קֹהֶלֶת 1
| דִּבְרֵי קֹהֶלֶת בֶּן־דָּוִד מֶלֶךְ בִּירוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃ | 1 |
THE WORDS OF the Koheleth, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
| הֲבֵל הֲבָלִים אָמַר קֹהֶלֶת הֲבֵל הֲבָלִים הַכֹּל הָֽבֶל׃ | 2 |
Vanity of vanities, saith Koheleth; vanity of vanities, all is vanity.
| מַה־יִּתְרוֹן לָֽאָדָם בְּכָל־עֲמָלוֹ שֶֽׁיַּעֲמֹל תַּחַת הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ | 3 |
What profit hath man of all his labour wherein he laboureth under the sun?
| דּוֹר הֹלֵךְ וְדוֹר בָּא וְהָאָרֶץ לְעוֹלָם עֹמָֽדֶת׃ | 4 |
One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh; and the earth abideth for ever.
| וְזָרַח הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וּבָא הַשָּׁמֶשׁ וְאֶל־מְקוֹמוֹ שׁוֹאֵף זוֹרֵחַֽ הוּא שָֽׁם׃ | 5 |
The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he ariseth.
| הוֹלֵךְ אֶל־דָּרוֹם וְסוֹבֵב אֶל־צָפוֹן סוֹבֵב ׀ סֹבֵב הוֹלֵךְ הָרוּחַ וְעַל־סְבִיבֹתָיו שָׁב הָרֽוּחַ׃ | 6 |
The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it turneth about continually in its circuit, and the wind returneth again to its circuits.
| כָּל־הַנְּחָלִים הֹלְכִים אֶל־הַיָּם וְהַיָּם אֵינֶנּוּ מָלֵא אֶל־מְקוֹם שֶׁהַנְּחָלִים הֹֽלְכִים שָׁם הֵם שָׁבִים לָלָֽכֶת׃ | 7 |
All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full; unto the place whither the rivers go, thither they go again.
| כָּל־הַדְּבָרִים יְגֵעִים לֹא־יוּכַל אִישׁ לְדַבֵּר לֹא־תִשְׂבַּע עַיִן לִרְאוֹת וְלֹא־תִמָּלֵא אֹזֶן מִשְּׁמֹֽעַ׃ | 8 |
All things toil to weariness; man cannot utter it, the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
| מַה־שֶּֽׁהָיָה הוּא שֶׁיִּהְיֶה וּמַה־שֶׁנַּֽעֲשָׂה הוּא שֶׁיֵּעָשֶׂה וְאֵין כָּל־חָדָשׁ תַּחַת הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ | 9 |
That which hath been is that which shall be, and that which hath been done is that which shall be done; and there is nothing new under the sun.
| יֵשׁ דָּבָר שֶׁיֹּאמַר רְאֵה־זֶה חָדָשׁ הוּא כְּבָר הָיָה לְעֹֽלָמִים אֲשֶׁר הָיָה מִלְּפָנֵֽנוּ׃ | 10 |
Is there a thing whereof it is said: 'See, this is new'? — it hath been already, in the ages which were before us.
| אֵין זִכְרוֹן לָרִאשֹׁנִים וְגַם לָאַחֲרֹנִים שֶׁיִּהְיוּ לֹֽא־יִהְיֶה לָהֶם זִכָּרוֹן עִם שֶׁיִּהְיוּ לָאַחֲרֹנָֽה׃ | 11 |
There is no remembrance of them of former times; neither shall there be any remembrance of them of latter times that are to come, among those that shall come after.
| אֲנִי קֹהֶלֶת הָיִיתִי מֶלֶךְ עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּירוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃ | 12 |
I Koheleth have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.
| וְנָתַתִּי אֶת־לִבִּי לִדְרוֹשׁ וְלָתוּר בַּֽחָכְמָה עַל כָּל־אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשָׂה תַּחַת הַשָּׁמָיִם הוּא ׀ עִנְיַן רָע נָתַן אֱלֹהִים לִבְנֵי הָאָדָם לַעֲנוֹת בּֽוֹ׃ | 13 |
And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven; it is a sore task that God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith.
| רָאִיתִי אֶת־כָּל־הַֽמַּעֲשִׂים שֶֽׁנַּעֲשׂוּ תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ וְהִנֵּה הַכֹּל הֶבֶל וּרְעוּת רֽוּחַ׃ | 14 |
I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.
| מְעֻוָּת לֹא־יוּכַל לִתְקֹן וְחֶסְרוֹן לֹא־יוּכַל לְהִמָּנֽוֹת׃ | 15 |
That which is crooked cannot be made straight; and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
| דִּבַּרְתִּי אֲנִי עִם־לִבִּי לֵאמֹר אֲנִי הִנֵּה הִגְדַּלְתִּי וְהוֹסַפְתִּי חָכְמָה עַל כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־הָיָה לְפָנַי עַל־יְרוּשָׁלָ͏ִם וְלִבִּי רָאָה הַרְבֵּה חָכְמָה וָדָֽעַת׃ | 16 |
I spoke with my own heart, saying: 'Lo, I have gotten great wisdom, more also than all that were before me over Jerusalem'; yea, my heart hath had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.
| וָאֶתְּנָה לִבִּי לָדַעַת חָכְמָה וְדַעַת הוֹלֵלוֹת וְשִׂכְלוּת יָדַעְתִּי שֶׁגַּם־זֶה הוּא רַעְיוֹן רֽוּחַ׃ | 17 |
And I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly — I perceived that this also was a striving after wind.
| כִּי בְּרֹב חָכְמָה רָב־כָּעַס וְיוֹסִיף דַּעַת יוֹסִיף מַכְאֽוֹב׃ | 18 |
For in much wisdom is much vexation; and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
