Ecclesiastes 8 קֹהֶלֶת פרק ח׳

Masoretic Text, word by word with transliteration and English glosses, the English verse beneath each. Open Ecclesiastes 8 in the interlinear reader for roots and notes, or listen to it read aloud in Hebrew.

1. 1

   מִיmiwhoכְּהֶחָכָםke/he/cha/KHAMis as the wise manוּמִיu/MIand whoיוֹדֵעַyo/DE/aknowsפֵּשֶׁרPE/sherthe interpretation ofדָּבָרda/VARa thingחׇכְמַתchokh/MATthe wisdom ofאָדָםa/DAMa manתָּאִירta/IRmakes to shineפָּנָיוpa/NAYVhis faceוְעֹזve/OZand the hardness ofפָּנָיוpa/NAYVhis faceיְשֻׁנֶּא׃ye/shun/NEshall be 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

   אֲנִיa/NIIפִּי־מֶלֶךְpi-ME/lekhthe king's commandmentשְׁמֹרshe/MORkeepוְעַלve/ALand because ofדִּבְרַתdiv/RATthe matter ofשְׁבוּעַתshe/vu/ATthe oath ofאֱלֹהִים׃e/lo/HIMGod

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

3. 3

   אַל־תִּבָּהֵלal-tib/ba/HELbe not hastyמִפָּנָיוmip/pa/NAYVout of his presenceתֵּלֵךְte/LEKHto goאַל־תַּעֲמֹדal-ta/a/MODstand notבְּדָבָרbe/da/VARin a matterרָעraevilכִּיkiforכׇּל־אֲשֶׁרkol-a/SHERall thatיַחְפֹּץyach/POTSpleases himיַעֲשֶׂה׃ya/a/SEhe does

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

4. 4

   בַּאֲשֶׁרba/a/SHERwhereדְּבַר־מֶלֶךְde/VAR-ME/lekhthe word of a king isשִׁלְטוֹןshil/TONpowerוּמִיu/MIand whoיֹאמַר־לוֹyo/MAR-lomay say to himמַה־תַּעֲשֶׂה׃ma-ta/a/SEwhat are you doing

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

5. 5

   שׁוֹמֵרsho/MERwhoso keepsמִצְוָהmits/VAthe commandmentלֹאlonotיֵדַעye/DAshall knowדָּבָרda/VARthingרָעraevilוְעֵתve/ETboth timeוּמִשְׁפָּטu/mish/PATand judgmentיֵדַעye/DAshall knowלֵבlevthe heart ofחָכָם׃cha/KHAMthe wise

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

6. 6

   כִּיkibecauseלְכׇל־חֵפֶץle/KHOL-CHE/fetsto every purposeיֵשׁyeshthere isעֵתeta timeוּמִשְׁפָּטu/mish/PATand judgmentכִּי־רָעַתki-ra/ATtherefore the misery ofהָאָדָםha/a/DAMmanרַבָּהrab/BAis greatעָלָיו׃a/LAYVupon him

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

7. 7

   כִּי־אֵינֶנּוּki-e/NEN/nufor he is notיֹדֵעַyo/DE/aknowingמַה־שֶּׁיִּהְיֶהma-shey/yih/YEthat which shall beכִּיkiforכַּאֲשֶׁרka/a/SHERhowיִהְיֶהyih/YEit shall beמִיmiwhoיַגִּידyag/GIDcan tellלוֹ׃lohim

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

8. 8

   אֵיןenthere is noאָדָםa/DAMmanשַׁלִּיטshal/LITthat has powerבָּרוּחַba/RU/achover the spiritלִכְלוֹאlikh/LOto retainאֶת־הָרוּחַet-ha/RU/achthe spiritוְאֵיןve/ENand there is noשִׁלְטוֹןshil/TONpowerבְּיוֹםbe/YOMin the day ofהַמָּוֶתham/MA/vetdeathוְאֵיןve/ENand there is noמִשְׁלַחַתmish/LA/chatdischargeבַּמִּלְחָמָהbam/mil/cha/MAin warוְלֹא־יְמַלֵּטve/LO-ye/mal/LETneither shall deliverרֶשַׁעRE/shawickednessאֶת־בְּעָלָיו׃et-be/a/LAYVthose that are given to it

