Ecclesiastes 9 קֹהֶלֶת פרק ט׳

Masoretic Text, word by word with English glosses, the English verse beneath each. Open Ecclesiastes 9 in the interlinear reader for transliteration, roots and notes.

1. 1

   כִּיforאֶת־כׇּל־זֶהall thisנָתַתִּיI gaveאֶל־לִבִּיto my heartוְלָבוּרand to make clearאֶת־כׇּל־זֶהall thisאֲשֶׁרwhichהַצַּדִּיקִיםthe righteousוְהַחֲכָמִיםbut the wiseוַעֲבָדֵיהֶםand their deedsבְּיַדin the hand ofהָאֱלֹהִיםthe Godגַּם־אַהֲבָהalso loveגַם־שִׂנְאָהalso maliceאֵיןthere is noיוֹדֵעַknowsהָאָדָםthe manהַכֹּלeverythingלִפְנֵיהֶם׃before them

   For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them.

2. 2

   הַכֹּלeverythingכַּאֲשֶׁרasלַכֹּלto allמִקְרֶהeventאֶחָדoneלַצַּדִּיקunto the righteousוְלָרָשָׁעand to the wickedלַטּוֹבto the goodוְלַטָּהוֹרand to the cleanוְלַטָּמֵאand to the uncleanוְלַזֹּבֵחַand to the one who sacrificesוְלַאֲשֶׁרand to him thatאֵינֶנּוּit is notזֹבֵחַam sacrificingכַּטּוֹבas the goodכַּחֹטֶאas the sinnerהַנִּשְׁבָּעthe one who swears an oathכַּאֲשֶׁרasשְׁבוּעָהoathיָרֵא׃he feared

   All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.

3. 3

   זֶהthisרָעevilבְּכֹלin allאֲשֶׁר־נַעֲשָׂהwhich was doneתַּחַתunderהַשֶּׁמֶשׁthe sunכִּי־מִקְרֶהbecause eventאֶחָדoneלַכֹּלto allוְגַםand alsoלֵבheartבְּנֵי־הָאָדָםthe sons of menמָלֵא־רָעfull of evilוְהוֹלֵלוֹתand madnessבִּלְבָבָםin their heartsבְּחַיֵּיהֶםin their livesוְאַחֲרָיוand after itאֶל־הַמֵּתִים׃unto the dead

   This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

4. 4

   כִּי־מִיbecause whoאֲשֶׁרwhich(יבחר)[יְחֻבַּר]he joinedאֶלtoכׇּל־הַחַיִּיםall the lifeיֵשׁthereבִּטָּחוֹןis hopeכִּי־לְכֶלֶבbecause to a dogחַיlivingהוּאheטוֹבgoodמִן־הָאַרְיֵהfrom the lionהַמֵּת׃the dead

   For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.

5. 5

   כִּיbecauseהַחַיִּיםthe lifeיוֹדְעִיםknowingשֶׁיָּמֻתוּthat they will dieוְהַמֵּתִיםand the deadאֵינָםthey are notיוֹדְעִיםknowingמְאוּמָהanythingוְאֵין־עוֹדand there is no any moreלָהֶםto themשָׂכָרrewardכִּיbecauseנִשְׁכַּחit is forgottenזִכְרָם׃their memory

   For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.

6. 6

   גַּםalsoאַהֲבָתָםtheir loveגַּם־שִׂנְאָתָםalso their hatredגַּם־קִנְאָתָםalso their envyכְּבָרalready comeאָבָדָהit perishesוְחֵלֶקand a part ofאֵין־לָהֶםthere is no to themעוֹדany moreלְעוֹלָםforeverבְּכֹלin allאֲשֶׁר־נַעֲשָׂהwhich was doneתַּחַתunderהַשָּׁמֶשׁ׃the sun

   Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.

7. 7

   לֵךְgoאֱכֹלeatבְּשִׂמְחָהwith joyלַחְמֶךָyour foodוּשְׁתֵהand drinkבְלֶב־טוֹבin the heart of goodיֵינֶךָyour wineכִּיforכְבָרalreadyרָצָהdesiredהָאֱלֹהִיםthe Godאֶת־מַעֲשֶׂיךָ׃your works

   Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.

8. 8

   בְּכׇל־עֵתin all timeיִהְיוּshall beבְגָדֶיךָyour clothesלְבָנִיםwhiteוְשֶׁמֶןand oilעַל־רֹאשְׁךָupon your headאַל־יֶחְסָר׃do not he lacks

   Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment.

