Ecclesiastes 7
1 A good name is better than precious oil, and the day of death, than the day of birth.
| טֹ֥וב שֵׁ֖ם מִשֶּׁ֣מֶן טֹ֑וב וְיֹ֣ום הַמָּ֔וֶת מִיֹּ֖ום הִוָּלְדֹֽו׃ |
2 It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting. For that is the end of all men, and the living will lay it to his heart.
| טֹ֞וב לָלֶ֣כֶת אֶל־בֵּֽית־אֵ֗בֶל מִלֶּ֙כֶת֙ אֶל־בֵּ֣ית מִשְׁתֶּ֔ה בַּאֲשֶׁ֕ר ה֖וּא סֹ֣וף כָּל־הָאָדָ֑ם וְהַחַ֖י יִתֵּ֥ן אֶל־לִבֹּֽו׃ |
3 Sorrow is better than laughter, for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made glad.
| טֹ֥וב כַּ֖עַס מִשְּׂחֹ֑ק כִּֽי־בְרֹ֥עַ פָּנִ֖ים יִ֥יטַב לֵֽב׃ |
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
| לֵ֤ב חֲכָמִים֙ בְּבֵ֣ית אֵ֔בֶל וְלֵ֥ב כְּסִילִ֖ים בְּבֵ֥ית שִׂמְחָֽה׃ |
5 It is better to hear the rebuke of a wise man, than for a man to hear the song of fools.
| טֹ֕וב לִשְׁמֹ֖עַ גַּעֲרַ֣ת חָכָ֑ם מֵאִ֕ישׁ שֹׁמֵ֖עַ שִׁ֥יר כְּסִילִֽים׃ |
6 For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity.
| כִּ֣י כְקֹ֤ול הַסִּירִים֙ תַּ֣חַת הַסִּ֔יר כֵּ֖ן שְׂחֹ֣ק הַכְּסִ֑יל וְגַם־זֶ֖ה הָֽבֶל׃ |
7 Surely oppression makes the wise man foolish, and a bribe destroys the understanding.
| כִּ֥י הָעֹ֖שֶׁק יְהֹולֵ֣ל חָכָ֑ם וִֽיאַבֵּ֥ד אֶת־לֵ֖ב מַתָּנָֽה׃ |
8 Better is the end of a thing than the beginning of it. The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
| טֹ֛וב אַחֲרִ֥ית דָּבָ֖ר מֽ͏ֵרֵאשִׁיתֹ֑ו טֹ֥וב אֶֽרֶךְ־ר֖וּחַ מִגְּבַהּ־רֽוּחַ׃ |
9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools.
| אַל־תְּבַהֵ֥ל בְּרֽוּחֲךָ֖ לִכְעֹ֑וס כִּ֣י כַ֔עַס בְּחֵ֥יק כְּסִילִ֖ים יָנֽוּחַ׃ |
10 Say thou not, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? For thou do not inquire wisely concerning this.
| אַל־תֹּאמַר֙ מֶ֣ה הָיָ֔ה שֶׁ֤הַיָּמִים֙ הָרִ֣אשֹׁנִ֔ים הָי֥וּ טֹובִ֖ים מֵאֵ֑לֶּה כִּ֛י לֹ֥א מֵחָכְמָ֖ה שָׁאַ֥לְתָּ עַל־זֶֽה׃ |
11 Wisdom is as good as an inheritance, yea, it is more excellent for those who see the sun.
| טֹובָ֥ה חָכְמָ֖ה עִֽם־נַחֲלָ֑ה וְיֹתֵ֖ר לְרֹאֵ֥י הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ |
12 For wisdom is a defense, even as money is a defense. But the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it.
| כִּ֛י בְּצֵ֥ל הַֽחָכְמָ֖ה בְּצֵ֣ל הַכָּ֑סֶף וְיִתְרֹ֣ון דַּ֔עַת הַֽחָכְמָ֖ה תְּחַיֶּ֥ה בְעָלֶֽיהָ׃ |
13 Consider the work of God. For who can make that straight, which he has made crooked?
| רְאֵ֖ה אֶת־מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים כִּ֣י מִ֤י יוּכַל֙ לְתַקֵּ֔ן אֵ֖ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר עִוְּתֹֽו׃ |
14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider. Yea, God has made the one side by side with the other, to the end that man should not find out anything after him.
| בְּיֹ֤ום טֹובָה֙ הֱיֵ֣ה בְטֹ֔וב וּבְיֹ֥ום רָעָ֖ה רְאֵ֑ה גַּ֣ם אֶת־זֶ֤ה לְעֻמַּת־זֶה֙ עָשָׂ֣ה הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים עַל־דִּבְרַ֗ת שֶׁלֹּ֨א יִמְצָ֧א הָֽאָדָ֛ם אַחֲרָ֖יו מְאֽוּמָה׃ |
15 All this I have seen in my days of vanity. There is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his evil-doing.
| אֶת־הַכֹּ֥ל רָאִ֖יתִי בִּימֵ֣י הֶבְלִ֑י יֵ֤שׁ צַדִּיק֙ אֹבֵ֣ד בְּצִדְקֹ֔ו וְיֵ֣שׁ רָשָׁ֔ע מַאֲרִ֖יךְ בְּרָעָתֹֽו׃ |
16 Be not over-righteous, nor show thyself too wise. Why should thou destroy thyself?
| אַל־תְּהִ֤י צַדִּיק֙ הַרְבֵּ֔ה וְאַל־תִּתְחַכַּ֖ם יֹותֵ֑ר לָ֖מָּה תִּשֹּׁומֵֽם׃ |
17 Do not much wrong, nor be thou a fool. Why should thou die before thy time?
| אַל־תִּרְשַׁ֥ע הַרְבֵּ֖ה וְאַל־תְּהִ֣י סָכָ֑ל לָ֥מָּה תָמ֖וּת בְּלֹ֥א עִתֶּֽךָ׃ |
18 It is good that thou should take hold of this, yea, also from that withdraw not thy hand. For he who fears God shall come forth from them all.
