּ֨עַס֙ מִלִּבֶּ֔ךָ וְהַעֲבֵ֥ר רָעָ֖ה מִבְּשָׂרֶ֑ךָ כִּֽי־הַיַּלְד֥וּת וְהַֽשַּׁחֲר֖וּת הָֽבֶל׃
vehaser ka'as millibbekha veha'aver ra'a mibbesarekha ki-hayyaldut vehashacharut havel
Therefore remove vexation from thy heart, And put away evil from thy flesh; For childhood and youth are vanity.
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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.