קֹהֶלֶת 2
| אָמַרְתִּֽי אֲנִי בְּלִבִּי לְכָה־נָּא אֲנַסְּכָה בְשִׂמְחָה וּרְאֵה בְטוֹב וְהִנֵּה גַם־הוּא הָֽבֶל׃ | 1 |
I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with happiness. So enjoy pleasure.” But look, this also was just a temporary breeze.
| לִשְׂחוֹק אָמַרְתִּי מְהוֹלָל וּלְשִׂמְחָה מַה־זֹּה עֹשָֽׂה׃ | 2 |
I said about laughter, “It is crazy,” and about pleasure, “What use is it?”
| תַּרְתִּי בְלִבִּי לִמְשׁוֹךְ בַּיַּיִן אֶת־בְּשָׂרִי וְלִבִּי נֹהֵג בַּֽחׇכְמָה וְלֶאֱחֹז בְּסִכְלוּת עַד אֲשֶׁר־אֶרְאֶה אֵי־זֶה טוֹב לִבְנֵי הָאָדָם אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשׂוּ תַּחַת הַשָּׁמַיִם מִסְפַּר יְמֵי חַיֵּיהֶֽם׃ | 3 |
I explored in my heart how to gratify my desires with wine. I let my mind guide me with wisdom although I was still holding on to folly. I wanted to find out what is good for people to do under heaven during the days of their lives.
| הִגְדַּלְתִּי מַעֲשָׂי בָּנִיתִי לִי בָּתִּים נָטַעְתִּי לִי כְּרָמִֽים׃ | 4 |
I accomplished great things. I built houses for myself and planted vineyards.
| עָשִׂיתִי לִי גַּנּוֹת וּפַרְדֵּסִים וְנָטַעְתִּי בָהֶם עֵץ כׇּל־פֶּֽרִי׃ | 5 |
I built for myself gardens and parks; I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them.
| עָשִׂיתִי לִי בְּרֵכוֹת מָיִם לְהַשְׁקוֹת מֵהֶם יַעַר צוֹמֵחַ עֵצִֽים׃ | 6 |
I created pools of water to water a forest where trees were grown.
| קָנִיתִי עֲבָדִים וּשְׁפָחוֹת וּבְנֵי־בַיִת הָיָה לִי גַּם מִקְנֶה בָקָר וָצֹאן הַרְבֵּה הָיָה לִי מִכֹּל שֶֽׁהָיוּ לְפָנַי בִּירוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃ | 7 |
I purchased male slaves and female slaves; I had slaves born in my palace. I also had large herds and flocks of livestock, much more than any king who ruled before me in Jerusalem.
| כָּנַסְתִּי לִי גַּם־כֶּסֶף וְזָהָב וּסְגֻלַּת מְלָכִים וְהַמְּדִינוֹת עָשִׂיתִי לִי שָׁרִים וְשָׁרוֹת וְתַעֲנֻגוֹת בְּנֵי הָאָדָם שִׁדָּה וְשִׁדּֽוֹת׃ | 8 |
I also accumulated for myself silver and gold, the treasures of kings and provinces. I got male and female singers for myself—the delights of the children of humanity—and many concubines.
| וְגָדַלְתִּי וְהוֹסַפְתִּי מִכֹּל שֶׁהָיָה לְפָנַי בִּירוּשָׁלָ͏ִם אַף חׇכְמָתִי עָמְדָה לִּֽי׃ | 9 |
So I became greater and wealthier than all who were before me in Jerusalem, and my wisdom remained with me.
| וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר שָֽׁאֲלוּ עֵינַי לֹא אָצַלְתִּי מֵהֶם לֹֽא־מָנַעְתִּי אֶת־לִבִּי מִכׇּל־שִׂמְחָה כִּֽי־לִבִּי שָׂמֵחַ מִכׇּל־עֲמָלִי וְזֶֽה־הָיָה חֶלְקִי מִכׇּל־עֲמָלִֽי׃ | 10 |
Whatever my eyes desired, I did not withhold from them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, because my heart rejoiced in all my labor and pleasure was my reward for all my work.
| וּפָנִיתִֽי אֲנִי בְּכׇל־מַעֲשַׂי שֶֽׁעָשׂוּ יָדַי וּבֶֽעָמָל שֶׁעָמַלְתִּי לַעֲשׂוֹת וְהִנֵּה הַכֹּל הֶבֶל וּרְעוּת רוּחַ וְאֵין יִתְרוֹן תַּחַת הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ | 11 |
Then I looked on all the deeds that my hands had accomplished, and on the work that I had done, but again, everything was vapor and an attempt to shepherd the wind. There was no profit under the sun in it.
| וּפָנִיתִֽי אֲנִי לִרְאוֹת חׇכְמָה וְהוֹלֵלוֹת וְסִכְלוּת כִּי ׀ מֶה הָאָדָם שֶׁיָּבוֹא אַחֲרֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ אֵת אֲשֶׁר־כְּבָר עָשֽׂוּהוּ׃ | 12 |
Then I turned to consider wisdom, and also madness and folly. For what can the next king do who comes after the king, which has not already been done?
| וְרָאִיתִי אָנִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ יִתְרוֹן לַֽחׇכְמָה מִן־הַסִּכְלוּת כִּֽיתְרוֹן הָאוֹר מִן־הַחֹֽשֶׁךְ׃ | 13 |
Then I began to understand that wisdom has advantages over folly, just as light is better than darkness.