9. 9

   רְאֵהbeholdחַיִּיםlivingעִם־אִשָּׁהwith a womanאֲשֶׁר־אָהַבְתָּwhich you loveכׇּל־יְמֵיall days ofחַיֵּיthe life ofהֶבְלֶךָyour futilityאֲשֶׁרwhichנָתַן־לְךָgave to youתַּחַתunderהַשֶּׁמֶשׁthe sunכֹּלallיְמֵיthe days ofהֶבְלֶךָyour futilityכִּיforהוּאheחֶלְקְךָyour shareבַּחַיִּיםin the lifeוּבַעֲמָלְךָand in your toilאֲשֶׁר־אַתָּהwhich youעָמֵלlaborתַּחַתunderהַשָּׁמֶשׁ׃the sun

   Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.

10. 10

    כֹּלallאֲשֶׁרwhichתִּמְצָאfindsיָדְךָyour handלַעֲשׂוֹתto doבְּכֹחֲךָin your powerעֲשֵׂהdoכִּיforאֵיןthere is noמַעֲשֶׂהa workוְחֶשְׁבּוֹןand account ofוְדַעַתand knowledgeוְחׇכְמָהand wisdomבִּשְׁאוֹלin Sheolאֲשֶׁרwhichאַתָּהyouהֹלֵךְgoingשָׁמָּה׃there

    Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

11. 11

    שַׁבְתִּיI returnedוְרָאֹהand I sawתַחַת־הַשֶּׁמֶשׁunder the sunכִּיthatלֹאnotלַקַּלִּיםto the swiftהַמֵּרוֹץthe raceוְלֹאand notלַגִּבּוֹרִיםto the mighty menהַמִּלְחָמָהthe battleוְגַםand alsoלֹאnotלַחֲכָמִיםto the wiseלֶחֶםbreadוְגַםand alsoלֹאnotלַנְּבֹנִיםto the understandingעֹשֶׁרrichesוְגַםand alsoלֹאnotלַיֹּדְעִיםto the knowledgeableחֵןfavorכִּי־עֵתbecause timeוָפֶגַעand chanceיִקְרֶהhappens toאֶת־כֻּלָּם׃all of them

    I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.

12. 12

    כִּיforגַּםalsoלֹא־יֵדַעnot shall knowהָאָדָםthe manאֶת־עִתּוֹhis timeכַּדָּגִיםlike the fishשֶׁנֶּאֱחָזִיםthat are caughtבִּמְצוֹדָהin a netרָעָהevilוְכַצִּפֳּרִיםand like the birdsהָאֲחֻזוֹתthat are caughtבַּפָּחin the snareכָּהֵםlike themיוּקָשִׁיםare ensnaredבְּנֵיthe sons ofהָאָדָםthe manלְעֵתto timeרָעָהevilכְּשֶׁתִּפּוֹלwhen that fallsעֲלֵיהֶםupon themפִּתְאֹם׃suddenly

    For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.

13. 13

    גַּם־זֹהalso thisרָאִיתִיI sawחׇכְמָהwisdomתַּחַתunderהַשָּׁמֶשׁthe sunוּגְדוֹלָהand greatהִיאit isאֵלָי׃unto me

    This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto me:

14. 14

    עִירthe city ofקְטַנָּהlittleוַאֲנָשִׁיםand menבָּהּin itמְעָטa littleוּבָא־אֵלֶיהָand come to herמֶלֶךְthe king ofגָּדוֹלgreatוְסָבַבand he went roundאֹתָהּitוּבָנָהand he will rebuildעָלֶיהָupon itמְצוֹדִיםbulwarksגְּדֹלִים׃great

    There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it:

15. 15

    וּמָצָאand he will findבָהּin itאִישׁa manמִסְכֵּןpoorחָכָםwiseוּמִלַּט־הוּאand he delivered it isאֶת־הָעִירthe cityבְּחׇכְמָתוֹin his wisdomוְאָדָםand manלֹאnotזָכַרrememberedאֶת־הָאִישׁthe manהַמִּסְכֵּןthe poorהַהוּא׃that

    Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.

16. 16

    וְאָמַרְתִּיand I will sayאָנִיIטוֹבָהgoodחׇכְמָהwisdomמִגְּבוּרָהmore than strengthוְחׇכְמַתand wisdom ofהַמִּסְכֵּןthe poorבְּזוּיָהis despisedוּדְבָרָיוand his wordsאֵינָםthey are notנִשְׁמָעִים׃are listened to

    Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.

17. 17

    דִּבְרֵיthe words ofחֲכָמִיםwiseבְּנַחַתin quietנִשְׁמָעִיםare listened toמִזַּעֲקַתfrom the cry ofמוֹשֵׁלrulerבַּכְּסִילִים׃in the fools

    The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools.

18. 18

    טוֹבָהgoodחׇכְמָהwisdomמִכְּלֵיthan weapons ofקְרָבbattleוְחוֹטֶאand a sinnerאֶחָדoneיְאַבֵּדhe will destroyטוֹבָהgoodהַרְבֵּה׃much

    Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.