< Ecclesiastes 6 >

1 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it [is] common among men:
יֵשׁ רָעָה אֲשֶׁר רָאִיתִי תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ וְרַבָּה הִיא עַל־הָאָדָֽם׃
2 A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honor, so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat of it, but a stranger eateth it: this [is] vanity, and it [is] an evil disease.
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 begetteth a hundred [children], and liveth many years, so that the days of his years are many, and his soul is not filled with good, and also [that] he hath no burial; I say, [that] 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 he cometh with vanity, and departeth in darkness, and his name shall be covered with darkness.
כִּֽי־בַהֶבֶל בָּא וּבַחֹשֶׁךְ יֵלֵךְ וּבַחֹשֶׁךְ שְׁמוֹ יְכֻסֶּֽה׃
5 Moreover he hath not seen the sun, nor known [any thing]: this hath more rest than the other.
גַּם־שֶׁמֶשׁ לֹא־רָאָה וְלֹא יָדָע נַחַת לָזֶה מִזֶּֽה׃
6 Yes, though he liveth a thousand years twice [told], 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 labor of man [is] for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.
כָּל־עֲמַל הָאָדָם לְפִיהוּ וְגַם־הַנֶּפֶשׁ לֹא תִמָּלֵֽא׃
8 For what hath the wise more than 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 sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this [is] also vanity and vexation of spirit.
טוֹב מַרְאֵה עֵינַיִם מֵֽהֲלָךְ־נָפֶשׁ גַּם־זֶה הֶבֶל וּרְעוּת רֽוּחַ׃
10 That which hath been is named already, and it is known that it [is] man: neither may he 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 Seeing there are many things that increase vanity, what [is] man the better?
כִּי יֵשׁ־דְּבָרִים הַרְבֵּה מַרְבִּים הָבֶל מַה־יֹּתֵר לָאָדָֽם׃
12 For who knoweth what [is] good for man in [this] life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can tell a 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׃

< Ecclesiastes 6 >