Ecclesiastes 5 קֹהֶלֶת פרק ה׳

Masoretic Text, word by word with English glosses, the English verse beneath each. Open Ecclesiastes 5 in the interlinear reader for transliteration, roots and notes.

1. 1

   אַל־תְּבַהֵלdo not be hastyעַל־פִּיךָwith your mouthוְלִבְּךָand your heartאַל־יְמַהֵרdo not let him make speedלְהוֹצִיאto bring outדָבָרa wordלִפְנֵיbeforeהָאֱלֹהִיםthe Godכִּיforהָאֱלֹהִיםthe Godבַּשָּׁמַיִםin the heavensוְאַתָּהand youעַל־הָאָרֶץupon the landעַל־כֵּןthereforeיִהְיוּshall beדְבָרֶיךָyour wordsמְעַטִּים׃a few

   Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.

2. 2

   כִּיforבָּאcameהַחֲלוֹםthe dreamבְּרֹבmuchעִנְיָןa taskוְקוֹלand the voice ofכְּסִילa foolבְּרֹבmuchדְּבָרִים׃words

   For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words.

3. 3

   כַּאֲשֶׁרasתִּדֹּרyou will vowנֶדֶרa vowלֵאלֹהִיםGodאַל־תְּאַחֵרdo not delayלְשַׁלְּמוֹto pay itכִּיforאֵיןthere is noחֵפֶץdesireבַּכְּסִילִיםin the foolsאֵת־אֲשֶׁר־תִּדֹּרthat which you will vowשַׁלֵּם׃pay

   When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.

4. 4

   טוֹבgoodאֲשֶׁרwhichלֹא־תִדֹּרyou should not vowמִשֶּׁתִּדּוֹרmore than what you will vowוְלֹאand notתְשַׁלֵּם׃you will pay

   Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.

5. 5

   אַל־תִּתֵּןdo not giveאֶת־פִּיךָyour mouthלַחֲטִיאto cause to sinאֶת־בְּשָׂרֶךָyour fleshוְאַל־תֹּאמַרand do not sayלִפְנֵיbeforeהַמַּלְאָךְthe angelכִּיthatשְׁגָגָהerrorהִיאit isלָמָּהwhyיִקְצֹףwill be angryהָאֱלֹהִיםthe Godעַל־קוֹלֶךָupon your voiceוְחִבֵּלand he will destroyאֶת־מַעֲשֵׂהwork ofיָדֶיךָ׃your hands

   Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?

6. 6

   כִּיbecauseבְרֹבin abundance ofחֲלֹמוֹתdreamsוַהֲבָלִיםand futilitiesוּדְבָרִיםand wordsהַרְבֵּהmuchכִּיbecauseאֶת־הָאֱלֹהִיםGodיְרָא׃fear

   For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God.

7. 7

   אִם־עֹשֶׁקif oppressionרָשׁof the poorוְגֵזֶלand robbery ofמִשְׁפָּטjudgmentוָצֶדֶקand righteousnessתִּרְאֶהyou shall seeבַמְּדִינָהin the provinceאַל־תִּתְמַהּdo not marvelעַל־הַחֵפֶץupon the desireכִּיforגָבֹהַּa high oneמֵעַלfrom uponגָּבֹהַּheightשֹׁמֵרwho keepsוּגְבֹהִיםand high onesעֲלֵיהֶם׃upon them

   If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there be higher than they.

8. 8

   וְיִתְרוֹןand the profit ofאֶרֶץthe land ofבַּכֹּלfor all(היא)[הוּא]heמֶלֶךְthe king ofלְשָׂדֶהto a fieldנֶעֱבָד׃he has been served

   Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field.

9. 9

   אֹהֵבlovesכֶּסֶףmoneyלֹא־יִשְׂבַּעnot he will be satisfiedכֶּסֶףmoneyוּמִי־אֹהֵבand whoso lovesבֶּהָמוֹןwealthלֹאnotתְבוּאָהproduceגַּם־זֶהalso thisהָבֶל׃vanity

   He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.

10. 10

    בִּרְבוֹתwhen increaseהַטּוֹבָהthe goodרַבּוּthey multipliedאוֹכְלֶיהָthose who consume itוּמַה־כִּשְׁרוֹןyea and what the skill ofלִבְעָלֶיהָto its ownerכִּיbecauseאִם־[רְאוּת]if you have seen(ראית)עֵינָיו׃his eyes

    When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their eyes?

