< Ecclesiastes 3 >

1 To everything — a season, and a time to every delight under the heavens:
לַכֹּ֖ל זְמָ֑ן וְעֵ֥ת לְכָל־חֵ֖פֶץ תַּ֥חַת הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃ ס
2 A time to bring forth, And a time to die. A time to plant, And a time to eradicate the planted.
עֵ֥ת לָלֶ֖דֶת וְעֵ֣ת לָמ֑וּת עֵ֣ת לָטַ֔עַת וְעֵ֖ת לַעֲקֹ֥ור נָטֽוּעַ׃
3 A time to slay, And a time to heal, A time to break down, And a time to build up.
עֵ֤ת לַהֲרֹוג֙ וְעֵ֣ת לִרְפֹּ֔וא עֵ֥ת לִפְרֹ֖וץ וְעֵ֥ת לִבְנֹֽות׃
4 A time to weep, And a time to laugh. A time to mourn, And a time to skip.
עֵ֤ת לִבְכֹּות֙ וְעֵ֣ת לִשְׂחֹ֔וק עֵ֥ת סְפֹ֖וד וְעֵ֥ת רְקֹֽוד׃
5 A time to cast away stones, And a time to heap up stones. A time to embrace, And a time to be far from embracing.
עֵ֚ת לְהַשְׁלִ֣יךְ אֲבָנִ֔ים וְעֵ֖ת כְּנֹ֣וס אֲבָנִ֑ים עֵ֣ת לַחֲבֹ֔וק וְעֵ֖ת לִרְחֹ֥ק מֵחַבֵּֽק׃
6 A time to seek, And a time to destroy. A time to keep, And a time to cast away.
עֵ֤ת לְבַקֵּשׁ֙ וְעֵ֣ת לְאַבֵּ֔ד עֵ֥ת לִשְׁמֹ֖ור וְעֵ֥ת לְהַשְׁלִֽיךְ׃
7 A time to rend, And a time to sew. A time to be silent, And a time to speak.
עֵ֤ת לִקְרֹ֙ועַ֙ וְעֵ֣ת לִתְפֹּ֔ור עֵ֥ת לַחֲשֹׁ֖ות וְעֵ֥ת לְדַבֵּֽר׃
8 A time to love, And a time to hate. A time of war, And a time of peace.
עֵ֤ת לֶֽאֱהֹב֙ וְעֵ֣ת לִשְׂנֹ֔א עֵ֥ת מִלְחָמָ֖ה וְעֵ֥ת שָׁלֹֽום׃ ס
9 What advantage hath the doer in that which he is labouring at?
מַה־יִּתְרֹון֙ הָֽעֹושֶׂ֔ה בַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר ה֥וּא עָמֵֽל׃
10 I have seen the travail that God hath given to the sons of man to be humbled by it.
רָאִ֣יתִי אֶת־הָֽעִנְיָ֗ן אֲשֶׁ֨ר נָתַ֧ן אֱלֹהִ֛ים לִבְנֵ֥י הָאָדָ֖ם לַעֲנֹ֥ות בֹּֽו׃
11 The whole He hath made beautiful in its season; also, that knowledge He hath put in their heart without which man findeth not out the work that God hath done from the beginning even unto the end.
אֶת־הַכֹּ֥ל עָשָׂ֖ה יָפֶ֣ה בְעִתֹּ֑ו גַּ֤ם אֶת־הָעֹלָם֙ נָתַ֣ן בְּלִבָּ֔ם מִבְּלִ֞י אֲשֶׁ֧ר לֹא־יִמְצָ֣א הָאָדָ֗ם אֶת־הַֽמַּעֲשֶׂ֛ה אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂ֥ה הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים מֵרֹ֥אשׁ וְעַד־סֹֽוף׃
12 I have known that there is no good for them except to rejoice and to do good during their life,
יָדַ֕עְתִּי כִּ֛י אֵ֥ין טֹ֖וב בָּ֑ם כִּ֣י אִם־לִשְׂמֹ֔וחַ וְלַעֲשֹׂ֥ות טֹ֖וב בְּחַיָּֽיו׃
13 yea, even every man who eateth and hath drunk and seen good by all his labour, it [is] a gift of God.
וְגַ֤ם כָּל־הָאָדָם֙ שֶׁיֹּאכַ֣ל וְשָׁתָ֔ה וְרָאָ֥ה טֹ֖וב בְּכָל־עֲמָלֹ֑ו מַתַּ֥ת אֱלֹהִ֖ים הִֽיא׃
14 I have known that all that God doth is to the age, to it nothing is to be added, and from it nothing is to be withdrawn; and God hath wrought that they do fear before Him.
