Ecclesiastes 6 קֹהֶלֶת

¹יֵ֣שׁ רָעָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר רָאִ֖יתִי תַּ֣חַת הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ וְרַבָּ֥ה הִ֖יא עַל־הָאָדָֽם׃

yesh ra'a asher ra'iti tachat hashamesh verabba hi al-ha'adam

1There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is heavy upon men:

²אִ֣ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִתֶּן־ל֣וֹ הָאֱלֹהִ֡ים עֹשֶׁר֩ וּנְכָסִ֨ים וְכָב֜וֹד וְֽאֵינֶ֨נּוּ חָסֵ֥ר לְנַפְשׁ֣וֹ ׀ מִכֹּ֣ל אֲשֶׁר־יִתְאַוֶּ֗ה וְלֹֽא־יַשְׁלִיטֶ֤נּוּ הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ לֶאֱכֹ֣ל מִמֶּ֔נּוּ כִּ֛י אִ֥ישׁ נָכְרִ֖י יֹֽאכֲלֶ֑נּוּ זֶ֥ה הֶ֛בֶל וָחֳלִ֥י רָ֖ע הֽוּא׃

ish asher yitten-lo ha'elohim osher unekhasim vekhavod ve'enennu chaser lenafsho mikkol asher-yit'avve velo-yashlitennu ha'elohim le'ekhol mimmennu ki ish nakhri yokhalennu ze hevel vacholi ra' hu

2a man to whom God giveth riches, wealth, and honour, so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it; this is vanity, and it is an evil disease.

³אִם־יוֹלִ֣יד אִ֣ישׁ מֵאָ֡ה וְשָׁנִים֩ רַבּ֨וֹת יִֽחְיֶ֜ה וְרַ֣ב ׀ שֶׁיִּהְי֣וּ יְמֵֽי־שָׁנָ֗יו וְנַפְשׁוֹ֙ לֹא־תִשְׂבַּ֣ע מִן־הַטּוֹבָ֔ה וְגַם־קְבוּרָ֖ה לֹא־הָ֣יְתָה לּ֑וֹ אָמַ֕רְתִּי ט֥וֹב מִמֶּ֖נּוּ הַנָּֽפֶל׃

im-yolid ish me'a veshanim rabbot yichye verav sheyyihyu yeme-shanav venafsho lo-tisba' min-hattova vegam-kevura lo-hayta lo amarti tov mimmennu hannafel

3If a man beget a hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul have not enough of good, and moreover he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he;

⁴כִּֽי־בַהֶ֥בֶל בָּ֖א וּבַחֹ֣שֶׁךְ יֵלֵ֑ךְ וּבַחֹ֖שֶׁךְ שְׁמ֥וֹ יְכֻסֶּֽה׃

ki-vahevel ba uvachoshekh yelekh uvachoshekh shemo yekhusse

4for it cometh in vanity, and departeth in darkness, and the name thereof is covered with darkness;

⁵גַּם־שֶׁ֥מֶשׁ לֹא־רָאָ֖ה וְלֹ֣א יָדָ֑ע נַ֥חַת לָזֶ֖ה מִזֶּֽה׃

gam-shemesh lo-ra'a velo yada' nachat laze mizze

5moreover it hath not seen the sun nor known it; this hath gratification rather than the other;

⁶וְאִלּ֣וּ חָיָ֗ה אֶ֤לֶף שָׁנִים֙ פַּעֲמַ֔יִם וְטוֹבָ֖ה לֹ֣א רָאָ֑ה הֲלֹ֛א אֶל־מָק֥וֹם אֶחָ֖ד הַכֹּ֥ל הוֹלֵֽךְ׃

ve'illu chaya elef shanim pa'amayim vetova lo ra'a halo el-makom echad hakkol holekh

6yea, though he live a thousand years twice told, and enjoy no good; do not all go to one place?

⁷כָּל־עֲמַ֥ל הָאָדָ֖ם לְפִ֑יהוּ וְגַם־הַנֶּ֖פֶשׁ לֹ֥א תִמָּלֵֽא׃

kal-amal ha'adam lefihu vegam-hannefesh lo timmale

7All the labour of man is for his mouth, And yet the appetite is not filled.

⁸כִּ֛י מַה־יּוֹתֵ֥ר לֶחָכָ֖ם מִֽן־הַכְּסִ֑יל מַה־לֶּעָנִ֣י יוֹדֵ֔עַ לַהֲלֹ֖ךְ נֶ֥גֶד הַחַיִּֽים׃

ki ma-yoter lechakham min-hakkesil ma-le'ani yodea lahalokh neged hachayyim

8For what advantage hath the wise more than the fool? or the poor man that hath understanding, in walking before the living?

⁹ט֛וֹב מַרְאֵ֥ה עֵינַ֖יִם מֵֽהֲלָךְ־נָ֑פֶשׁ גַּם־זֶ֥ה הֶ֖בֶל וּרְע֥וּת רֽוּחַ׃

tov mar'e enayim mehalakh-nafesh gam-ze hevel ure'ut ruach

9Better is the seeing of the eyes than the wandering of the desire; this also is vanity and a striving after wind.

¹⁰מַה־שֶּֽׁהָיָ֗ה כְּבָר֙ נִקְרָ֣א שְׁמ֔וֹ וְנוֹדָ֖ע אֲשֶׁר־ה֣וּא אָדָ֑ם וְלֹא־יוּכַ֣ל לָדִ֔ין עִ֥ם שהתקיף [שֶׁתַּקִּ֖יף] מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃

ma-shehaya kevar nikra shemo venoda' asher-hu adam velo-yukhal ladin im shettakkif mimmennu

10Whatsoever cometh into being, the name thereof was given long ago, and it is foreknown what man is; neither can he contend with Him that is mightier than he.

¹¹כִּ֛י יֵשׁ־דְּבָרִ֥ים הַרְבֵּ֖ה מַרְבִּ֣ים הָ֑בֶל מַה־יֹּתֵ֖ר לָאָדָֽם׃

ki yesh-devarim harbe marbim havel ma-yoter la'adam

11Seeing there are many words that increase vanity, what is man the better?

¹²כִּ֣י מִֽי־יוֹדֵעַ֩ מַה־טּ֨וֹב לָֽאָדָ֜ם בַּֽחַיִּ֗ים מִסְפַּ֛ר יְמֵי־חַיֵּ֥י הֶבְל֖וֹ וְיַעֲשֵׂ֣ם כַּצֵּ֑ל אֲשֶׁר֙ מִֽי־יַגִּ֣יד לָֽאָדָ֔ם מַה־יִּהְיֶ֥ה אַחֲרָ֖יו תַּ֥חַת הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃

ki mi-yodea ma-tov la'adam bachayyim mispar yeme-chayye hevlo veya'asem katzel asher mi-yaggid la'adam ma-yihye acharav tachat hashamesh

12For who knoweth what is good for man in his life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?