Ecclesiastes 2
1 I said in my heart, Come now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and behold, this also [is] vanity.
| אָמַ֤רְתִּֽי אֲנִי֙ בְּלִבִּ֔י לְכָה־נָּ֛א אֲנַסְּכָ֛ה בְשִׂמְחָ֖ה וּרְאֵ֣ה בְטֹ֑וב וְהִנֵּ֥ה גַם־ה֖וּא הָֽבֶל׃ |
2 I said of laughter, [It is] mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?
| לִשְׂחֹ֖וק אָמַ֣רְתִּי מְהֹולָ֑ל וּלְשִׂמְחָ֖ה מַה־זֹּ֥ה עֹשָֽׂה׃ |
3 I sought in my heart, to give myself to wine, yet acquainting my heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what [was] that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life.
| תַּ֣רְתִּי בְלִבִּ֔י לִמְשֹׁ֥וךְ בַּיַּ֖יִן אֶת־בְּשָׂרִ֑י וְלִבִּ֞י נֹהֵ֤ג בַּֽחָכְמָה֙ וְלֶאֱחֹ֣ז בְּסִכְל֔וּת עַ֣ד אֲשֶׁר־אֶרְאֶ֗ה אֵי־זֶ֨ה טֹ֜וב לִבְנֵ֤י הָאָדָם֙ אֲשֶׁ֤ר יַעֲשׂוּ֙ תַּ֣חַת הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם מִסְפַּ֖ר יְמֵ֥י חַיֵּיהֶֽם׃ |
4 I made me great works; I built me houses; I planted me vineyards:
| הִגְדַּ֖לְתִּי מַעֲשָׂ֑י בָּנִ֤יתִי לִי֙ בָּתִּ֔ים נָטַ֥עְתִּי לִ֖י כְּרָמִֽים׃ |
5 I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all [kind of] fruits:
| עָשִׂ֣יתִי לִ֔י גַּנֹּ֖ות וּפַרְדֵּסִ֑ים וְנָטַ֥עְתִּי בָהֶ֖ם עֵ֥ץ כָּל־פֶּֽרִי׃ |
6 I made me pools of water, to water with them the wood that bringeth forth trees:
| עָשִׂ֥יתִי לִ֖י בְּרֵכֹ֣ות מָ֑יִם לְהַשְׁקֹ֣ות מֵהֶ֔ם יַ֖עַר צֹומֵ֥חַ עֵצִֽים׃ |
7 I procured [me] servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me:
| קָנִ֙יתִי֙ עֲבָדִ֣ים וּשְׁפָחֹ֔ות וּבְנֵי־בַ֖יִת הָ֣יָה לִ֑י גַּ֣ם מִקְנֶה֩ בָקָ֨ר וָצֹ֤אן הַרְבֵּה֙ הָ֣יָה לִ֔י מִכֹּ֛ל שֶֽׁהָי֥וּ לְפָנַ֖י בִּירוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃ |
8 I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings, and of the provinces: I procured me men-singers and women-singers, and the delights of the sons of men, [as] musical instruments, and of all sorts.
| כָּנַ֤סְתִּי לִי֙ גַּם־כֶּ֣סֶף וְזָהָ֔ב וּסְגֻלַּ֥ת מְלָכִ֖ים וְהַמְּדִינֹ֑ות עָשִׂ֨יתִי לִ֜י שָׁרִ֣ים וְשָׁרֹ֗ות וְתַעֲנוּגֹ֛ת בְּנֵ֥י הָאָדָ֖ם שִׁדָּ֥ה וְשִׁדֹּֽות׃ |
9 So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.
| וְגָדַ֣לְתִּי וְהֹוסַ֔פְתִּי מִכֹּ֛ל שֶׁהָיָ֥ה לְפָנַ֖י בִּירוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם אַ֥ף חָכְמָתִ֖י עָ֥מְדָה לִּֽי׃ |
10 And whatever my eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labor: and this was my portion of all my labor.
| וְכֹל֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר שָֽׁאֲל֣וּ עֵינַ֔י לֹ֥א אָצַ֖לְתִּי מֵהֶ֑ם לֹֽא־מָנַ֨עְתִּי אֶת־לִבִּ֜י מִכָּל־שִׂמְחָ֗ה כִּֽי־לִבִּ֤י שָׂמֵ֙חַ֙ מִכָּל־עֲמָלִ֔י וְזֶֽה־הָיָ֥ה חֶלְקִ֖י מִכָּל־עֲמָלִֽי׃ |
11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labor that I had labored to do: and behold, all [was] vanity and vexation of spirit, and [there was] no profit under the sun.
