Ecclesiastes 6 קֹהֶלֶת פרק ו׳

Masoretic Text, word by word with transliteration and English glosses, the English verse beneath each. Open Ecclesiastes 6 in the interlinear reader for roots and notes, or listen to it read aloud in Hebrew.

1. 1

   יֵשׁyeshthere isרָעָהra/Aan evilאֲשֶׁרa/SHERwhichרָאִיתִיra/I/tiI have seenתַּחַתTA/chatunderהַשָּׁמֶשׁhash/SHA/meshthe sunוְרַבָּהve/rab/BAand greatהִיאhiit isעַל־הָאָדָם׃al-ha/a/DAMupon men

   There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men:

2. 2

   אִישׁisha manאֲשֶׁרa/SHERto whomיִתֶּן־לוֹyit/TEN-logivesהָאֱלֹהִיםha/e/lo/HIMGodעֹשֶׁרO/sherrichesוּנְכָסִיםu/ne/kha/SIMand wealthוְכָבוֹדve/kha/VODand honorוְאֵינֶנּוּve/e/NEN/nuso that he is notחָסֵרcha/SERlackingלְנַפְשׁוֹle/naf/SHOfor his soulמִכֹּלmik/KOLof allאֲשֶׁר־יִתְאַוֶּהa/SHER-yit/av/VEthat he desiresוְלֹא־יַשְׁלִיטֶנּוּve/LO-yash/li/TEN/nuyet does not give him powerהָאֱלֹהִיםha/e/lo/HIMGodלֶאֱכֹלle/e/KHOLto eatמִמֶּנּוּmim/MEN/nuof itכִּיkibutאִישׁisha manנׇכְרִיnokh/RIforeignיֹאכְלֶנּוּyo/khe/LEN/nueats itזֶהzethis isהֶבֶלHE/velvanityוׇחֳלִיvo/cho/LIand an afflictionרָעraevilהוּא׃huit is

   A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honour, so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it: this is vanity, and it is an evil disease.

3. 3

   אִם־יוֹלִידim-yo/LIDif begetאִישׁisha manמֵאָהme/Aa hundredוְשָׁנִיםve/sha/NIMand yearsרַבּוֹתrab/BOTmanyיִחְיֶהyich/YEliveוְרַבve/RAVso that manyשֶׁיִּהְיוּshey/yih/YUbeיְמֵי־שָׁנָיוye/ME-sha/NAYVthe days of his yearsוְנַפְשׁוֹve/naf/SHOand his soulלֹא־תִשְׂבַּעlo-tis/BAbe not filledמִן־הַטּוֹבָהmin-hat/to/VAwith goodוְגַם־קְבוּרָהve/GAM-ke/vu/RAand also burialלֹא־הָיְתָהlo-ha/ye/TAthere be notלּוֹloto himאָמַרְתִּיa/MAR/tiI saidטוֹבtovbetterמִמֶּנּוּmim/MEN/nuthan heהַנָּפֶל׃han/NA/felis an untimely birth

   If a man beget an hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, and his soul be not filled with good, and also that he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he.

4. 4

   כִּי־בַהֶבֶלki-va/HE/velfor in vanityבָּאbahe comesוּבַחֹשֶׁךְu/va/CHO/shekhand in darknessיֵלֵךְye/LEKHdepartsוּבַחֹשֶׁךְu/va/CHO/shekhand in darknessשְׁמוֹshe/MOhis nameיְכֻסֶּה׃ye/khus/SEshall be covered

   For he cometh in with vanity, and departeth in darkness, and his name shall be covered with darkness.

5. 5

   גַּם־שֶׁמֶשׁgam-SHE/meshmoreover the sunלֹא־רָאָהlo-ra/Ahe has not seenוְלֹאve/LOnorיָדָעya/DAknownנַחַתNA/chatrestלָזֶהla/ZEto thisמִזֶּה׃miz/ZEthan the other

   Moreover he hath not seen the sun, nor known any thing: this hath more rest than the other.