יָדַ֗עְתִּי כִּ֠י כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֨ר יַעֲשֶׂ֤ה הָאֱלֹהִים֙ ה֚וּא יִהְיֶ֣ה לְעֹולָ֔ם עָלָיו֙ אֵ֣ין לְהֹוסִ֔יף וּמִמֶּ֖נּוּ אֵ֣ין לִגְרֹ֑עַ וְהָאֱלֹהִ֣ים עָשָׂ֔ה שֶׁיִּֽרְא֖וּ מִלְּפָנָֽיו׃
15 What is that which hath been? already it is, and that which [is] to be hath already been, and God requireth that which is pursued.
מַה־שֶּֽׁהָיָה֙ כְּבָ֣ר ה֔וּא וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר לִהְיֹ֖ות כְּבָ֣ר הָיָ֑ה וְהָאֱלֹהִ֖ים יְבַקֵּ֥שׁ אֶת־נִרְדָּֽף׃
16 And again, I have seen under the sun the place of judgment — there [is] the wicked; and the place of righteousness — there [is] the wicked.
וְעֹ֥וד רָאִ֖יתִי תַּ֣חַת הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ מְקֹ֤ום הַמִּשְׁפָּט֙ שָׁ֣מָּה הָרֶ֔שַׁע וּמְקֹ֥ום הַצֶּ֖דֶק שָׁ֥מָּה הָרָֽשַׁע׃
17 I said in my heart, 'The righteous and the wicked doth God judge, for a time [is] to every matter and for every work there.'
אָמַ֤רְתִּֽי אֲנִי֙ בְּלִבִּ֔י אֶת־הַצַּדִּיק֙ וְאֶת־הָ֣רָשָׁ֔ע יִשְׁפֹּ֖ט הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים כִּי־עֵ֣ת לְכָל־חֵ֔פֶץ וְעַ֥ל כָּל־הַֽמַּעֲשֶׂ֖ה שָֽׁם׃
18 I said in my heart concerning the matter of the sons of man that God might cleanse them, so as to see that they themselves [are] beasts.
אָמַ֤רְתִּֽי אֲנִי֙ בְּלִבִּ֔י עַל־דִּבְרַת֙ בְּנֵ֣י הָאָדָ֔ם לְבָרָ֖ם הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים וְלִרְאֹ֕ות שְׁהֶם־בְּהֵמָ֥ה הֵ֖מָּה לָהֶֽם׃
19 For an event [is to] the sons of man, and an event [is to] the beasts, even one event [is] to them; as the death of this, so [is] the death of that; and one spirit [is] to all, and the advantage of man above the beast is nothing, for the whole [is] vanity.
כִּי֩ מִקְרֶ֨ה בְֽנֵי־הָאָדָ֜ם וּמִקְרֶ֣ה הַבְּהֵמָ֗ה וּמִקְרֶ֤ה אֶחָד֙ לָהֶ֔ם כְּמֹ֥ות זֶה֙ כֵּ֣ן מֹ֣ות זֶ֔ה וְר֥וּחַ אֶחָ֖ד לַכֹּ֑ל וּמֹותַ֨ר הָאָדָ֤ם מִן־הַבְּהֵמָה֙ אָ֔יִן כִּ֥י הַכֹּ֖ל הָֽבֶל׃
20 The whole are going unto one place, the whole have been from the dust, and the whole are turning back unto the dust.
הַכֹּ֥ל הֹולֵ֖ךְ אֶל־מָקֹ֣ום אֶחָ֑ד הַכֹּל֙ הָיָ֣ה מִן־הֶֽעָפָ֔ר וְהַכֹּ֖ל שָׁ֥ב אֶל־הֶעָפָֽר׃
21 Who knoweth the spirit of the sons of man that is going up on high, and the spirit of the beast that is going down below to the earth?
מִ֣י יֹודֵ֗עַ ר֚וּחַ בְּנֵ֣י הָאָדָ֔ם הָעֹלָ֥ה הִ֖יא לְמָ֑עְלָה וְר֙וּחַ֙ הַבְּהֵמָ֔ה הַיֹּרֶ֥דֶת הִ֖יא לְמַ֥טָּה לָאָֽרֶץ׃
22 And I have seen that there is nothing better than that man rejoice in his works, for it [is] his portion; for who doth bring him in to look on that which is after him?
וְרָאִ֗יתִי כִּ֣י אֵ֥ין טֹוב֙ מֵאֲשֶׁ֨ר יִשְׂמַ֤ח הָאָדָם֙ בְּֽמַעֲשָׂ֔יו כִּי־ה֖וּא חֶלְקֹ֑ו כִּ֣י מִ֤י יְבִיאֶ֙נּוּ֙ לִרְאֹ֔ות בְּמֶ֖ה שֶׁיִּהְיֶ֥ה אַחֲרָֽיו׃

< Ecclesiastes 3 >