Ecclesiastes 5
1 Be careful when you go into God's house. It's better to listen and respond rather than offer meaningless sacrifices. People who do that don't even know they are doing wrong.
| שְׁמֹר (רגליך) [רַגְלְךָ] כַּאֲשֶׁר תֵּלֵךְ אֶל־בֵּית הָאֱלֹהִים וְקָרוֹב לִשְׁמֹעַ מִתֵּת הַכְּסִילִים זָבַח כִּֽי־אֵינָם יוֹדְעִים לַעֲשׂוֹת רָֽע׃ |
2 Don't say rash things, and think before you speak to God. For God is in heaven, and you are on earth, so keep it short.
| אַל־תְּבַהֵל עַל־פִּיךָ וְלִבְּךָ אַל־יְמַהֵר לְהוֹצִיא דָבָר לִפְנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים כִּי הָאֱלֹהִים בַּשָּׁמַיִם וְאַתָּה עַל־הָאָרֶץ עַל־כֵּן יִהְיוּ דְבָרֶיךָ מְעַטִּֽים׃ |
3 When you worry too much, you get nightmares; when you talk too much, you say foolish things.
| כִּי בָּא הַחֲלוֹם בְּרֹב עִנְיָן וְקוֹל כְּסִיל בְּרֹב דְּבָרִֽים׃ |
4 When you make a vow to God, with a curse on you if you don't keep it, don't be slow in keeping it, for he is not happy with foolish behavior. So do what you promised!
| כַּאֲשֶׁר תִּדֹּר נֶדֶר לֵֽאלֹהִים אַל־תְּאַחֵר לְשַׁלְּמוֹ כִּי אֵין חֵפֶץ בַּכְּסִילִים אֵת אֲשֶׁר־תִּדֹּר שַׁלֵּֽם׃ |
5 Better not to make any vows at all than to make vow you don't keep.
| טוֹב אֲשֶׁר לֹֽא־תִדֹּר מִשֶּׁתִּדּוֹר וְלֹא תְשַׁלֵּֽם׃ |
6 Don't let your mouth cause you to sin. And don't tell the priest that your vow was a mistake, for why would you antagonize God by breaking your promise? He could bring your own curse down on you.
| אַל־תִּתֵּן אֶת־פִּיךָ לַחֲטִיא אֶת־בְּשָׂרֶךָ וְאַל־תֹּאמַר לִפְנֵי הַמַּלְאָךְ כִּי שְׁגָגָה הִיא לָמָּה יִקְצֹף הָֽאֱלֹהִים עַל־קוֹלֶךָ וְחִבֵּל אֶת־מַעֲשֵׂה יָדֶֽיךָ׃ |
7 There are certainly many dreams, questions of meaning, and lots of different ideas, but you are to follow God.
| כִּי בְרֹב חֲלֹמוֹת וַהֲבָלִים וּדְבָרִים הַרְבֵּה כִּי אֶת־הָאֱלֹהִים יְרָֽא׃ |
8 If you see poor people somewhere being oppressed, or truth and justice violated, don't be shocked at it, for every official is responsible to others higher up, and there are officials over them as well.
| אִם־עֹשֶׁק רָשׁ וְגֵזֶל מִשְׁפָּט וָצֶדֶק תִּרְאֶה בַמְּדִינָה אַל־תִּתְמַהּ עַל־הַחֵפֶץ כִּי גָבֹהַּ מֵעַל גָּבֹהַּ שֹׁמֵר וּגְבֹהִים עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃ |
9 However, what the land produces is for everyone—even the king benefits from what is grown.
| וְיִתְרוֹן אֶרֶץ בַּכֹּל (היא) [הוּא] מֶלֶךְ לְשָׂדֶה נֶעֱבָֽד׃ |
10 People who love money never have enough money; those who love wealth never have enough income. This too is so temporary and makes little sense.
