Ecclesiastes 3 קֹהֶלֶת פרק ג׳

Masoretic Text, word by word with English glosses, the English verse beneath each. Open Ecclesiastes 3 in the interlinear reader for transliteration, roots and notes.

1. 1

   לַכֹּלto everythingזְמָןa timeוְעֵתand timeלְכׇל־חֵפֶץto all desireתַּחַתunderהַשָּׁמָיִם׃the heavens

   To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

2. 2

   עֵתtimeלָלֶדֶתto be bornוְעֵתand timeלָמוּתto dieעֵתtimeלָטַעַתto plantוְעֵתand timeלַעֲקוֹרto pluck upנָטוּעַ׃what is planted

   A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

3. 3

   עֵתtimeלַהֲרוֹגto killוְעֵתand timeלִרְפּוֹאto healעֵתtimeלִפְרוֹץto break downוְעֵתand timeלִבְנוֹת׃to build

   A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

4. 4

   עֵתtimeלִבְכּוֹתto weepוְעֵתand timeלִשְׂחוֹקto laughעֵתtimeסְפוֹדto mournוְעֵתand timeרְקוֹד׃to dance

   A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

5. 5

   עֵתtimeלְהַשְׁלִיךְto cast awayאֲבָנִיםstonesוְעֵתand timeכְּנוֹסgatherאֲבָנִיםstonesעֵתtimeלַחֲבוֹקto embraceוְעֵתand timeלִרְחֹקto be farמֵחַבֵּק׃from embracing

   A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

6. 6

   עֵתtimeלְבַקֵּשׁto seekוְעֵתand timeלְאַבֵּדto loseעֵתtimeלִשְׁמוֹרto keepוְעֵתand timeלְהַשְׁלִיךְ׃to cast away

   A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

7. 7

   עֵתtimeלִקְרוֹעַto tearוְעֵתand timeלִתְפּוֹרto sewעֵתtimeלַחֲשׁוֹתto be silentוְעֵתand timeלְדַבֵּר׃to speak

   A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

8. 8

   עֵתtimeלֶאֱהֹבto loveוְעֵתand timeלִשְׂנֹאto hateעֵתtimeמִלְחָמָהwarוְעֵתand timeשָׁלוֹם׃peace

   A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

9. 9

   מַה־יִּתְרוֹןwhat profitהָעוֹשֶׂהthe workerבַּאֲשֶׁרwhereinהוּאheעָמֵל׃labor

   What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?

10. 10

    רָאִיתִיI sawאֶת־הָעִנְיָןthe matterאֲשֶׁרwhichנָתַןgaveאֱלֹהִיםGodלִבְנֵיunto the sons ofהָאָדָםthe manלַעֲנוֹתto be exercisedבּוֹ׃in it

    I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.

11. 11

    אֶת־הַכֹּלeverythingעָשָׂהhe didיָפֶהfairבְעִתּוֹin its timeגַּםalsoאֶת־הָעֹלָםthe worldנָתַןgaveבְּלִבָּםin their heartמִבְּלִיwithoutאֲשֶׁרwhichלֹא־יִמְצָאnot shall findהָאָדָםthe manאֶת־הַמַּעֲשֶׂהthe workאֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂהwhich didהָאֱלֹהִיםthe Godמֵרֹאשׁfrom the beginningוְעַד־סוֹף׃and unto end

    He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.

12. 12

    יָדַעְתִּיI knowכִּיbecauseאֵיןthere is noטוֹבgoodבָּםin themכִּיbecauseאִם־לִשְׂמוֹחַif to rejoiceוְלַעֲשׂוֹתand doטוֹבgoodבְּחַיָּיו׃in his life

    I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.

13. 13

    וְגַםand alsoכׇּל־הָאָדָםall the manשֶׁיֹּאכַלthat he will eatוְשָׁתָהand drinkוְרָאָהand sawטוֹבgoodבְּכׇל־עֲמָלוֹin all his laborמַתַּתa gift fromאֱלֹהִיםGodהִיא׃it is

    And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.