   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־זֶהet-kol-zeall thisרָאִיתִיra/I/tihave I seenוְנָתוֹןve/na/TONand appliedאֶת־לִבִּיet-lib/BImy heartלְכׇל־מַעֲשֶׂהle/KHOL-ma/a/SEto every workאֲשֶׁרa/SHERthatנַעֲשָׂהna/a/SAis doneתַּחַתTA/chatunderהַשָּׁמֶשׁhash/SHA/meshthe sunעֵתetthere is a timeאֲשֶׁרa/SHERwhereinשָׁלַטsha/LATrulesהָאָדָםha/a/DAMone manבְּאָדָםbe/a/DAMover anotherלְרַעle/RAto hurtלוֹ׃lohis own

   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

    וּבְכֵןu/ve/KHENand soרָאִיתִיra/I/tiI sawרְשָׁעִיםre/sha/IMthe wickedקְבֻרִיםke/vu/RIMburiedוָבָאוּva/VA/uwho had comeוּמִמְּקוֹםu/mim/me/KOMand from the place ofקָדוֹשׁka/DOSHthe holyיְהַלֵּכוּye/hal/LE/khuhad goneוְיִשְׁתַּכְּחוּve/yish/tak/ke/CHUand they were forgottenבָעִירva/IRin the cityאֲשֶׁרa/SHERwhereכֵּן־עָשׂוּken-a/SUthey had so doneגַּם־זֶהgam-zethis also isהָבֶל׃HA/velvanity

    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

    אֲשֶׁרa/SHERbecauseאֵין־נַעֲשָׂהen-na/a/SAis not executedפִתְגָםfit/GAMsentenceמַעֲשֵׂהma/a/SEagainst a work ofהָרָעָהha/ra/Aevilמְהֵרָהme/he/RAspeedilyעַל־כֵּןal-kenthereforeמָלֵאma/LEis fully setלֵבlevthe heart ofבְּנֵי־הָאָדָםbe/NE-ha/a/DAMthe sons of menבָּהֶםba/HEMin themלַעֲשׂוֹתla/a/SOTto doרָע׃raevil

    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

    אֲשֶׁרa/SHERthoughחֹטֶאcho/TEa sinnerעֹשֶׂהo/SEdoesרָעraevilמְאַתme/ATa hundred timesוּמַאֲרִיךְu/ma/a/RIKHand prolongsלוֹlofor himselfכִּיkiyetגַּם־יוֹדֵעַgam-yo/DE/asurely knowאָנִיA/niIאֲשֶׁרa/SHERthatיִהְיֶה־טּוֹבyih/YE-tovit shall be wellלְיִרְאֵיle/yir/Ewith them that fearהָאֱלֹהִיםha/e/lo/HIMGodאֲשֶׁרa/SHERwhoיִירְאוּyi/re/Ufearמִלְּפָנָיו׃mil/le/fa/NAYVbefore 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

    וְטוֹבve/TOVbut wellלֹא־יִהְיֶהlo-yih/YEit shall not beלָרָשָׁעla/ra/SHAwith the wickedוְלֹא־יַאֲרִיךְve/LO-ya/a/RIKHneither shall he prolongיָמִיםya/MIMdaysכַּצֵּלkats/TSELas a shadowאֲשֶׁרa/SHERbecauseאֵינֶנּוּe/NEN/nuhe is notיָרֵאya/REfearingמִלִּפְנֵיmil/lif/NEbeforeאֱלֹהִים׃e/lo/HIMGod

