קֹהֶלֶת 7

1 טֹ֥וב שֵׁ֖ם מִשֶּׁ֣מֶן טֹ֑וב וְיֹ֣ום הַמָּ֔וֶת מִיֹּ֖ום הִוָּלְדֹֽו׃

Better [is] a name than good perfume, And the day of death than the day of birth.

2 טֹ֞וב לָלֶ֣כֶת אֶל־בֵּֽית־אֵ֗בֶל מִלֶּ֙כֶת֙ אֶל־בֵּ֣ית מִשְׁתֶּ֔ה בַּאֲשֶׁ֕ר ה֖וּא סֹ֣וף כָּל־הָאָדָ֑ם וְהַחַ֖י יִתֵּ֥ן אֶל־לִבֹּֽו׃

Better to go to a house of mourning, Than to go to a house of banqueting, For that is the end of all men, And the living lays [it] to his heart.

3 טֹ֥וב כַּ֖עַס מִשְּׂחֹ֑ק כִּֽי־בְרֹ֥עַ פָּנִ֖ים יִ֥יטַב לֵֽב׃

Better [is] sorrow than laughter, For by the sadness of the face the heart becomes better.

4 לֵ֤ב חֲכָמִים֙ בְּבֵ֣ית אֵ֔בֶל וְלֵ֥ב כְּסִילִ֖ים בְּבֵ֥ית שִׂמְחָֽה׃

The heart of the wise [is] in a house of mourning, And the heart of fools in a house of mirth.

5 טֹ֕וב לִשְׁמֹ֖עַ גַּעֲרַ֣ת חָכָ֑ם מֵאִ֕ישׁ שֹׁמֵ֖עַ שִׁ֥יר כְּסִילִֽים׃

Better to hear a rebuke of a wise man, Than [for] a man to hear a song of fools,

6 כִּ֣י כְקֹ֤ול הַסִּירִים֙ תַּ֣חַת הַסִּ֔יר כֵּ֖ן שְׂחֹ֣ק הַכְּסִ֑יל וְגַם־זֶ֖ה הָֽבֶל׃

For as the noise of thorns under the pot, So [is] the laughter of a fool, even this [is] vanity.

7 כִּ֥י הָעֹ֖שֶׁק יְהֹולֵ֣ל חָכָ֑ם וִֽיאַבֵּ֥ד אֶת־לֵ֖ב מַתָּנָֽה׃

Surely oppression makes the wise mad, And a gift destroys the heart.

8 טֹ֛וב אַחֲרִ֥ית דָּבָ֖ר מֽ͏ֵרֵאשִׁיתֹ֑ו טֹ֥וב אֶֽרֶךְ־ר֖וּחַ מִגְּבַהּ־רֽוּחַ׃

Better [is] the latter end of a thing than its beginning, Better [is] the patient of spirit, than the haughty of spirit.

9 אַל־תְּבַהֵ֥ל בְּרֽוּחֲךָ֖ לִכְעֹ֑וס כִּ֣י כַ֔עַס בְּחֵ֥יק כְּסִילִ֖ים יָנֽוּחַ׃

Do not be hasty in your spirit to be angry, For anger in the bosom of fools rests.

10 אַל־תֹּאמַר֙ מֶ֣ה הָיָ֔ה שֶׁ֤הַיָּמִים֙ הָרִ֣אשֹׁנִ֔ים הָי֥וּ טֹובִ֖ים מֵאֵ֑לֶּה כִּ֛י לֹ֥א מֵחָכְמָ֖ה שָׁאַ֥לְתָּ עַל־זֶֽה׃

Do not say, “What was it, That the former days were better than these?” For you have not asked wisely of this.

11 טֹובָ֥ה חָכְמָ֖ה עִֽם־נַחֲלָ֑ה וְיֹתֵ֖ר לְרֹאֵ֥י הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃

Wisdom [is] good with an inheritance, And an advantage [it is] to those beholding the sun.

12 כִּ֛י בְּצֵ֥ל הַֽחָכְמָ֖ה בְּצֵ֣ל הַכָּ֑סֶף וְיִתְרֹ֣ון דַּ֔עַת הַֽחָכְמָ֖ה תְּחַיֶּ֥ה בְעָלֶֽיהָ׃

For wisdom [is] a defense, money [is] a defense, And the advantage of the knowledge of wisdom [is], She revives her possessors.

13 רְאֵ֖ה אֶת־מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים כִּ֣י מִ֤י יוּכַל֙ לְתַקֵּ֔ן אֵ֖ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר עִוְּתֹֽו׃

See the work of God, For who is able to make straight that which He made crooked?

14 בְּיֹ֤ום טֹובָה֙ הֱיֵ֣ה בְטֹ֔וב וּבְיֹ֥ום רָעָ֖ה רְאֵ֑ה גַּ֣ם אֶת־זֶ֤ה לְעֻמַּת־זֶה֙ עָשָׂ֣ה הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים עַל־דִּבְרַ֗ת שֶׁלֹּ֨א יִמְצָ֧א הָֽאָדָ֛ם אַחֲרָ֖יו מְאֽוּמָה׃

In a day of prosperity be in gladness, And in a day of calamity consider: God has also made this alongside of that, To the intent that man does not find anything after him.

15 אֶת־הַכֹּ֥ל רָאִ֖יתִי בִּימֵ֣י הֶבְלִ֑י יֵ֤שׁ צַדִּיק֙ אֹבֵ֣ד בְּצִדְקֹ֔ו וְיֵ֣שׁ רָשָׁ֔ע מַאֲרִ֖יךְ בְּרָעָתֹֽו׃

The whole I have considered in the days of my vanity. There is a righteous one perishing in his righteousness, and there is a wrongdoer prolonging [himself] in his wrong.

