קֹהֶלֶת 6

1 יֵ֣שׁ רָעָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר רָאִ֖יתִי תַּ֣חַת הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ וְרַבָּ֥ה הִ֖יא עַל־הָאָדָֽם׃

I have observed another evil here on earth, and it has a great impact on humanity.

2 אִ֣ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִתֶּן־לֹ֣ו הָאֱלֹהִ֡ים עֹשֶׁר֩ וּנְכָסִ֨ים וְכָבֹ֜וד וְֽאֵינֶ֨נּוּ חָסֵ֥ר לְנַפְשֹׁ֣ו ׀ מִכֹּ֣ל אֲשֶׁר־יִתְאַוֶּ֗ה וְלֹֽא־יַשְׁלִיטֶ֤נּוּ הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ לֶאֱכֹ֣ל מִמֶּ֔נּוּ כִּ֛י אִ֥ישׁ נָכְרִ֖י יֹֽאכֲלֶ֑נּוּ זֶ֥ה הֶ֛בֶל וָחֳלִ֥י רָ֖ע הֽוּא׃

God gives wealth, possessions, and honor to someone. They have everything they want. But God doesn't let them enjoy what they have. Instead somebody else does! This is hard to fathom, and is truly evil.

3 אִם־יֹולִ֣יד אִ֣ישׁ מֵאָ֡ה וְשָׁנִים֩ רַבֹּ֨ות יִֽחְיֶ֜ה וְרַ֣ב ׀ שֶׁיִּהְי֣וּ יְמֵֽי־שָׁנָ֗יו וְנַפְשֹׁו֙ לֹא־תִשְׂבַּ֣ע מִן־הַטֹּובָ֔ה וְגַם־קְבוּרָ֖ה לֹא־הָ֣יְתָה לֹּ֑ו אָמַ֕רְתִּי טֹ֥וב מִמֶּ֖נּוּ הַנָּֽפֶל׃

A man could have one hundred children, and grow old, but it wouldn't matter how long his life was if he couldn't enjoy it and at the end receive a decent burial. I would say that a stillborn child would be better off than him.

4 כִּֽי־בַהֶ֥בֶל בָּ֖א וּבַחֹ֣שֶׁךְ יֵלֵ֑ךְ וּבַחֹ֖שֶׁךְ שְׁמֹ֥ו יְכֻסֶּֽה׃

The way a stillborn child comes into the world and then leaves is painfully hard to understand—arriving and departing in darkness—and who he would have been is never known.

5 גַּם־שֶׁ֥מֶשׁ לֹא־רָאָ֖ה וְלֹ֣א יָדָ֑ע נַ֥חַת לָזֶ֖ה מִזֶּֽה׃

He never saw the light of day or knew what it was like to live. Yet the child finds rest, and not this man.

6 וְאִלּ֣וּ חָיָ֗ה אֶ֤לֶף שָׁנִים֙ פַּעֲמַ֔יִם וְטֹובָ֖ה לֹ֣א רָאָ֑ה הֲלֹ֛א אֶל־מָקֹ֥ום אֶחָ֖ד הַכֹּ֥ל הֹולֵֽךְ׃

Even if this man were to live a thousand years twice over he still wouldn't be happy. Don't we all end up in the same place—the grave?

7 כָּל־עֲמַ֥ל הָאָדָ֖ם לְפִ֑יהוּ וְגַם־הַנֶּ֖פֶשׁ לֹ֥א תִמָּלֵֽא׃

Everyone works so they can live, but they're never satisfied.

8 כִּ֛י מַה־יֹּותֵ֥ר לֶחָכָ֖ם מִֽן־הַכְּסִ֑יל מַה־לֶּעָנִ֣י יֹודֵ֔עַ לַהֲלֹ֖ךְ נֶ֥גֶד הַחַיִּֽים׃

So then, what real advantage do wise people have over those who are fools? And do poor people really gain anything in knowing how to behave in front of others?

9 טֹ֛וב מַרְאֵ֥ה עֵינַ֖יִם מֵֽהֲלָךְ־נָ֑פֶשׁ גַּם־זֶ֥ה הֶ֖בֶל וּרְע֥וּת רֽוּחַ׃

Be happy with what you have instead of running after what you don't! But this is also hard to do, like running after the wind.

10 מַה־שֶּֽׁהָיָ֗ה כְּבָר֙ נִקְרָ֣א שְׁמֹ֔ו וְנֹודָ֖ע אֲשֶׁר־ה֣וּא אָדָ֑ם וְלֹא־יוּכַ֣ל לָדִ֔ין עִ֥ם שֶׁהַתְקִיף (שֶׁתַּקִּ֖יף) מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃

Everything that exists has already been described. Everyone knows what people are like, and that you can't win an argument with a superior.

11 כִּ֛י יֵשׁ־דְּבָרִ֥ים הַרְבֵּ֖ה מַרְבִּ֣ים הָ֑בֶל מַה־יֹּתֵ֖ר לָאָדָֽם׃

For the more words you use, the harder it is to make sense. So what's the point?

12 כִּ֣י מִֽי־יֹודֵעַ֩ מַה־טֹּ֨וב לָֽאָדָ֜ם בַּֽחַיִּ֗ים מִסְפַּ֛ר יְמֵי־חַיֵּ֥י הֶבְלֹ֖ו וְיַעֲשֵׂ֣ם כַּצֵּ֑ל אֲשֶׁר֙ מִֽי־יַגִּ֣יד לָֽאָדָ֔ם מַה־יִּהְיֶ֥ה אַחֲרָ֖יו תַּ֥חַת הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃

Who knows what's best for us and our lives? During our short lives that pass like shadows we have many unanswered questions. And who can tell us what will happen when we're gone?