Ecclesiastes 8 קֹהֶלֶת פרק ח׳

Masoretic Text, word by word with English glosses, the English verse beneath each. Open Ecclesiastes 8 in the interlinear reader for transliteration, roots and notes.

1. 1

   מִיwhoכְּהֶחָכָםis like the wise personוּמִיand whosoיוֹדֵעַknowsפֵּשֶׁרmeaning ofדָּבָרa thingחׇכְמַתthe wisdom ofאָדָםmanתָּאִירmakes shineפָּנָיוhis faceוְעֹזand powerפָּנָיוhis faceיְשֻׁנֶּא׃it is changed

   Who is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? a man's wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed.

2. 2

   אֲנִיIפִּי־מֶלֶךְmouth of king ofשְׁמֹרwatchוְעַלand uponדִּבְרַתmatter ofשְׁבוּעַתthe oath ofאֱלֹהִים׃God

   I counsel thee to keep the king's commandment, and that in regard of the oath of God.

3. 3

   אַל־תִּבָּהֵלdo not be hastyמִפָּנָיוfrom before himתֵּלֵךְshould goאַל־תַּעֲמֹדdo not shall standבְּדָבָרin thingרָעevilכִּיforכׇּל־אֲשֶׁרall thatיַחְפֹּץdelightsיַעֲשֶׂה׃he shall do

   Be not hasty to go out of his sight: stand not in an evil thing; for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him.

4. 4

   בַּאֲשֶׁרwhereדְּבַר־מֶלֶךְword of king ofשִׁלְטוֹןgovernmentוּמִיand whosoיֹאמַר־לוֹmay say to himמַה־תַּעֲשֶׂה׃what you make

   Where the word of a king is, there is power: and who may say unto him, What doest thou?

5. 5

   שׁוֹמֵרthe keeper ofמִצְוָהcommandmentלֹאnotיֵדַעshall knowדָּבָרa wordרָעevilוְעֵתand timeוּמִשְׁפָּטand judgmentיֵדַעshall knowלֵבheartחָכָם׃wise

   Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man's heart discerneth both time and judgment.

6. 6

   כִּיforלְכׇל־חֵפֶץto all desireיֵשׁthereעֵתtimeוּמִשְׁפָּטand judgmentכִּי־רָעַתbecause the evil ofהָאָדָםthe manרַבָּהmuchעָלָיו׃upon him

   Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great upon him.

7. 7

   כִּי־אֵינֶנּוּbecause it is notיֹדֵעַknowingמַה־שֶּׁיִּהְיֶהwhat that will it beכִּיbecauseכַּאֲשֶׁרasיִהְיֶהshall beמִיwhoיַגִּידshall declareלוֹ׃to him

   For he knoweth not that which shall be: for who can tell him when it shall be?

8. 8

   אֵיןthere is noאָדָםmanשַׁלִּיטrulerבָּרוּחַover the spiritלִכְלוֹאto restrainאֶת־הָרוּחַthe spiritוְאֵיןand there is noשִׁלְטוֹןgovernmentבְּיוֹםin the day ofהַמָּוֶתthe deathוְאֵיןand there is noמִשְׁלַחַתa band ofבַּמִּלְחָמָהin the battleוְלֹא־יְמַלֵּטand not he deliversרֶשַׁעwickednessאֶת־בְּעָלָיו׃its owner

   There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it.

9. 9

   אֶת־כׇּל־זֶהall thisרָאִיתִיI sawוְנָתוֹןand givenאֶת־לִבִּיmy heartלְכׇל־מַעֲשֶׂהto all a workאֲשֶׁרwhichנַעֲשָׂהwas doneתַּחַתunderהַשָּׁמֶשׁthe sunעֵתtimeאֲשֶׁרwhichשָׁלַטdomineersהָאָדָםthe manבְּאָדָםover manלְרַעfor evilלוֹ׃to him

   All this have I seen, and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun: there is a time wherein one man ruleth over another to his own hurt.

10. 10

    וּבְכֵןand in suchרָאִיתִיI sawרְשָׁעִיםwicked menקְבֻרִיםbeing buriedוָבָאוּand they cameוּמִמְּקוֹםand from a place ofקָדוֹשׁholyיְהַלֵּכוּthey will walkוְיִשְׁתַּכְּחוּand they may be forgottenבָעִירin the cityאֲשֶׁרwhichכֵּן־עָשׂוּthus they didגַּם־זֶהalso thisהָבֶל׃vanity

    And so I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of the holy, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done: this is also vanity.