14. 14

    יָדַעְתִּיI knowכִּיthatכׇּל־אֲשֶׁרall thatיַעֲשֶׂהshall doהָאֱלֹהִיםthe Godהוּאheיִהְיֶהshall beלְעוֹלָםforeverעָלָיוupon himאֵיןthere is noלְהוֹסִיףto addוּמִמֶּנּוּand from itאֵיןthere is noלִגְרֹעַto take awayוְהָאֱלֹהִיםand the Godעָשָׂהhe didשֶׁיִּרְאוּthat they will fearמִלְּפָנָיו׃from before him

    I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.

15. 15

    מַה־שֶּׁהָיָהwhat it has beenכְּבָרalready comeהוּאheוַאֲשֶׁרand whichלִהְיוֹתto beכְּבָרalready comeהָיָהwasוְהָאֱלֹהִיםand the Godיְבַקֵּשׁhe should look forאֶת־נִרְדָּף׃what was pursued

    That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.

16. 16

    וְעוֹדand againרָאִיתִיI sawתַּחַתunderהַשָּׁמֶשׁthe sunמְקוֹםthe placeהַמִּשְׁפָּטthe judgmentשָׁמָּהthereהָרֶשַׁעthe wickednessוּמְקוֹםand the place ofהַצֶּדֶקthe justiceשָׁמָּהthereהָרָשַׁע׃the wickedness

    And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there.

17. 17

    אָמַרְתִּיI saidאֲנִיIבְּלִבִּיin my heartאֶת־הַצַּדִּיקthe righteousוְאֶת־הָרָשָׁעand the wickedיִשְׁפֹּטjudgeהָאֱלֹהִיםthe Godכִּי־עֵתbecause timeלְכׇל־חֵפֶץto all desireוְעַלand uponכׇּל־הַמַּעֲשֶׂהall the workשָׁם׃there

    I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.

18. 18

    אָמַרְתִּיI saidאֲנִיIבְּלִבִּיin my heartעַל־דִּבְרַתafter the order ofבְּנֵיthe sons ofהָאָדָםthe manלְבָרָםto test themהָאֱלֹהִיםthe Godוְלִרְאוֹתand to seeשְׁהֶם־בְּהֵמָהthat they are beastsהֵמָּהtheyלָהֶם׃to them

    I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.

19. 19

    כִּיbecauseמִקְרֶהthe fate ofבְנֵי־הָאָדָםthe sons of manוּמִקְרֶהand the fate ofהַבְּהֵמָהthe livestockוּמִקְרֶהand the fate ofאֶחָדoneלָהֶםto themכְּמוֹתas the death ofזֶהthisכֵּןthusמוֹתthe death ofזֶהthisוְרוּחַand spirit ofאֶחָדoneלַכֹּלto allוּמוֹתַרand the advantage ofהָאָדָםthe manמִן־הַבְּהֵמָהfrom the livestockאָיִןnotכִּיbecauseהַכֹּלeverythingהָבֶל׃vanity

    For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity.

20. 20

    הַכֹּלeverythingהוֹלֵךְgoingאֶל־מָקוֹםunto place ofאֶחָדoneהַכֹּלeverythingהָיָהwasמִן־הֶעָפָרfrom the dustוְהַכֹּלand everythingשָׁבreturnedאֶל־הֶעָפָר׃to the dust

    All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.

21. 21

    מִיwhoיוֹדֵעַknowsרוּחַthe spirit ofבְּנֵיthe sons ofהָאָדָםthe manהָעֹלָהthat goes upהִיאit isלְמָעְלָהupwardוְרוּחַand spirit ofהַבְּהֵמָהthe livestockהַיֹּרֶדֶתthat goes downהִיאit isלְמַטָּהdownwardלָאָרֶץ׃to the ground

    Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?

22. 22

    וְרָאִיתִיand seenכִּיbecauseאֵיןthere is noטוֹבgoodמֵאֲשֶׁרthan thatיִשְׂמַחrejoicesהָאָדָםthe manבְּמַעֲשָׂיוin his worksכִּי־הוּאbecause it isחֶלְקוֹhis partכִּיbecauseמִיwhoיְבִיאֶנּוּhe will bring itלִרְאוֹתto seeבְּמֶהon whateverשֶׁיִּהְיֶהthat he shall beאַחֲרָיו׃after him

    Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion: for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?