16 אַל־תְּהִ֤י צַדִּיק֙ הַרְבֵּ֔ה וְאַל־תִּתְחַכַּ֖ם יֹותֵ֑ר לָ֖מָּה תִּשֹּׁומֵֽם׃

Do not be over-righteous, nor show yourself too wise, why are you desolate?

17 אַל־תִּרְשַׁ֥ע הַרְבֵּ֖ה וְאַל־תְּהִ֣י סָכָ֑ל לָ֥מָּה תָמ֖וּת בְּלֹ֥א עִתֶּֽךָ׃

Do not do much wrong, neither be a fool, why do you die within your time?

18 טֹ֚וב אֲשֶׁ֣ר תֶּאֱחֹ֣ז בָּזֶ֔ה וְגַם־מִזֶּ֖ה אַל־תַּנַּ֣ח אֶת־יָדֶ֑ךָ כִּֽי־יְרֵ֥א אֱלֹהִ֖ים יֵצֵ֥א אֶת־כֻּלָּֽם׃

[It is] good that you lay hold on this, and also, do not withdraw your hand from that, for whoever is fearing God goes out with them all.

19 הַֽחָכְמָ֖ה תָּעֹ֣ז לֶחָכָ֑ם מֵֽעֲשָׂרָה֙ שַׁלִּיטִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר הָי֖וּ בָּעִֽיר׃

The wisdom gives strength to a wise man, more than wealth the rulers who have been in a city.

20 כִּ֣י אָדָ֔ם אֵ֥ין צַדִּ֖יק בָּאָ֑רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר יַעֲשֶׂה־טֹּ֖וב וְלֹ֥א יֶחֱטָֽא׃

Because there is not a righteous man on earth that does good and does not sin.

21 גַּ֤ם לְכָל־הַדְּבָרִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יְדַבֵּ֔רוּ אַל־תִּתֵּ֖ן לִבֶּ֑ךָ אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־תִשְׁמַ֥ע אֶֽת־עַבְדְּךָ֖ מְקַלְלֶֽךָ׃

Also to all the words that they speak do not give your heart, that you do not hear your servant reviling you.

22 כִּ֛י גַּם־פְּעָמִ֥ים רַבֹּ֖ות יָדַ֣ע לִבֶּ֑ךָ אֲשֶׁ֥ר גַּם־אַתְּ (אַתָּ֖ה) קִלַּ֥לְתָּ אֲחֵרִֽים׃

For many times also has your heart known that you yourself have also reviled others.

23 כָּל־זֹ֖ה נִסִּ֣יתִי בַֽחָכְמָ֑ה אָמַ֣רְתִּי אֶחְכָּ֔מָה וְהִ֖יא רְחֹוקָ֥ה מִמֶּֽנִּי׃

All this I have tried by wisdom; I have said, “I am wise,” and it [is] far from me.

24 רָחֹ֖וק מַה־שֶּׁהָיָ֑ה וְעָמֹ֥ק ׀ עָמֹ֖ק מִ֥י יִמְצָאֶֽנּוּ׃

Far off [is] that which has been, and deep, deep, who finds it?

25 סַבֹּ֨ותִֽי אֲנִ֤י וְלִבִּי֙ לָדַ֣עַת וְלָת֔וּר וּבַקֵּ֥שׁ חָכְמָ֖ה וְחֶשְׁבֹּ֑ון וְלָדַ֙עַת֙ רֶ֣שַׁע כֶּ֔סֶל וְהַסִּכְל֖וּת הֹולֵלֹֽות׃

I have turned around, also my heart, to know and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and reason, and to know the wrong of folly, and the madness of foolishness.

26 וּמֹוצֶ֨א אֲנִ֜י מַ֣ר מִמָּ֗וֶת אֶת־הָֽאִשָּׁה֙ אֲשֶׁר־הִ֨יא מְצֹודִ֧ים וַחֲרָמִ֛ים לִבָּ֖הּ אֲסוּרִ֣ים יָדֶ֑יהָ טֹ֞וב לִפְנֵ֤י הָאֱלֹהִים֙ יִמָּלֵ֣ט מִמֶּ֔נָּה וְחֹוטֵ֖א יִלָּ֥כֶד בָּֽהּ׃

And I am finding more bitter than death, the woman whose heart [is] nets and snares, her hands [are] bands; the good before God escapes from her, but the sinner is captured by her.

27 רְאֵה֙ זֶ֣ה מָצָ֔אתִי אָמְרָ֖ה קֹהֶ֑לֶת אַחַ֥ת לְאַחַ֖ת לִמְצֹ֥א חֶשְׁבֹּֽון׃

See, this I have found, said the Preacher, one to one, to find out the reason

28 אֲשֶׁ֛ר עֹוד־בִּקְשָׁ֥ה נַפְשִׁ֖י וְלֹ֣א מָצָ֑אתִי אָדָ֞ם אֶחָ֤ד מֵאֶ֙לֶף֙ מָצָ֔אתִי וְאִשָּׁ֥ה בְכָל־אֵ֖לֶּה לֹ֥א מָצָֽאתִי׃

(that still my soul had sought, and I had not found), One man, a teacher, I have found, and a woman among all these I have not found.

29 לְבַד֙ רְאֵה־זֶ֣ה מָצָ֔אתִי אֲשֶׁ֨ר עָשָׂ֧ה הָאֱלֹהִ֛ים אֶת־הָאָדָ֖ם יָשָׁ֑ר וְהֵ֥מָּה בִקְשׁ֖וּ חִשְּׁבֹנֹ֥ות רַבִּֽים׃

See, this alone I have found, that God made man upright, and they have sought out many inventions.