| וּפָנִ֣יתִֽי אֲנִ֗י בְּכָל־מַעֲשַׂי֙ שֶֽׁעָשׂ֣וּ יָדַ֔י וּבֶֽעָמָ֖ל שֶׁעָמַ֣לְתִּי לַעֲשֹׂ֑ות וְהִנֵּ֨ה הַכֹּ֥ל הֶ֙בֶל֙ וּרְע֣וּת ר֔וּחַ וְאֵ֥ין יִתְרֹ֖ון תַּ֥חַת הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ |
12 And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what [can] the man [do] that cometh after the king? [even] that which hath been already done.
| וּפָנִ֤יתִֽי אֲנִי֙ לִרְאֹ֣ות חָכְמָ֔ה וְהֹולֵלֹ֖ות וְסִכְל֑וּת כִּ֣י ׀ מֶ֣ה הָאָדָ֗ם שֶׁיָּבֹוא֙ אַחֲרֵ֣י הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ אֵ֥ת אֲשֶׁר־כְּבָ֖ר עָשֽׂוּהוּ׃ |
13 Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.
| וְרָאִ֣יתִי אָ֔נִי שֶׁיֵּ֥שׁ יִתְרֹ֛ון לַֽחָכְמָ֖ה מִן־הַסִּכְל֑וּת כִּֽיתְרֹ֥ון הָאֹ֖ור מִן־הַחֹֽשֶׁךְ׃ |
14 The wise man's eyes [are] in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all.
| הֶֽחָכָם֙ עֵינָ֣יו בְּרֹאשֹׁ֔ו וְהַכְּסִ֖יל בַּחֹ֣שֶׁךְ הֹולֵ֑ךְ וְיָדַ֣עְתִּי גַם־אָ֔נִי שֶׁמִּקְרֶ֥ה אֶחָ֖ד יִקְרֶ֥ה אֶת־כֻּלָּֽם׃ |
15 Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also [is] vanity.
| וְאָמַ֨רְתִּֽי אֲנִ֜י בְּלִבִּ֗י כְּמִקְרֵ֤ה הַכְּסִיל֙ גַּם־אֲנִ֣י יִקְרֵ֔נִי וְלָ֧מָּה חָכַ֛מְתִּי אֲנִ֖י אָ֣ז יֹותֵ֑ר וְדִבַּ֣רְתִּי בְלִבִּ֔י שֶׁגַּם־זֶ֖ה הָֽבֶל׃ |
16 For [there is] no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now [is] in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise [man]? as the fool.
| כִּי֩ אֵ֨ין זִכְרֹ֧ון לֶחָכָ֛ם עִֽם־הַכְּסִ֖יל לְעֹולָ֑ם בְּשֶׁכְּבָ֞ר הַיָּמִ֤ים הַבָּאִים֙ הַכֹּ֣ל נִשְׁכָּ֔ח וְאֵ֛יךְ יָמ֥וּת הֶחָכָ֖ם עִֽם־הַכְּסִֽיל׃ |
17 Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun [is] grievous to me: for all [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.
| וְשָׂנֵ֙אתִי֙ אֶת־הַ֣חַיִּ֔ים כִּ֣י רַ֤ע עָלַי֙ הַֽמַּעֲשֶׂ֔ה שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂ֖ה תַּ֣חַת הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ כִּֽי־הַכֹּ֥ל הֶ֖בֶל וּרְע֥וּת רֽוּחַ׃ |
18 Yes, I hated all my labor which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it to the man that shall be after me.
