קֹהֶלֶת 12

1 וּזְכֹר֙ אֶת־בֹּ֣ורְאֶ֔יךָ בִּימֵ֖י בְּחוּרֹתֶ֑יךָ עַ֣ד אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹא־יָבֹ֙אוּ֙ יְמֵ֣י הָֽרָעָ֔ה וְהִגִּ֣יעוּ שָׁנִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר תֹּאמַ֔ר אֵֽין־לִ֥י בָהֶ֖ם חֵֽפֶץ׃

Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the time of affliction arrives and the years draw near, about which you will say, “These do not please me.”

2 עַ֠ד אֲשֶׁ֨ר לֹֽא־תֶחְשַׁ֤ךְ הַשֶּׁ֙מֶשׁ֙ וְהָאֹ֔ור וְהַיָּרֵ֖חַ וְהַכֹּוכָבִ֑ים וְשָׁ֥בוּ הֶעָבִ֖ים אַחַ֥ר הַגָּֽשֶׁם׃

Before the sun, and the light, and the moon, and the stars are darkened and the clouds return after the rain,

3 בַּיֹּ֗ום שֶׁיָּזֻ֙עוּ֙ שֹׁמְרֵ֣י הַבַּ֔יִת וְהִֽתְעַוְּת֖וּ אַנְשֵׁ֣י הֶחָ֑יִל וּבָטְל֤וּ הַטֹּֽחֲנֹות֙ כִּ֣י מִעֵ֔טוּ וְחָשְׁכ֥וּ הָרֹאֹ֖ות בָּאֲרֻבֹּֽות׃

when the guardians of the house will tremble, and the strongest men will waver, and those who grind grain will be idle, except for a small number, and those who look through the keyholes will be darkened.

4 וְסֻגְּר֤וּ דְלָתַ֙יִם֙ בַּשּׁ֔וּק בִּשְׁפַ֖ל קֹ֣ול הַֽטַּחֲנָ֑ה וְיָקוּם֙ לְקֹ֣ול הַצִּפֹּ֔ור וְיִשַּׁ֖חוּ כָּל־בְּנֹ֥ות הַשִּֽׁיר׃

And they will close the doors to the street, when the voice of he who grinds the grain will be humbled, and they will be disturbed at the sound of a flying thing, and all the daughters of song shall become deaf.

5 גַּ֣ם מִגָּבֹ֤הַּ יִרָ֙אוּ֙ וְחַתְחַתִּ֣ים בַּדֶּ֔רֶךְ וְיָנֵ֤אץ הַשָּׁקֵד֙ וְיִסְתַּבֵּ֣ל הֶֽחָגָ֔ב וְתָפֵ֖ר הָֽאֲבִיֹּונָ֑ה כִּֽי־הֹלֵ֤ךְ הָאָדָם֙ אֶל־בֵּ֣ית עֹולָמֹ֔ו וְסָבְב֥וּ בַשּׁ֖וּק הַסֹּפְדִֽים׃

Likewise, they will fear the things above them, and they will dread the way. The almond tree will flourish; the locust will be fattened; and the caper plant will be scattered, because man shall go into the house of his eternity, and the mourners shall wander around in the street.

6 עַ֣ד אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹֽא־יִרחַק (יֵרָתֵק֙) חֶ֣בֶל הַכֶּ֔סֶף וְתָרֻ֖ץ גֻּלַּ֣ת הַזָּהָ֑ב וְתִשָּׁ֤בֶר כַּד֙ עַל־הַמַּבּ֔וּעַ וְנָרֹ֥ץ הַגַּלְגַּ֖ל אֶל־הַבֹּֽור׃

Before the silver cord is broken, and the golden band pulls away, and the pitcher is crushed over the fountain, and the wheel is broken above the cistern,

7 וְיָשֹׁ֧ב הֶעָפָ֛ר עַל־הָאָ֖רֶץ כְּשֶׁהָיָ֑ה וְהָר֣וּחַ תָּשׁ֔וּב אֶל־הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר נְתָנָֽהּ׃

and the dust returns to its earth, from which it was, and the spirit returns to God, who granted it.

8 הֲבֵ֧ל הֲבָלִ֛ים אָמַ֥ר הַקֹּוהֶ֖לֶת הַכֹּ֥ל הָֽבֶל׃

Vanity of vanities, said Ecclesiastes, and all is vanity!

9 וְיֹתֵ֕ר שֶׁהָיָ֥ה קֹהֶ֖לֶת חָכָ֑ם עֹ֗וד לִמַּד־דַּ֙עַת֙ אֶת־הָעָ֔ם וְאִזֵּ֣ן וְחִקֵּ֔ר תִּקֵּ֖ן מְשָׁלִ֥ים הַרְבֵּֽה׃

And since Ecclesiastes was very wise, he taught the people, and he described what he had accomplished. And while searching, he composed many parables.

10 בִּקֵּ֣שׁ קֹהֶ֔לֶת לִמְצֹ֖א דִּבְרֵי־חֵ֑פֶץ וְכָת֥וּב יֹ֖שֶׁר דִּבְרֵ֥י אֱמֶֽת׃

He sought useful words, and he wrote most righteous words, which were full of truth.

11 דִּבְרֵ֤י חֲכָמִים֙ כַּדָּ֣רְבֹנֹ֔ות וּֽכְמַשְׂמְרֹ֥ות נְטוּעִ֖ים בַּעֲלֵ֣י אֲסֻפֹּ֑ות נִתְּנ֖וּ מֵרֹעֶ֥ה אֶחָֽד׃

The words of the wise are like a goad, and like nails deeply fastened, which, through the counsel of teachers, are set forth by one pastor.

12 וְיֹתֵ֥ר מֵהֵ֖מָּה בְּנִ֣י הִזָּהֵ֑ר עֲשֹׂ֨ות סְפָרִ֤ים הַרְבֵּה֙ אֵ֣ין קֵ֔ץ וְלַ֥הַג הַרְבֵּ֖ה יְגִעַ֥ת בָּשָֽׂר׃

You should require no more than this, my son. For there is no end to the making of many books. And excessive study is an affliction to the flesh.

13 סֹ֥וף דָּבָ֖ר הַכֹּ֣ל נִשְׁמָ֑ע אֶת־הָאֱלֹהִ֤ים יְרָא֙ וְאֶת־מִצְוֹתָ֣יו שְׁמֹ֔ור כִּי־זֶ֖ה כָּל־הָאָדָֽם׃

Let us all listen together to the end of the discourse. Fear God, and observe his commandments. This is everything for man.

14 כִּ֤י אֶת־כָּל־מַֽעֲשֶׂ֔ה הָאֱלֹהִ֛ים יָבִ֥א בְמִשְׁפָּ֖ט עַ֣ל כָּל־נֶעְלָ֑ם אִם־טֹ֖וב וְאִם־רָֽע׃

And so, for all that is done and for each error, God will bring judgment: whether it was good or evil.