| הֶֽחָכָם עֵינָיו בְּרֹאשׁוֹ וְהַכְּסִיל בַּחֹשֶׁךְ הוֹלֵךְ וְיָדַעְתִּי גַם־אָנִי שֶׁמִּקְרֶה אֶחָד יִקְרֶה אֶת־כֻּלָּֽם׃ | 14 |
The wise man uses his eyes in his head to see where he is going, but the fool walks in darkness, although I know the same event happens to all of them.
| וְאָמַרְתִּֽי אֲנִי בְּלִבִּי כְּמִקְרֵה הַכְּסִיל גַּם־אֲנִי יִקְרֵנִי וְלָמָּה חָכַמְתִּי אֲנִי אָז יֹתֵר וְדִבַּרְתִּי בְלִבִּי שֶׁגַּם־זֶה הָֽבֶל׃ | 15 |
Then I said in my heart, “What happens to the fool, will also happen to me. So what difference does it make if I am very wise?” I concluded in my heart, “This too is only vapor.”
| כִּי אֵין זִכְרוֹן לֶחָכָם עִֽם־הַכְּסִיל לְעוֹלָם בְּשֶׁכְּבָר הַיָּמִים הַבָּאִים הַכֹּל נִשְׁכָּח וְאֵיךְ יָמוּת הֶחָכָם עִֽם־הַכְּסִֽיל׃ | 16 |
For the wise man, like the fool, is not remembered for very long. In the days to come everything will have been long forgotten. The wise man dies just like the fool dies.
| וְשָׂנֵאתִי אֶת־הַחַיִּים כִּי רַע עָלַי הַֽמַּעֲשֶׂה שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ כִּֽי־הַכֹּל הֶבֶל וּרְעוּת רֽוּחַ׃ | 17 |
So I detested life because all the work done under the sun was evil to me. This was because everything is vapor and an attempt to shepherd the wind.
| וְשָׂנֵאתִֽי אֲנִי אֶת־כׇּל־עֲמָלִי שֶׁאֲנִי עָמֵל תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ שֶׁאַנִּיחֶנּוּ לָאָדָם שֶׁיִּהְיֶה אַחֲרָֽי׃ | 18 |
I hated all my accomplishments for which I had worked under the sun because I must leave them behind to the man who comes after me.
| וּמִי יוֹדֵעַ הֶֽחָכָם יִהְיֶה אוֹ סָכָל וְיִשְׁלַט בְּכׇל־עֲמָלִי שֶֽׁעָמַלְתִּי וְשֶׁחָכַמְתִּי תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ גַּם־זֶה הָֽבֶל׃ | 19 |
For who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will be master over everything under the sun that my work and wisdom have built. This also is vapor.
| וְסַבּוֹתִֽי אֲנִי לְיַאֵשׁ אֶת־לִבִּי עַל כׇּל־הֶעָמָל שֶׁעָמַלְתִּי תַּחַת הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ | 20 |
Therefore my heart began to despair over all the work under the sun that I did.
| כִּי־יֵשׁ אָדָם שֶׁעֲמָלוֹ בְּחׇכְמָה וּבְדַעַת וּבְכִשְׁרוֹן וּלְאָדָם שֶׁלֹּא עָֽמַל־בּוֹ יִתְּנֶנּוּ חֶלְקוֹ גַּם־זֶה הֶבֶל וְרָעָה רַבָּֽה׃ | 21 |
For there might be someone who works with wisdom, with knowledge, and skill, but he will leave everything he has to a man who has not made any of it. This also is vapor and a great tragedy.
| כִּי מֶֽה־הֹוֶה לָֽאָדָם בְּכׇל־עֲמָלוֹ וּבְרַעְיוֹן לִבּוֹ שְׁהוּא עָמֵל תַּחַת הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ | 22 |
For what profit does the person gain who works so hard and tries in his heart to complete his labors under the sun?
| כִּי כׇל־יָמָיו מַכְאֹבִים וָכַעַס עִנְיָנוֹ גַּם־בַּלַּיְלָה לֹא־שָׁכַב לִבּוֹ גַּם־זֶה הֶבֶל הֽוּא׃ | 23 |
Every day his work is painful and stressful, so at night his soul does not find rest. This also is vapor.
| אֵֽין־טוֹב בָּאָדָם שֶׁיֹּאכַל וְשָׁתָה וְהֶרְאָה אֶת־נַפְשׁוֹ טוֹב בַּעֲמָלוֹ גַּם־זֹה רָאִיתִי אָנִי כִּי מִיַּד הָאֱלֹהִים הִֽיא׃ | 24 |
There is nothing better for anyone than to simply eat and drink and be satisfied with what is good in his work. I saw that this truth comes from God's hand.
| כִּי מִי יֹאכַל וּמִי יָחוּשׁ חוּץ מִמֶּֽנִּי׃ | 25 |
For who can eat or who can have any kind of pleasure apart from God?
| כִּי לְאָדָם שֶׁטּוֹב לְפָנָיו נָתַן חׇכְמָה וְדַעַת וְשִׂמְחָה וְלַחוֹטֶא נָתַן עִנְיָן לֶאֱסֹף וְלִכְנוֹס לָתֵת לְטוֹב לִפְנֵי הָֽאֱלֹהִים גַּם־זֶה הֶבֶל וּרְעוּת רֽוּחַ׃ | 26 |
For to anyone who pleases him, God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy. However, to the sinner he gives the work of gathering and storing up so that he may give it away to someone who pleases God. This also amounts to vapor and an attempt to shepherd the wind.