| אֹהֵב כֶּסֶף לֹא־יִשְׂבַּע כֶּסֶף וּמִֽי־אֹהֵב בֶּהָמוֹן לֹא תְבוּאָה גַּם־זֶה הָֽבֶל׃ |
11 The more you earn, the more you have eating into your income. It only looks like you have more!
| בִּרְבוֹת הַטּוֹבָה רַבּוּ אוֹכְלֶיהָ וּמַה־כִּשְׁרוֹן לִבְעָלֶיהָ כִּי אִם־[רְאוּת] (ראית) עֵינָֽיו׃ |
12 Those who work hard sleep well, whether they have a little to eat or plenty, but the rich own so much they don't get any rest.
| מְתוּקָה שְׁנַת הָעֹבֵד אִם־מְעַט וְאִם־הַרְבֵּה יֹאכֵל וְהַשָּׂבָע לֶֽעָשִׁיר אֵינֶנּוּ מַנִּיחַֽ לוֹ לִישֽׁוֹן׃ |
13 I observed something here that is really sickening: people who hoard money damage themselves.
| יֵשׁ רָעָה חוֹלָה רָאִיתִי תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ עֹשֶׁר שָׁמוּר לִבְעָלָיו לְרָעָתֽוֹ׃ |
14 They put their money into bad investments and lose everything. Now when we're born, we don't bring anything into the world.
| וְאָבַד הָעֹשֶׁר הַהוּא בְּעִנְיַן רָע וְהוֹלִיד בֵּן וְאֵין בְּיָדוֹ מְאֽוּמָה׃ |
15 When we die, we leave just as naked as when we were born, taking nothing with us from all we've worked for.
| כַּאֲשֶׁר יָצָא מִבֶּטֶן אִמּוֹ עָרוֹם יָשׁוּב לָלֶכֶת כְּשֶׁבָּא וּמְאוּמָה לֹא־יִשָּׂא בַעֲמָלוֹ שֶׁיֹּלֵךְ בְּיָדֽוֹ׃ |
16 This also makes me sick! What do people gain, working for the wind?
| וְגַם־זֹה רָעָה חוֹלָה כׇּל־עֻמַּת שֶׁבָּא כֵּן יֵלֵךְ וּמַה־יִּתְרוֹן לוֹ שֶֽׁיַּעֲמֹל לָרֽוּחַ׃ |
17 They live their lives in darkness, very frustrated, sick, and resentful.
| גַּם כׇּל־יָמָיו בַּחֹשֶׁךְ יֹאכֵל וְכָעַס הַרְבֵּה וְחׇלְיוֹ וָקָֽצֶף׃ |
18 But I observed that what is good and right is to eat, drink, and to find enjoyment in the work God gives us here in this life. This is God's gift to us.
| הִנֵּה אֲשֶׁר־רָאִיתִי אָנִי טוֹב אֲשֶׁר־יָפֶה לֶֽאֱכוֹל־וְלִשְׁתּוֹת וְלִרְאוֹת טוֹבָה בְּכׇל־עֲמָלוֹ ׀ שֶׁיַּעֲמֹל תַּֽחַת־הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ מִסְפַּר יְמֵי־חַיָּו אֲשֶׁר־נָֽתַן־לוֹ הָאֱלֹהִים כִּי־הוּא חֶלְקֽוֹ׃ |
19 In addition, everyone to whom God gives wealth and possessions he also gives the ability to enjoy these gifts, to be grateful for what they are given, and to enjoy the work they do. This is also God's gift to us.
| גַּם כׇּֽל־הָאָדָם אֲשֶׁר נָֽתַן־לוֹ הָאֱלֹהִים עֹשֶׁר וּנְכָסִים וְהִשְׁלִיטוֹ לֶאֱכֹל מִמֶּנּוּ וְלָשֵׂאת אֶת־חֶלְקוֹ וְלִשְׂמֹחַ בַּעֲמָלוֹ זֹה מַתַּת אֱלֹהִים הִֽיא׃ |
20 In fact such people have little time to think about life because God keeps them busy with all that makes them happy.
| כִּי לֹא הַרְבֵּה יִזְכֹּר אֶת־יְמֵי חַיָּיו כִּי הָאֱלֹהִים מַעֲנֶה בְּשִׂמְחַת לִבּֽוֹ׃ |