11. 11

    אֲשֶׁרwhichאֵין־נַעֲשָׂהthere is no was doneפִתְגָםthe sentence ofמַעֲשֵׂהwork ofהָרָעָהthe evilמְהֵרָהsoonעַל־כֵּןthereforeמָלֵאfull ofלֵבheartבְּנֵי־הָאָדָםthe sons of menבָּהֶםin themלַעֲשׂוֹתto doרָע׃evil

    Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.

12. 12

    אֲשֶׁרwhichחֹטֶאa sinnerעֹשֶׂהdoרָעevilמְאַתone hundredוּמַאֲרִיךְand he is prolongingלוֹto himכִּיthatגַּם־יוֹדֵעַalso knowsאָנִיIאֲשֶׁרwhichיִהְיֶה־טּוֹבhe shall be is goodלְיִרְאֵיto those who fearהָאֱלֹהִיםthe Godאֲשֶׁרwhichיִירְאוּneed fearמִלְּפָנָיו׃from before him

    Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him:

13. 13

    וְטוֹבand betterלֹא־יִהְיֶהthere shall not beלָרָשָׁעunto the wickedוְלֹא־יַאֲרִיךְand not he prolongsיָמִיםdaysכַּצֵּלas a shadowאֲשֶׁרwhichאֵינֶנּוּit is notיָרֵאhe fearedמִלִּפְנֵיfrom the presence ofאֱלֹהִים׃God

    But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.

14. 14

    יֶשׁ־הֶבֶלthere is a vanityאֲשֶׁרwhichנַעֲשָׂהwas doneעַל־הָאָרֶץupon the landאֲשֶׁרwhichיֵשׁthereצַדִּיקִיםjustאֲשֶׁרwhichמַגִּיעַwas reachingאֲלֵהֶםunto themכְּמַעֲשֵׂהas the work ofהָרְשָׁעִיםthe wickedוְיֵשׁand there wasרְשָׁעִיםwicked menשֶׁמַּגִּיעַto whom it is happeningאֲלֵהֶםunto themכְּמַעֲשֵׂהas the work ofהַצַּדִּיקִיםthe righteousאָמַרְתִּיI saidשֶׁגַּם־זֶהthat also thisהָבֶל׃vanity

    There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there be just men, unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there be wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also is vanity.

15. 15

    וְשִׁבַּחְתִּיand I commendאֲנִיIאֶת־הַשִּׂמְחָהthe joyאֲשֶׁרwhichאֵין־טוֹבthere is no goodלָאָדָםfor manתַּחַתunderהַשֶּׁמֶשׁthe sunכִּיbecauseאִם־לֶאֱכֹלif to eatוְלִשְׁתּוֹתand to drinkוְלִשְׂמוֹחַand to be happyוְהוּאand heיִלְוֶנּוּit will accompany himבַעֲמָלוֹin his toilיְמֵיthe days ofחַיָּיוlifeאֲשֶׁר־נָתַן־לוֹwhich gave himהָאֱלֹהִיםthe Godתַּחַתunderהַשָּׁמֶשׁ׃the sun

    Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun.

16. 16

    כַּאֲשֶׁרasנָתַתִּיI gaveאֶת־לִבִּיmy heartלָדַעַתto knowחׇכְמָהwisdomוְלִרְאוֹתand to seeאֶת־הָעִנְיָןthe matterאֲשֶׁרwhichנַעֲשָׂהwas doneעַל־הָאָרֶץupon the landכִּיthatגַםalsoבַּיּוֹםin the dayוּבַלַּיְלָהand in the nightשֵׁנָהsleepבְּעֵינָיוin his eyesאֵינֶנּוּit is notרֹאֶה׃sees

    When I applied mine heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth: (for also there is that neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes:)

17. 17

    וְרָאִיתִיand seenאֶת־כׇּל־מַעֲשֵׂהall work ofהָאֱלֹהִיםthe Godכִּיbecauseלֹאnotיוּכַלcanהָאָדָםthe manלִמְצוֹאto find outאֶת־הַמַּעֲשֶׂהthe workאֲשֶׁרwhichנַעֲשָׂהwas doneתַחַת־הַשֶּׁמֶשׁunder the sunבְּשֶׁלin thatאֲשֶׁרwhichיַעֲמֹלtoilsהָאָדָםthe manלְבַקֵּשׁto seekוְלֹאand notיִמְצָאshall findוְגַםand alsoאִם־יֹאמַרif shall sayהֶחָכָםthe wise manלָדַעַתto knowלֹאnotיוּכַלcanלִמְצֹא׃to find

    Then I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because though a man labour to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea further; though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it.