Ecclesiastes 4
1 And I have turned, and I see all the oppressions that are done under the sun, and behold, the tear of the oppressed, and they have no comforter; and at the hand of their oppressors [is] power, and they have no comforter.
| וְשַׁבְתִּֽי אֲנִי וָאֶרְאֶה אֶת־כׇּל־הָעֲשֻׁקִים אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשִׂים תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ וְהִנֵּה ׀ דִּמְעַת הָעֲשֻׁקִים וְאֵין לָהֶם מְנַחֵם וּמִיַּד עֹֽשְׁקֵיהֶם כֹּחַ וְאֵין לָהֶם מְנַחֵֽם׃ |
2 And I am praising the dead who have already died above the living who are yet alive.
| וְשַׁבֵּחַ אֲנִי אֶת־הַמֵּתִים שֶׁכְּבָר מֵתוּ מִן־הַחַיִּים אֲשֶׁר הֵמָּה חַיִּים עֲדֶֽנָה׃ |
3 And better than both of them [is] he who has not yet been, in that he has not seen the evil work that has been done under the sun.
| וְטוֹב מִשְּׁנֵיהֶם אֵת אֲשֶׁר־עֲדֶן לֹא הָיָה אֲשֶׁר לֹֽא־רָאָה אֶת־הַמַּעֲשֶׂה הָרָע אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשָׂה תַּחַת הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ |
4 And I have seen all the labor, and all the benefit of the work, because for it a man is the envy of his neighbor. Even this [is] vanity and distress of spirit.
| וְרָאִיתִֽי אֲנִי אֶת־כׇּל־עָמָל וְאֵת כׇּל־כִּשְׁרוֹן הַֽמַּעֲשֶׂה כִּי הִיא קִנְאַת־אִישׁ מֵרֵעֵהוּ גַּם־זֶה הֶבֶל וּרְעוּת רֽוּחַ׃ |
5 The fool is clasping his hands, and eating his own flesh:
| הַכְּסִיל חֹבֵק אֶת־יָדָיו וְאֹכֵל אֶת־בְּשָׂרֽוֹ׃ |
6 “Better [is] a handful [with] quietness, than two handfuls [with] labor and distress of spirit.”
| טוֹב מְלֹא כַף נָחַת מִמְּלֹא חׇפְנַיִם עָמָל וּרְעוּת רֽוּחַ׃ |
7 And I have turned, and I see a vain thing under the sun:
| וְשַׁבְתִּי אֲנִי וָאֶרְאֶה הֶבֶל תַּחַת הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ |
8 There is one, and there is not a second; even son or brother he has not, and there is no end to all his labor! His eye also is not satisfied with riches, and [he does not say], “For whom am I laboring and bereaving my soul of good?” This also is vanity, it is a sad travail.
| יֵשׁ אֶחָד וְאֵין שֵׁנִי גַּם בֵּן וָאָח אֵֽין־לוֹ וְאֵין קֵץ לְכׇל־עֲמָלוֹ גַּם־[עֵינוֹ] (עיניו) לֹא־תִשְׂבַּע עֹשֶׁר וּלְמִי ׀ אֲנִי עָמֵל וּמְחַסֵּר אֶת־נַפְשִׁי מִטּוֹבָה גַּם־זֶה הֶבֶל וְעִנְיַן רָע הֽוּא׃ |
9 The two [are] better than the one, in that they have a good reward by their labor.
| טוֹבִים הַשְּׁנַיִם מִן־הָאֶחָד אֲשֶׁר יֵשׁ־לָהֶם שָׂכָר טוֹב בַּעֲמָלָֽם׃ |
10 For if they fall, the one raises up his companion, but woe to the one who falls and there is not a second to raise him up!
| כִּי אִם־יִפֹּלוּ הָאֶחָד יָקִים אֶת־חֲבֵרוֹ וְאִילוֹ הָֽאֶחָד שֶׁיִּפּוֹל וְאֵין שֵׁנִי לַהֲקִימֽוֹ׃ |
11 Also, if two lie down, then they have heat, but how has one heat?
| גַּם אִם־יִשְׁכְּבוּ שְׁנַיִם וְחַם לָהֶם וּלְאֶחָד אֵיךְ יֵחָֽם׃ |
12 And if the one strengthens himself, the two stand against him; and the threefold cord is not quickly broken.
| וְאִֽם־יִתְקְפוֹ הָאֶחָד הַשְּׁנַיִם יַעַמְדוּ נֶגְדּוֹ וְהַחוּט הַֽמְשֻׁלָּשׁ לֹא בִמְהֵרָה יִנָּתֵֽק׃ |
13 Better is a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king, who has not known to be warned anymore.
| טוֹב יֶלֶד מִסְכֵּן וְחָכָם מִמֶּלֶךְ זָקֵן וּכְסִיל אֲשֶׁר לֹא־יָדַע לְהִזָּהֵר עֽוֹד׃ |
14 For from a house of prisoners he has come out to reign, for even in his own kingdom he has been poor.
| כִּֽי־מִבֵּית הָסוּרִים יָצָא לִמְלֹךְ כִּי גַּם בְּמַלְכוּתוֹ נוֹלַד רָֽשׁ׃ |
15 I have seen all the living, who are walking under the sun, with the second youth who stands in his place;
| רָאִיתִי אֶת־כׇּל־הַחַיִּים הַֽמְהַלְּכִים תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ עִם הַיֶּלֶד הַשֵּׁנִי אֲשֶׁר יַעֲמֹד תַּחְתָּֽיו׃ |
16 there is no end to all the people, to all who were before them; also, the latter do not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and distress of spirit.
| אֵֽין־קֵץ לְכׇל־הָעָם לְכֹל אֲשֶׁר־הָיָה לִפְנֵיהֶם גַּם הָאַחֲרוֹנִים לֹא יִשְׂמְחוּ־בוֹ כִּֽי־גַם־זֶה הֶבֶל וְרַעְיוֹן רֽוּחַ׃ |
