Ecclesiastes 12 קֹהֶלֶת

¹וּזְכֹר֙ אֶת־בּ֣וֹרְאֶ֔יךָ בִּימֵ֖י בְּחוּרֹתֶ֑יךָ עַ֣ד אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹא־יָבֹ֨אוּ֙ יְמֵ֣י הָֽרָעָ֔ה וְהִגִּ֣יעוּ שָׁנִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר תֹּאמַ֔ר אֵֽין־לִ֥י בָהֶ֖ם חֵֽפֶץ׃

uzekhor et-bor'ekha bime bechurotekha ad asher lo-yavou yeme hara'a vehiggi'u shanim asher tomar en-li vahem chefetz

1Remember then thy Creator in the days of thy youth, and the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say: 'I have no pleasure in them';

²עַ֠ד אֲשֶׁ֨ר לֹֽא־תֶחְשַׁ֤ךְ הַשֶּׁ֨מֶשׁ֙ וְהָא֔וֹר וְהַיָּרֵ֖חַ וְהַכּוֹכָבִ֑ים וְשָׁ֥בוּ הֶעָבִ֖ים אַחַ֥ר הַגָּֽשֶׁם׃

ad asher lo-techshakh hashemesh vehaor vehayyareach vehakkokhavim veshavu he'avim achar haggashem

2Before the sun, and the light, and the moon, and the stars, are darkened, and the clouds return after the rain;

³בַּיּ֗וֹם שֶׁיָּזֻ֨עוּ֙ שֹׁמְרֵ֣י הַבַּ֔יִת וְהִֽתְעַוְּת֖וּ אַנְשֵׁ֣י הֶחָ֑יִל וּבָטְל֤וּ הַטֹּֽחֲנוֹת֙ כִּ֣י מִעֵ֔טוּ וְחָשְׁכ֥וּ הָרֹא֖וֹת בָּאֲרֻבּֽוֹת׃

bayyom sheyyazu'u shomre habbayit vehit'avvetu anshe hechayil uvatlu hattochanot ki mi'etu vechashkhu haroot ba'arubbot

3In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out shall be darkened in the windows,

⁴וְסֻגְּר֤וּ דְלָתַ֨יִם֙ בַּשּׁ֔וּק בִּשְׁפַ֖ל ק֣וֹל הַֽטַּחֲנָ֑ה וְיָקוּם֙ לְק֣וֹל הַצִּפּ֔וֹר וְיִשַּׁ֖חוּ כָּל־בְּנ֥וֹת הַשִּֽׁיר׃

vesuggeru delatayim bashuk bishfal kol hattachana veyakum lekol hatzippor veyishachu kal-benot hashir

4And the doors shall be shut in the street, when the sound of the grinding is low; and one shall start up at the voice of a bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low;

⁵גַּ֣ם מִגָּבֹ֤הַּ יִרָ֨אוּ֙ וְחַתְחַתִּ֣ים בַּדֶּ֔רֶךְ וְיָנֵ֤אץ הַשָּׁקֵד֙ וְיִסְתַּבֵּ֣ל הֶֽחָגָ֔ב וְתָפֵ֖ר הָֽאֲבִיּוֹנָ֑ה כִּֽי־הֹלֵ֤ךְ הָאָדָם֙ אֶל־בֵּ֣ית עוֹלָמ֔וֹ וְסָבְב֥וּ בָשּׁ֖וּק הַסֹּפְדִֽים׃

gam miggavoah yirau vechatchattim badderekh veyanetz hashaked veyistabbel hechagav vetafer ha'aviyyona ki-holekh ha'adam el-bet olamo vesavvu vashuk hassofdim

5Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and terrors shall be in the way; and the almond-tree shall blossom, and the grasshopper shall drag itself along, and the caperberry shall fail; Because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets;

⁶עַ֣ד אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹֽא־ירחק [יֵרָתֵק֙] חֶ֣בֶל הַכֶּ֔סֶף וְתָרֻ֖ץ גֻּלַּ֣ת הַזָּהָ֑ב וְתִשָּׁ֤בֶר כַּד֙ עַל־הַמַּבּ֔וּעַ וְנָרֹ֥ץ הַגַּלְגַּ֖ל אֶל־הַבּֽוֹר׃

ad asher lo-yeratek chevel hakkesef vetarutz gullat hazzahav vetishaver kad al-hammabbua venarotz haggalgal el-habbor