| וְשָׂנֵ֤אתִֽי אֲנִי֙ אֶת־כָּל־עֲמָלִ֔י שֶׁאֲנִ֥י עָמֵ֖ל תַּ֣חַת הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ שֶׁ֣אַנִּיחֶ֔נּוּ לָאָדָ֖ם שֶׁיִּהְיֶ֥ה אַחֲרָֽי׃ |
19 And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise [man] or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labor in which I have labored, and in which I have showed myself wise under the sun. This [is] also vanity.
| וּמִ֣י יֹודֵ֗עַ הֶֽחָכָ֤ם יִהְיֶה֙ אֹ֣ו סָכָ֔ל וְיִשְׁלַט֙ בְּכָל־עֲמָלִ֔י שֶֽׁעָמַ֥לְתִּי וְשֶׁחָכַ֖מְתִּי תַּ֣חַת הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ גַּם־זֶ֖ה הָֽבֶל׃ |
20 Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labor which I took under the sun.
| וְסַבֹּ֥ותִֽי אֲנִ֖י לְיַאֵ֣שׁ אֶת־לִבִּ֑י עַ֚ל כָּל־הֶ֣עָמָ֔ל שֶׁעָמַ֖לְתִּי תַּ֥חַת הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ |
21 For there is a man whose labor is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not labored in it, shall he leave it [for] his portion. This also [is] vanity and a great evil.
| כִּי־יֵ֣שׁ אָדָ֗ם שֶׁעֲמָלֹ֛ו בְּחָכְמָ֥ה וּבְדַ֖עַת וּבְכִשְׁרֹ֑ון וּלְאָדָ֞ם שֶׁלֹּ֤א עָֽמַל־בֹּו֙ יִתְּנֶ֣נּוּ חֶלְקֹ֔ו גַּם־זֶ֥ה הֶ֖בֶל וְרָעָ֥ה רַבָּֽה׃ |
22 For what hath man of all his labor, and of the vexation of his heart, in which he hath labored under the sun?
| כִּ֠י מֶֽה־הֹוֶ֤ה לָֽאָדָם֙ בְּכָל־עֲמָלֹ֔ו וּבְרַעְיֹ֖ון לִבֹּ֑ו שֶׁה֥וּא עָמֵ֖ל תַּ֥חַת הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ |
23 For all his days [are] sorrows, and his labor grief; yes, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.
| כִּ֧י כָל־יָמָ֣יו מַכְאֹבִ֗ים וָכַ֙עַס֙ עִנְיָנֹ֔ו גַּם־בַּלַּ֖יְלָה לֹא־שָׁכַ֣ב לִבֹּ֑ו גַּם־זֶ֖ה הֶ֥בֶל הֽוּא׃ |
24 [There is] nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and [that] he should make his soul enjoy good in his labor. This also I saw, that it [was] from the hand of God.
| אֵֽין־טֹ֤וב בָּאָדָם֙ שֶׁיֹּאכַ֣ל וְשָׁתָ֔ה וְהֶרְאָ֧ה אֶת־נַפְשֹׁ֛ו טֹ֖וב בַּעֲמָלֹ֑ו גַּם־זֹה֙ רָאִ֣יתִי אָ֔נִי כִּ֛י מִיַּ֥ד הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים הִֽיא׃ |
25 For who can eat, or who else can hasten [to it] more than I?
| כִּ֣י מִ֥י יֹאכַ֛ל וּמִ֥י יָח֖וּשׁ ח֥וּץ מִמֶּֽנִּי׃ |
26 For [God] giveth to a man who [is] good in his sight, wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth toil, to gather, and to amass, that he may give to [him that is] good before God. This also [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.
| כִּ֤י לְאָדָם֙ שֶׁטֹּ֣וב לְפָנָ֔יו נָתַ֛ן חָכְמָ֥ה וְדַ֖עַת וְשִׂמְחָ֑ה וְלַחֹוטֶא֩ נָתַ֨ן עִנְיָ֜ן לֶאֱסֹ֣וף וְלִכְנֹ֗וס לָתֵת֙ לְטֹוב֙ לִפְנֵ֣י הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים גַּם־זֶ֥ה הֶ֖בֶל וּרְע֥וּת רֽוּחַ׃ |