| טֹ֚וב אֲשֶׁ֣ר תֶּאֱחֹ֣ז בָּזֶ֔ה וְגַם־מִזֶּ֖ה אַל־תַּנַּ֣ח אֶת־יָדֶ֑ךָ כִּֽי־יְרֵ֥א אֱלֹהִ֖ים יֵצֵ֥א אֶת־כֻּלָּֽם׃ |
19 Wisdom is a strength to the wise man more than ten rulers that are in a city.
| הַֽחָכְמָ֖ה תָּעֹ֣ז לֶחָכָ֑ם מֵֽעֲשָׂרָה֙ שַׁלִּיטִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר הָי֖וּ בָּעִֽיר׃ |
20 Surely there is not a righteous man upon earth that does good, and sins not.
| כִּ֣י אָדָ֔ם אֵ֥ין צַדִּ֖יק בָּאָ֑רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר יַעֲשֶׂה־טֹּ֖וב וְלֹ֥א יֶחֱטָֽא׃ |
21 Also do not take heed to all words that are spoken, lest thou hear thy servant curse thee.
| גַּ֤ם לְכָל־הַדְּבָרִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יְדַבֵּ֔רוּ אַל־תִּתֵּ֖ן לִבֶּ֑ךָ אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־תִשְׁמַ֥ע אֶֽת־עַבְדְּךָ֖ מְקַלְלֶֽךָ׃ |
22 For many times also thine own heart knows that thou thyself likewise have cursed others.
| כִּ֛י גַּם־פְּעָמִ֥ים רַבֹּ֖ות יָדַ֣ע לִבֶּ֑ךָ אֲשֶׁ֥ר גַּם־אַתְּ (אַתָּ֖ה) קִלַּ֥לְתָּ אֲחֵרִֽים׃ |
23 All this I have proved in wisdom. I said, I will be wise, but it was far from me.
| כָּל־זֹ֖ה נִסִּ֣יתִי בַֽחָכְמָ֑ה אָמַ֣רְתִּי אֶחְכָּ֔מָה וְהִ֖יא רְחֹוקָ֥ה מִמֶּֽנִּי׃ |
24 That which is, is far off and exceedingly deep. Who can find it out?
| רָחֹ֖וק מַה־שֶּׁהָיָ֑ה וְעָמֹ֥ק ׀ עָמֹ֖ק מִ֥י יִמְצָאֶֽנּוּ׃ |
25 I turned about, and my heart was set to know and to search out, and to seek wisdom and the reason of things, and to know that wickedness is folly, and that foolishness is madness.
| סַבֹּ֨ותִֽי אֲנִ֤י וְלִבִּי֙ לָדַ֣עַת וְלָת֔וּר וּבַקֵּ֥שׁ חָכְמָ֖ה וְחֶשְׁבֹּ֑ון וְלָדַ֙עַת֙ רֶ֣שַׁע כֶּ֔סֶל וְהַסִּכְל֖וּת הֹולֵלֹֽות׃ |
26 And I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and nets, and whose hands are chains. He who pleases God shall escape from her, but the sinner shall be taken by her.
| וּמֹוצֶ֨א אֲנִ֜י מַ֣ר מִמָּ֗וֶת אֶת־הָֽאִשָּׁה֙ אֲשֶׁר־הִ֨יא מְצֹודִ֧ים וַחֲרָמִ֛ים לִבָּ֖הּ אֲסוּרִ֣ים יָדֶ֑יהָ טֹ֞וב לִפְנֵ֤י הָאֱלֹהִים֙ יִמָּלֵ֣ט מִמֶּ֔נָּה וְחֹוטֵ֖א יִלָּ֥כֶד בָּֽהּ׃ |
27 Behold, I have found this, says the Preacher, laying one thing to another, to find out the account,
| רְאֵה֙ זֶ֣ה מָצָ֔אתִי אָמְרָ֖ה קֹהֶ֑לֶת אַחַ֥ת לְאַחַ֖ת לִמְצֹ֥א חֶשְׁבֹּֽון׃ |
28 which my soul still seeks, but I have not found: among a thousand I have found one man, but among all those I have not found a woman.
| אֲשֶׁ֛ר עֹוד־בִּקְשָׁ֥ה נַפְשִׁ֖י וְלֹ֣א מָצָ֑אתִי אָדָ֞ם אֶחָ֤ד מֵאֶ֙לֶף֙ מָצָ֔אתִי וְאִשָּׁ֥ה בְכָל־אֵ֖לֶּה לֹ֥א מָצָֽאתִי׃ |
29 Behold, this only I have found: That God made man upright, but they have sought out many contrivances.
| לְבַד֙ רְאֵה־זֶ֣ה מָצָ֔אתִי אֲשֶׁ֨ר עָשָׂ֧ה הָאֱלֹהִ֛ים אֶת־הָאָדָ֖ם יָשָׁ֑ר וְהֵ֥מָּה בִקְשׁ֖וּ חִשְּׁבֹנֹ֥ות רַבִּֽים׃ |
