Ecclesiastes 1 קֹהֶלֶת פרק א׳

Masoretic Text, word by word with English glosses, the English verse beneath each. Open Ecclesiastes 1 in the interlinear reader for transliteration, roots and notes.

1. 1

   דִּבְרֵיthe words ofקֹהֶלֶתTeacherבֶּן־דָּוִדson of Davidמֶלֶךְthe king ofבִּירוּשָׁלָ͏ִם׃in Jerusalem

   The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

2. 2

   הֲבֵלfutility ofהֲבָלִיםfutilitiesאָמַרsaidקֹהֶלֶתTeacherהֲבֵלfutility ofהֲבָלִיםfutilitiesהַכֹּלeverythingהָבֶל׃vanity

   Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.

3. 3

   מַה־יִּתְרוֹןwhat profitלָאָדָםfor manבְּכׇל־עֲמָלוֹin all his laborשֶׁיַּעֲמֹלthat he toilsתַּחַתunderהַשָּׁמֶשׁ׃the sun

   What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?

4. 4

   דּוֹרgenerationהֹלֵךְgoingוְדוֹרand the generationבָּאcameוְהָאָרֶץand the earthלְעוֹלָםforeverעֹמָדֶת׃is continuing

   One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.

5. 5

   וְזָרַחand dawnedהַשֶּׁמֶשׁthe sunוּבָאand comeהַשָּׁמֶשׁthe sunוְאֶל־מְקוֹמוֹand its own placeשׁוֹאֵףis pantingזוֹרֵחַis risingהוּאheשָׁם׃there

   The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.

6. 6

   הוֹלֵךְgoingאֶל־דָּרוֹםto southוְסוֹבֵבand it is circlingאֶל־צָפוֹןto the northסוֹבֵבwas surroundingסֹבֵבcircling aroundהוֹלֵךְgoingהָרוּחַthe windוְעַל־סְבִיבֹתָיוand upon around himשָׁבreturnedהָרוּחַ׃the wind

   The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits.

7. 7

   כׇּל־הַנְּחָלִיםall the wadisהֹלְכִיםwalkingאֶל־הַיָּםto the seaוְהַיָּםand the seaאֵינֶנּוּit is notמָלֵאfull ofאֶל־מְקוֹםto place ofשֶׁהַנְּחָלִיםwhere the riversהֹלְכִיםwalkingשָׁםthereהֵםtheyשָׁבִיםreturningלָלָכֶת׃to go

   All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.

8. 8

   כׇּל־הַדְּבָרִיםall thingsיְגֵעִיםwearyלֹא־יוּכַלnot canאִישׁa manלְדַבֵּרto speakלֹא־תִשְׂבַּעnot it is satisfiedעַיִןeyeלִרְאוֹתto seeוְלֹא־תִמָּלֵאand not shall be filledאֹזֶןan earמִשְּׁמֹעַ׃to hear

   All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.

9. 9

   מַה־שֶּׁהָיָהwhat it has beenהוּאheשֶׁיִּהְיֶהthat he shall beוּמַה־שֶּׁנַּעֲשָׂהyea and what which has been doneהוּאheשֶׁיֵּעָשֶׂהis which will be doneוְאֵיןand there is noכׇּל־חָדָשׁall freshתַּחַתunderהַשָּׁמֶשׁ׃the sun

   The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.

10. 10

    יֵשׁthereדָּבָרa thingשֶׁיֹּאמַרthat anyone will sayרְאֵה־זֶהbehold thisחָדָשׁnewהוּאheכְּבָרalready comeהָיָהwasלְעֹלָמִיםto ancient timesאֲשֶׁרwhichהָיָהwasמִלְּפָנֵנוּ׃from to before us

    Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.

11. 11

    אֵיןthere is noזִכְרוֹןa record ofלָרִאשֹׁנִיםof the former thingsוְגַםand alsoלָאַחֲרֹנִיםof the subsequent thingsשֶׁיִּהְיוּthatלֹא־יִהְיֶהthere shall not beלָהֶםto themזִכָּרוֹןremembranceעִםwithשֶׁיִּהְיוּthatלָאַחֲרֹנָה׃to the last

    There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.

12. 12

    אֲנִיIקֹהֶלֶתTeacherהָיִיתִיI wasמֶלֶךְthe king ofעַל־יִשְׂרָאֵלupon Israelבִּירוּשָׁלָ͏ִם׃in Jerusalem

    I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.

13. 13

    וְנָתַתִּיand I will giveאֶת־לִבִּיmy heartלִדְרוֹשׁto seekוְלָתוּרand to discoverבַּחׇכְמָהin the wisdomעַלuponכׇּל־אֲשֶׁרall thatנַעֲשָׂהwas doneתַּחַתunderהַשָּׁמָיִםthe heavensהוּאheעִנְיַןa task ofרָעevilנָתַןgaveאֱלֹהִיםGodלִבְנֵיunto the sons ofהָאָדָםthe manלַעֲנוֹתto be exercisedבּוֹ׃in it

    And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.

14. 14

    רָאִיתִיI sawאֶת־כׇּל־הַמַּעֲשִׂיםall the worksשֶׁנַּעֲשׂוּthat have been doneתַּחַתunderהַשָּׁמֶשׁthe sunוְהִנֵּהand beholdהַכֹּלeverythingהֶבֶלvanityוּרְעוּתand vexation ofרוּחַ׃spirit

    I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

15. 15

    מְעֻוָּתsomething bentלֹא־יוּכַלnot canלִתְקֹןto become straightוְחֶסְרוֹןand something missingלֹא־יוּכַלnot canלְהִמָּנוֹת׃to be numbered

    That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.

16. 16

    דִּבַּרְתִּיI have spokenאֲנִיIעִם־לִבִּיwith my heartלֵאמֹרsayingאֲנִיIהִנֵּהbeholdהִגְדַּלְתִּיI have made greatוְהוֹסַפְתִּיand I will addחׇכְמָהwisdomעַלuponכׇּל־אֲשֶׁר־הָיָהall whose wasלְפָנַיbefore meעַל־יְרוּשָׁלָ͏ִםupon Jerusalemוְלִבִּיand my heartרָאָהhe sawהַרְבֵּהmuchחׇכְמָהwisdomוָדָעַת׃and knowledge

    I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.

17. 17

    וָאֶתְּנָהand I have givenלִבִּיmy heartלָדַעַתto knowחׇכְמָהwisdomוְדַעַתand knowledgeהוֹלֵלֹתmadnessוְשִׂכְלוּתand follyיָדַעְתִּיI knowשֶׁגַּם־זֶהthat also thisהוּאheרַעְיוֹןa vexation ofרוּחַ׃spirit

    And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.

18. 18

    כִּיforבְּרֹבmuchחׇכְמָהwisdomרׇב־כָּעַסmuch frustrationוְיוֹסִיףso someone may increaseדַּעַתknowledgeיוֹסִיףincreasesמַכְאוֹב׃sorrow

    For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.