Ecclesiastes 6
1 There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it is frequent among men:
| יֵשׁ רָעָה אֲשֶׁר רָאִיתִי תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ וְרַבָּה הִיא עַל־הָאָדָֽם׃ |
2 one to whom God giveth riches, wealth, and honour, and 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 a sore evil.
| אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יִתֶּן־לוֹ הָאֱלֹהִים עֹשֶׁר וּנְכָסִים וְכָבוֹד וְֽאֵינֶנּוּ חָסֵר לְנַפְשׁוֹ ׀ מִכֹּל אֲשֶׁר־יִתְאַוֶּה וְלֹֽא־יַשְׁלִיטֶנּוּ הָֽאֱלֹהִים לֶאֱכֹל מִמֶּנּוּ כִּי אִישׁ נָכְרִי יֹֽאכֲלֶנּוּ זֶה הֶבֶל וָחֳלִי רָע הֽוּא׃ |
3 If a man beget a hundred [sons], and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, but his soul be not filled with good, and also he have no burial, I say an untimely birth is better than he.
| אִם־יוֹלִיד אִישׁ מֵאָה וְשָׁנִים רַבּוֹת יִֽחְיֶה וְרַב ׀ שֶׁיִּהְיוּ יְמֵֽי־שָׁנָיו וְנַפְשׁוֹ לֹא־תִשְׂבַּע מִן־הַטּוֹבָה וְגַם־קְבוּרָה לֹא־הָיְתָה לּוֹ אָמַרְתִּי טוֹב מִמֶּנּוּ הַנָּֽפֶל׃ |
4 For it cometh in vanity, and departeth in darkness, and its name is covered with darkness;
| כִּֽי־בַהֶבֶל בָּא וּבַחֹשֶׁךְ יֵלֵךְ וּבַחֹשֶׁךְ שְׁמוֹ יְכֻסֶּֽה׃ |
5 moreover it hath not seen nor known the sun: this hath rest rather than the other.
| גַּם־שֶׁמֶשׁ לֹא־רָאָה וְלֹא יָדָע נַחַת לָזֶה מִזֶּֽה׃ |
6 Yea, though he live twice a thousand years, yet hath he seen no good: do not all go to one place?
| וְאִלּוּ חָיָה אֶלֶף שָׁנִים פַּעֲמַיִם וְטוֹבָה לֹא רָאָה הֲלֹא אֶל־מָקוֹם אֶחָד הַכֹּל הוֹלֵֽךְ׃ |
7 All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.
| כָּל־עֲמַל הָאָדָם לְפִיהוּ וְגַם־הַנֶּפֶשׁ לֹא תִמָּלֵֽא׃ |
8 For what advantage hath the wise above the fool? what hath the poor, that knoweth to walk before the living?
| כִּי מַה־יּוֹתֵר לֶחָכָם מִֽן־הַכְּסִיל מַה־לֶּעָנִי יוֹדֵעַ לַהֲלֹךְ נֶגֶד הַחַיִּֽים׃ |
9 Better is the seeing of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this also is vanity and pursuit of the wind.
| טוֹב מַרְאֵה עֵינַיִם מֵֽהֲלָךְ־נָפֶשׁ גַּם־זֶה הֶבֶל וּרְעוּת רֽוּחַ׃ |
10 That which is hath already been named; and what man is, is known, and that he cannot contend with him that is mightier than he.
| מַה־שֶּֽׁהָיָה כְּבָר נִקְרָא שְׁמוֹ וְנוֹדָע אֲשֶׁר־הוּא אָדָם וְלֹא־יוּכַל לָדִין עִם שהתקיף שֶׁתַּקִּיף מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃ |
11 For there are many things that increase vanity: what is man advantaged?
| כִּי יֵשׁ־דְּבָרִים הַרְבֵּה מַרְבִּים הָבֶל מַה־יֹּתֵר לָאָדָֽם׃ |
12 For who knoweth what is good for man in life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can tell man what shall be after him under the sun?
| כִּי מִֽי־יוֹדֵעַ מַה־טּוֹב לָֽאָדָם בַּֽחַיִּים מִסְפַּר יְמֵי־חַיֵּי הֶבְלוֹ וְיַעֲשֵׂם כַּצֵּל אֲשֶׁר מִֽי־יַגִּיד לָֽאָדָם מַה־יִּהְיֶה אַחֲרָיו תַּחַת הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ |
