Ecclesiastes 12 קֹהֶלֶת פרק י״ב

Masoretic Text, word by word with English glosses, the English verse beneath each. Open Ecclesiastes 12 in the interlinear reader for transliteration, roots and notes.

1. 1

   וּזְכֹרand rememberאֶת־בּוֹרְאֶיךָyour creatorבִּימֵיin the days ofבְּחוּרֹתֶיךָyour youthעַדuntilאֲשֶׁרwhichלֹא־יָבֹאוּnot comeיְמֵיthe days ofהָרָעָהthe evilוְהִגִּיעוּand they will arriveשָׁנִיםyearsאֲשֶׁרwhichתֹּאמַרyou sayאֵין־לִיthere is no to meבָהֶםamong themחֵפֶץ׃desire

   Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;

2. 2

   עַדuntilאֲשֶׁרwhichלֹא־תֶחְשַׁךְnot it will become darkהַשֶּׁמֶשׁthe sunוְהָאוֹרand the lightוְהַיָּרֵחַand the moonוְהַכּוֹכָבִיםand the starsוְשָׁבוּand they shall returnהֶעָבִיםthe cloudsאַחַרafterהַגָּשֶׁם׃the rain

   While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:

3. 3

   בַּיּוֹםin the dayשֶׁיָּזֻעוּwhen they will trembleשֹׁמְרֵיthe keepers ofהַבַּיִתthe houseוְהִתְעַוְּתוּand will bend themselvesאַנְשֵׁיthe men ofהֶחָיִלthe armyוּבָטְלוּand they will ceaseהַטֹּחֲנוֹתthe female grindersכִּיbecauseמִעֵטוּthey have become fewוְחָשְׁכוּand they will grow dimהָרֹאוֹתthe ones which lookבָּאֲרֻבּוֹת׃through the windows

   In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened,

4. 4

   וְסֻגְּרוּand they will be shut upדְלָתַיִםthe doorsבַּשּׁוּקin the streetבִּשְׁפַלwhen becomes lowקוֹלthe voice ofהַטַּחֲנָהthe grinding millוְיָקוּםand he shall riseלְקוֹלthe voice ofהַצִּפּוֹרthe birdוְיִשַּׁחוּand they may be reducedכׇּל־בְּנוֹתall the daughters ofהַשִּׁיר׃the song

   And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low;

5. 5

   גַּםalsoמִגָּבֹהַּfrom a high placeיִרָאוּthey will be afraidוְחַתְחַתִּיםand terrorsבַּדֶּרֶךְin the wayוְיָנֵאץand it may blossomהַשָּׁקֵדthe almond treeוְיִסְתַּבֵּלso it may drag itself alongהֶחָגָבthe grasshopperוְתָפֵרand it may failהָאֲבִיּוֹנָהthe caper berryכִּי־הֹלֵךְbecause goingהָאָדָםthe manאֶל־בֵּיתto the house ofעוֹלָמוֹhis long homeוְסָבְבוּand they will go aboutבַשּׁוּקin the streetהַסּוֹפְדִים׃the mourners

   Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:

6. 6

   עַדuntilאֲשֶׁרwhichלֹא־[יֵרָתֵק]not it will be snapped(ירחק)חֶבֶלthe cord ofהַכֶּסֶףthe silverוְתָרוּץand is brokenגֻּלַּתthe bowl ofהַזָּהָבthe goldוְתִשָּׁבֶרso it may be brokenכַּדthe jar ofעַל־הַמַּבּוּעַupon the water springוְנָרֹץand it will be crushedהַגַּלְגַּלthe water wheelאֶל־הַבּוֹר׃to the pit

   Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.

7. 7

   וְיָשֹׁבand it shall returnהֶעָפָרthe dustעַל־הָאָרֶץupon the landכְּשֶׁהָיָהlike which it wasוְהָרוּחַand the spiritתָּשׁוּבreturnאֶל־הָאֱלֹהִיםunto Godאֲשֶׁרwhichנְתָנָהּ׃was given

   Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

8. 8

   הֲבֵלfutility ofהֲבָלִיםfutilitiesאָמַרsaidהַקּוֹהֶלֶתthe Teacherהַכֹּלeverythingהָבֶל׃vanity

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

9. 9

   וְיֹתֵרand is an advantageשֶׁהָיָהwho wasקֹהֶלֶתTeacherחָכָםwiseעוֹדany moreלִמַּד־דַּעַתhe taught knowledgeאֶת־הָעָםthe peopleוְאִזֵּןand he weighedוְחִקֵּרand he searched outתִּקֵּןhe arranged in orderמְשָׁלִיםproverbsהַרְבֵּה׃much

   And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.

10. 10

    בִּקֵּשׁsoughtקֹהֶלֶתTeacherלִמְצֹאto findדִּבְרֵי־חֵפֶץthe words of desireוְכָתוּבand writtenיֹשֶׁרuprightnessדִּבְרֵיthe words ofאֱמֶת׃truth

    The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth.

11. 11

    דִּבְרֵיthe words ofחֲכָמִיםwiseכַּדָּרְבֹנוֹתlike goadsוּכְמַשְׂמְרוֹתand are like nailsנְטוּעִיםfirmly fixedבַּעֲלֵיthe masters ofאֲסֻפּוֹתcollectionsנִתְּנוּwere givenמֵרֹעֶהfrom a shepherdאֶחָד׃one

    The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.

12. 12

    וְיֹתֵרand is an advantageמֵהֵמָּהmore than themבְּנִיmy sonהִזָּהֵרbe warnedעֲשׂוֹתdoסְפָרִיםrecordsהַרְבֵּהmuchאֵיןthere is noקֵץendוְלַהַגand studyהַרְבֵּהmuchיְגִעַתweariness ofבָּשָׂר׃the flesh

    And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

13. 13

    סוֹףendדָּבָרa wordהַכֹּלallנִשְׁמָעis heardאֶת־הָאֱלֹהִיםGodיְרָאfearוְאֶת־מִצְוֺתָיוand His commandmentsשְׁמוֹרkeepכִּי־זֶהthat thisכׇּל־הָאָדָם׃all the man

    Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

14. 14

    כִּיforאֶת־כׇּל־מַעֲשֶׂהall a workהָאֱלֹהִיםthe Godיָבִאhe will bringבְמִשְׁפָּטin judgmentעַלuponכׇּל־נֶעְלָםall hiddenאִם־טוֹבif goodוְאִם־רָע׃and if evil

    For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.