    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־הֶבֶלyesh-HE/velthere is a vanityאֲשֶׁרa/SHERwhichנַעֲשָׂהna/a/SAis doneעַל־הָאָרֶץal-ha/A/retsupon the earthאֲשֶׁרa/SHERthatיֵשׁyeshthere areצַדִּיקִיםtsad/di/KIMjust menאֲשֶׁרa/SHERwhomמַגִּיעַmag/GI/ait happensאֲלֵהֶםa/le/HEMto themכְּמַעֲשֵׂהke/ma/a/SEaccording to the work ofהָרְשָׁעִיםha/re/sha/IMthe wickedוְיֵשׁve/YESHand there areרְשָׁעִיםre/sha/IMwicked menשֶׁמַּגִּיעַshem/mag/GI/athat it happensאֲלֵהֶםa/le/HEMto themכְּמַעֲשֵׂהke/ma/a/SEaccording to the work ofהַצַּדִּיקִיםhats/tsad/di/KIMthe righteousאָמַרְתִּיa/MAR/tiI saidשֶׁגַּם־זֶהsheg/GAM-zethat this also isהָבֶל׃HA/velvanity

    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

    וְשִׁבַּחְתִּיve/shib/BACH/tithen I commendedאֲנִיa/NIIאֶת־הַשִּׂמְחָהet-has/sim/CHAmirthאֲשֶׁרa/SHERbecauseאֵין־טוֹבen-tovthere is nothing betterלָאָדָםla/a/DAMfor a manתַּחַתTA/chatunderהַשֶּׁמֶשׁhash/SHE/meshthe sunכִּיkithanאִם־לֶאֱכֹלim-le/e/KHOLto eatוְלִשְׁתּוֹתve/lish/TOTand to drinkוְלִשְׂמוֹחַve/lis/MO/achand to be merryוְהוּאve/HUand thatיִלְוֶנּוּyil/VEN/nushall abide with himבַעֲמָלוֹva/a/ma/LOin his laborיְמֵיye/MEthe days ofחַיָּיוchay/YAYVhis lifeאֲשֶׁר־נָתַן־לוֹa/SHER-na/TAN-lowhich gives himהָאֱלֹהִיםha/e/lo/HIMGodתַּחַתTA/chatunderהַשָּׁמֶשׁ׃hash/SHA/meshthe 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

    כַּאֲשֶׁרka/a/SHERwhenנָתַתִּיna/TAT/tiI appliedאֶת־לִבִּיet-lib/BImy heartלָדַעַתla/DA/atto knowחׇכְמָהchokh/MAwisdomוְלִרְאוֹתve/lir/OTand to seeאֶת־הָעִנְיָןet-ha/in/YANthe businessאֲשֶׁרa/SHERthatנַעֲשָׂהna/a/SAis doneעַל־הָאָרֶץal-ha/A/retsupon the earthכִּיkiforגַםgamalsoבַּיּוֹםbay/YOMby dayוּבַלַּיְלָהu/val/LAY/laand by nightשֵׁנָהshe/NAsleepבְּעֵינָיוbe/e/NAYVin his eyesאֵינֶנּוּe/NEN/nuhe is notרֹאֶה׃ro/Eseeing

    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

    וְרָאִיתִיve/ra/I/tithen I beheldאֶת־כׇּל־מַעֲשֵׂהet-kol-ma/a/SEall the work ofהָאֱלֹהִיםha/e/lo/HIMGodכִּיkithatלֹאlonotיוּכַלyu/KHALcanהָאָדָםha/a/DAMmanלִמְצוֹאlim/TSOfind outאֶת־הַמַּעֲשֶׂהet-ham/ma/a/SEthe workאֲשֶׁרa/SHERthatנַעֲשָׂהna/a/SAis doneתַחַת־הַשֶּׁמֶשׁTA/chat-hash/SHE/meshunder the sunבְּשֶׁלbe/SHELbecauseאֲשֶׁרa/SHERthatיַעֲמֹלya/a/MOLlaborsהָאָדָםha/a/DAMmanלְבַקֵּשׁle/vak/KESHto seekוְלֹאve/LOyet notיִמְצָאyim/TSAshall he findוְגַםve/GAMyea furtherאִם־יֹאמַרim-yo/MARthough sayהֶחָכָםhe/cha/KHAMa wise manלָדַעַתla/DA/atto knowלֹאlonotיוּכַלyu/KHALcanלִמְצֹא׃lim/TSOto 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.