11. 11

    מְתוּקָהis sweetשְׁנַתthe sleep ofהָעֹבֵדthe laborerאִם־מְעַטwhether littleוְאִם־הַרְבֵּהand if muchיֹאכֵלshall he eatוְהַשָּׂבָעand the plentyלֶעָשִׁירunto the richאֵינֶנּוּit is notמַנִּיחַsufferingלוֹto himלִישׁוֹן׃to sleep

    The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.

12. 12

    יֵשׁthereרָעָהevilחוֹלָהsevereרָאִיתִיI sawתַּחַתunderהַשָּׁמֶשׁthe sunעֹשֶׁרrichesשָׁמוּרit was keptלִבְעָלָיוto its ownerלְרָעָתוֹ׃to his harm

    There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt.

13. 13

    וְאָבַדand lostהָעֹשֶׁרthe richesהַהוּאthatבְּעִנְיַןin a business ofרָעevilוְהוֹלִידand-he-begetsבֵּןa sonוְאֵיןand there is noבְּיָדוֹin his handמְאוּמָה׃anything

    But those riches perish by evil travail: and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand.

14. 14

    כַּאֲשֶׁרasיָצָאhe went forthמִבֶּטֶןfrom the wombאִמּוֹhis motherעָרוֹםnakedיָשׁוּבhe shall returnלָלֶכֶתto goכְּשֶׁבָּאwhen he cameוּמְאוּמָהand was anythingלֹא־יִשָּׂאshall not lift upבַעֲמָלוֹin his toilשֶׁיֹּלֵךְthat he may takeבְּיָדוֹ׃in his hand

    As he came forth of his mother's womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.

15. 15

    וְגַם־זֹהand also thisרָעָהevilחוֹלָהsevereכׇּל־עֻמַּתall exactly asשֶׁבָּאthat which cameכֵּןthusיֵלֵךְhe must goוּמַה־יִּתְרוֹןyea and what profitלוֹto himשֶׁיַּעֲמֹלthat he toilsלָרוּחַ׃for the wind

    And this also is a sore evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind?

16. 16

    גַּםalsoכׇּל־יָמָיוall his daysבַּחֹשֶׁךְin the darknessיֹאכֵלshall he eatוְכָעַסand he is vexedהַרְבֵּהmuchוְחׇלְיוֹand his sicknessוָקָצֶף׃and anger

    All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he hath much sorrow and wrath with his sickness.

17. 17

    הִנֵּהbeholdאֲשֶׁר־רָאִיתִיwhich I sawאָנִיIטוֹבgoodאֲשֶׁר־יָפֶהwhich fairלֶאֱכוֹל־וְלִשְׁתּוֹתto eat and to drinkוְלִרְאוֹתand to seeטוֹבָהgoodבְּכׇל־עֲמָלוֹin all his laborשֶׁיַּעֲמֹלthat he toilsתַּחַת־הַשֶּׁמֶשׁunder the sunמִסְפַּרthe number ofיְמֵי־חַיָּוdays of his lifeאֲשֶׁר־נָתַן־לוֹwhich gave himהָאֱלֹהִיםthe Godכִּי־הוּאbecause it isחֶלְקוֹ׃his part

    Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion.

18. 18

    גַּםalsoכׇּל־הָאָדָםall the manאֲשֶׁרwhichנָתַן־לוֹgave to himהָאֱלֹהִיםthe Godעֹשֶׁרrichesוּנְכָסִיםand richesוְהִשְׁלִיטוֹand he has given power himלֶאֱכֹלto eatמִמֶּנּוּfrom himוְלָשֵׂאתand to bearאֶת־חֶלְקוֹhis partוְלִשְׂמֹחַand to rejoiceבַּעֲמָלוֹin his toilזֹהthisמַתַּתa gift fromאֱלֹהִיםGodהִיא׃it is

    Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God.

19. 19

    כִּיbecauseלֹאnotהַרְבֵּהmuchיִזְכֹּרshall rememberאֶת־יְמֵיthe days ofחַיָּיוlifeכִּיbecauseהָאֱלֹהִיםthe Godמַעֲנֶהanswers himבְּשִׂמְחַתin a state of happinessלִבּוֹ׃his heart

    For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth him in the joy of his heart.