6Before the silver cord is snapped asunder, and the golden bowl is shattered, And the pitcher is broken at the fountain, and the wheel falleth shattered, into the pit;

⁷וְיָשֹׁ֧ב הֶעָפָ֛ר עַל־הָאָ֖רֶץ כְּשֶׁהָיָ֑ה וְהָר֣וּחַ תָּשׁ֔וּב אֶל־הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר נְתָנָֽהּ׃

veyashov he'afar al-ha'aretz keshehaya veharuach tashuv el-ha'elohim asher netanah

7And the dust returneth to the earth as it was, and the spirit returneth unto God who gave it.

⁸הֲבֵ֧ל הֲבָלִ֛ים אָמַ֥ר הַקּוֹהֶ֖לֶת הַכֹּ֥ל הָֽבֶל׃

havel havalim amar hakkohelet hakkol havel

8Vanity of vanities, saith Koheleth; all is vanity.

⁹וְיֹתֵ֕ר שֶׁהָיָ֥ה קֹהֶ֖לֶת חָכָ֑ם ע֗וֹד לִמַּד־דַּ֨עַת֙ אֶת־הָעָ֔ם וְאִזֵּ֣ן וְחִקֵּ֔ר תִּקֵּ֖ן מְשָׁלִ֥ים הַרְבֵּֽה׃

veyoter shehaya kohelet chakham od limmad-da'at et-ha'am ve'izzen vechikker tikken meshalim harbe

9And besides that Koheleth was wise, he also taught the people knowledge; yea, he pondered, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.

¹⁰בִּקֵּ֣שׁ קֹהֶ֔לֶת לִמְצֹ֖א דִּבְרֵי־חֵ֑פֶץ וְכָת֥וּב יֹ֖שֶׁר דִּבְרֵ֥י אֱמֶֽת׃

bikkesh kohelet limtzo divre-chefetz vekhatuv yosher divre emet

10Koheleth sought to find out words of delight, and that which was written uprightly, even words of truth.

¹¹דִּבְרֵ֤י חֲכָמִים֙ כַּדָּ֣רְבֹנ֔וֹת וּֽכְמַשְׂמְר֥וֹת נְטוּעִ֖ים בַּעֲלֵ֣י אֲסֻפּ֑וֹת נִתְּנ֖וּ מֵרֹעֶ֥ה אֶחָֽד׃

divre chakhamim kaddarvonot ukhemasmerot netu'im ba'ale asuppot nittenu mero'e echad

11The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails well fastened are those that are composed in collections; they are given from one shepherd.

¹²וְיֹתֵ֥ר מֵהֵ֖מָּה בְּנִ֣י הִזָּהֵ֑ר עֲשׂ֨וֹת סְפָרִ֤ים הַרְבֵּה֙ אֵ֣ין קֵ֔ץ וְלַ֥הַג הַרְבֵּ֖ה יְגִעַ֥ת בָּשָֽׂר׃

veyoter mehemma beni hizzaher asot sefarim harbe en ketz velahag harbe yegi'at basar

12And furthermore, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

¹³ס֥וֹף דָּבָ֖ר הַכֹּ֣ל נִשְׁמָ֑ע אֶת־הָאֱלֹהִ֤ים יְרָא֙ וְאֶת־מִצְוֺתָ֣יו שְׁמ֔וֹר כִּי־זֶ֖ה כָּל־הָאָדָֽם׃

sof davar hakkol nishma' et-ha'elohim yera ve'et-mitzvotav shemor ki-ze kal-ha'adam

13The end of the matter, all having been heard: fear God, and keep His commandments; for this is the whole man.

¹⁴כִּ֤י אֶת־כָּל־מַֽעֲשֶׂ֔ה הָאֱלֹהִ֛ים יָבִ֥א בְמִשְׁפָּ֖ט עַ֣ל כָּל־נֶעְלָ֑ם אִם־ט֖וֹב וְאִם־רָֽע׃

ki et-kal-ma'ase ha'elohim yavi vemishpat al kal-ne'lam im-tov ve'im-ra'

14For God shall bring every work into the judgment concerning every hidden thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil.[The end of the matter, all having been heard: fear God, and keep His Commandments; for this is the whole man.]