6. 6

   וְאִלּוּve/il/LUyea thoughחָיָהcha/YAhe liveאֶלֶףE/lefa thousandשָׁנִיםsha/NIMyearsפַּעֲמַיִםpa/a/MA/yimtwiceוְטוֹבָהve/to/VAyet goodלֹאlonotרָאָהra/Ahas he seenהֲלֹאha/LOdo notאֶל־מָקוֹםel-ma/KOMto placeאֶחָדe/CHADoneהַכֹּלhak/KOLallהוֹלֵךְ׃ho/LEKHgo

   Yea, though he live a thousand years twice told, yet hath he seen no good: do not all go to one place?

7. 7

   כׇּל־עֲמַלkol-a/MALall the labor ofהָאָדָםha/a/DAMmanלְפִיהוּle/FI/huis for his mouthוְגַם־הַנֶּפֶשׁve/GAM-han/NE/feshand yet the appetiteלֹאlonotתִמָּלֵא׃tim/ma/LEis filled

   All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.

8. 8

   כִּיkiforמַה־יּוֹתֵרma-yo/TERwhat advantage hasלֶחָכָםle/cha/KHAMthe wiseמִן־הַכְּסִילmin-hak/ke/SILmore than the foolמַה־לֶּעָנִיma-le/a/NIwhat has the poorיוֹדֵעַyo/DE/athat knowsלַהֲלֹךְla/ha/LOKHto walkנֶגֶדNE/gedbeforeהַחַיִּים׃ha/chay/YIMthe living

   For what hath the wise more than the fool? what hath the poor, that knoweth to walk before the living?

9. 9

   טוֹבtovbetter isמַרְאֵהmar/Ethe sight ofעֵינַיִםe/NA/yimthe eyesמֵהֲלׇךְ־נָפֶשׁme/ha/LOKH-NA/feshthan the wandering of the desireגַּם־זֶהgam-zealso thisהֶבֶלHE/velvanityוּרְעוּתu/re/UTand vexation ofרוּחַ׃RU/achspirit

   Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this is also vanity and vexation of spirit.

10. 10

    מַה־שֶּׁהָיָהma-she/ha/YAthat which has beenכְּבָרke/VARalreadyנִקְרָאnik/RAis namedשְׁמוֹshe/MOits nameוְנוֹדָעve/no/DAand it is knownאֲשֶׁר־הוּאa/SHER-huthat it isאָדָםa/DAMmanוְלֹא־יוּכַלve/LO-yu/KHALneither may heלָדִיןla/DINcontendעִםimwith[שֶׁתַּקִּיף]shet/tak/KIFhim that is mightierמִמֶּנּוּ׃mim/MEN/nuthan he

    That which hath been is named already, and it is known that it is man: neither may he contend with him that is mightier than he.

11. 11

    כִּיkiseeingיֵשׁ־דְּבָרִיםyesh-de/va/RIMthere are thingsהַרְבֵּהhar/BEmanyמַרְבִּיםmar/BIMthat increaseהָבֶלHA/velvanityמַה־יֹּתֵרma-yo/TERwhat is the betterלָאָדָם׃la/a/DAMman

    Seeing there be many things that increase vanity, what is man the better?

12. 12

    כִּיkiforמִי־יוֹדֵעַmi-yo/DE/awho knowsמַה־טּוֹבma-tovwhat is goodלָאָדָםla/a/DAMa manבַּחַיִּיםba/chay/YIMin this lifeמִסְפַּרmis/PARthe number ofיְמֵי־חַיֵּיye/ME-chay/YEthe days of the life ofהֶבְלוֹhev/LOhis vanityוְיַעֲשֵׂםve/ya/a/SEMwhich he spendsכַּצֵּלkats/TSELas a shadowאֲשֶׁרa/SHERforמִי־יַגִּידmi-yag/GIDwho can tellלָאָדָםla/a/DAMa manמַה־יִּהְיֶהma-yih/YEwhat shall beאַחֲרָיוa/cha/RAYVafter himתַּחַתTA/chatunderהַשָּׁמֶשׁ׃hash/SHA/meshthe sun

    For who knoweth what is good for man in this life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?