◄ Ecclesiastes 9 ►
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1So I took all this to heart and concluded that the righteous and the wise, as well as their deeds, are in God’s hands. Man does not know what lies ahead, whether love or hate. 1כִּ֣י אֶת־ כָּל־ זֶ֞ה נָתַ֤תִּי אֶל־ לִבִּי֙ וְלָב֣וּר אֶת־ כָּל־ זֶ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר הַצַּדִּיקִ֧ים וְהַחֲכָמִ֛ים וַעֲבָדֵיהֶ֖ם בְּיַ֣ד הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים גַּֽם־ אַהֲבָ֣ה גַם־ שִׂנְאָ֗ה אֵ֤ין יוֹדֵ֙עַ֙ הָֽאָדָ֔ם הַכֹּ֖ל לִפְנֵיהֶֽם׃
2It is the same for all: There is a common fate for the righteous and the wicked, for the good [and the bad], for the clean and the unclean, for the one who sacrifices and the one who does not. As it is for the good, so it is for the sinner; as it is for the one who makes a vow, so [it is] for the one who refuses to take a vow. 2הַכֹּ֞ל כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר לַכֹּ֗ל מִקְרֶ֨ה אֶחָ֜ד לַצַּדִּ֤יק וְלָרָשָׁע֙ לַטּוֹב֙ וְלַטָּה֣וֹר וְלַטָּמֵ֔א וְלַזֹּבֵ֔חַ וְלַאֲשֶׁ֖ר אֵינֶ֣נּוּ זֹבֵ֑חַ כַּטּוֹב֙ כַּֽחֹטֶ֔א הַנִּשְׁבָּ֕ע כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר שְׁבוּעָ֥ה יָרֵֽא׃
3This is an evil in everything that is done under the sun: There is one fate for everyone. Furthermore, the hearts of men are full of evil and madness while they are alive, and afterward they [join] the dead. 3זֶ֣ה ׀ רָ֗ע בְּכֹ֤ל אֲשֶֽׁר־ נַעֲשָׂה֙ תַּ֣חַת הַשֶּׁ֔מֶשׁ כִּֽי־ מִקְרֶ֥ה אֶחָ֖ד לַכֹּ֑ל וְגַ֣ם לֵ֣ב בְּֽנֵי־ הָ֠אָדָם מָלֵא־ רָ֨ע וְהוֹלֵל֤וֹת בִּלְבָבָם֙ בְּחַיֵּיהֶ֔ם וְאַחֲרָ֖יו אֶל־ הַמֵּתִֽים׃
4There is hope, however, for anyone who is among the living; for even a live dog is better than a dead lion. 4כִּי־ מִי֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר [יבחר] (יְחֻבַּ֔ר) אֶ֥ל כָּל־ הַחַיִּ֖ים יֵ֣שׁ בִּטָּח֑וֹן כִּֽי־ לְכֶ֤לֶב חַי֙ ה֣וּא ט֔וֹב מִן־ הָאַרְיֵ֖ה הַמֵּֽת׃
5For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing. They have no further reward, because the memory of them is forgotten. 5כִּ֧י הַֽחַיִּ֛ים יוֹדְעִ֖ים שֶׁיָּמֻ֑תוּ וְהַמֵּתִ֞ים אֵינָ֧ם יוֹדְעִ֣ים מְא֗וּמָה וְאֵֽין־ ע֤וֹד לָהֶם֙ שָׂכָ֔ר כִּ֥י נִשְׁכַּ֖ח זִכְרָֽם׃
6Their love, their hate, and their envy have already vanished, and they will never again have a portion in all that is done under the sun. 6גַּ֣ם אַהֲבָתָ֧ם גַּם־ שִׂנְאָתָ֛ם גַּם־ קִנְאָתָ֖ם כְּבָ֣ר אָבָ֑דָה וְחֵ֨לֶק אֵין־ לָהֶ֥ם עוֹד֙ לְעוֹלָ֔ם בְּכֹ֥ל אֲשֶֽׁר־ נַעֲשָׂ֖ה תַּ֥חַת הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃
7Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a cheerful heart, for God has already approved your works: 7לֵ֣ךְ אֱכֹ֤ל בְּשִׂמְחָה֙ לַחְמֶ֔ךָ וּֽשֲׁתֵ֥ה בְלֶב־ ט֖וֹב יֵינֶ֑ךָ כִּ֣י כְבָ֔ר רָצָ֥ה הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶֽת־ מַעֲשֶֽׂיךָ׃
8“Let your clothes always be white, and never spare the oil for your head.” 8בְּכָל־ עֵ֕ת יִהְי֥וּ בְגָדֶ֖יךָ לְבָנִ֑ים וְשֶׁ֖מֶן עַל־ רֹאשְׁךָ֥ אַל־ יֶחְסָֽר׃
9Enjoy life with your beloved wife all the days of the fleeting life which has been given to you under the sun— all your fleeting days. For this is your portion in life and in your labor under the sun. 9רְאֵ֨ה חַיִּ֜ים עִם־ אִשָּׁ֣ה אֲשֶׁר־ אָהַ֗בְתָּ כָּל־ יְמֵי֙ חַיֵּ֣י הֶבְלֶ֔ךָ אֲשֶׁ֤ר נָֽתַן־ לְךָ֙ תַּ֣חַת הַשֶּׁ֔מֶשׁ כֹּ֖ל יְמֵ֣י הֶבְלֶ֑ךָ כִּ֣י ה֤וּא חֶלְקְךָ֙ בַּֽחַיִּ֔ים וּבַעֲמָ֣לְךָ֔ אֲשֶׁר־ אַתָּ֥ה עָמֵ֖ל תַּ֥חַת הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃
10Whatever you find to do with your hands, do [it] with all your might, for in Sheol, where you are going, there is no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom. 10כֹּ֠ל אֲשֶׁ֨ר תִּמְצָ֧א יָֽדְךָ֛ לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת בְּכֹחֲךָ֖ עֲשֵׂ֑ה כִּי֩ אֵ֨ין מַעֲשֶׂ֤ה וְחֶשְׁבּוֹן֙ וְדַ֣עַת וְחָכְמָ֔ה בִּשְׁא֕וֹל אֲשֶׁ֥ר אַתָּ֖ה הֹלֵ֥ךְ שָֽׁמָּה׃ ס
11I saw something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong; neither [is] the bread to the wise, nor the wealth to the intelligent, nor the favor to the skillful; rather, time and chance happen to all. 11שַׁ֜בְתִּי וְרָאֹ֣ה תַֽחַת־ הַשֶּׁ֗מֶשׁ כִּ֣י לֹא֩ לַקַּלִּ֨ים הַמֵּר֜וֹץ וְלֹ֧א לַגִּבּוֹרִ֣ים הַמִּלְחָמָ֗ה וְ֠גַם לֹ֣א לַחֲכָמִ֥ים לֶ֙חֶם֙ וְגַ֨ם לֹ֤א לַנְּבֹנִים֙ עֹ֔שֶׁר וְגַ֛ם לֹ֥א לַיֹּדְעִ֖ים חֵ֑ן כִּי־ עֵ֥ת וָפֶ֖גַע יִקְרֶ֥ה אֶת־ כֻּלָּֽם׃
12For surely no man knows his time: Like fish caught in a cruel net or birds trapped in a snare, so men are ensnared in an evil time that suddenly falls upon them. 12כִּ֡י גַּם֩ לֹֽא־ יֵדַ֨ע הָאָדָ֜ם אֶת־ עִתּ֗וֹ כַּדָּגִים֙ שֶׁנֶּֽאֱחָזִים֙ בִּמְצוֹדָ֣ה רָעָ֔ה וְכַ֨צִּפֳּרִ֔ים הָאֲחֻז֖וֹת בַּפָּ֑ח כָּהֵ֗ם יֽוּקָשִׁים֙ בְּנֵ֣י הָֽאָדָ֔ם לְעֵ֣ת רָעָ֔ה כְּשֶׁתִּפּ֥וֹל עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם פִּתְאֹֽם׃
13I have also seen this wisdom under the sun, and it [was] great to me: 13גַּם־ זֹ֛ה רָאִ֥יתִי חָכְמָ֖ה תַּ֣חַת הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ וּגְדוֹלָ֥ה הִ֖יא אֵלָֽי׃
14There was a small city with few men. A mighty king came against it, surrounded it, and built large siege ramps against it. 14עִ֣יר קְטַנָּ֔ה וַאֲנָשִׁ֥ים בָּ֖הּ מְעָ֑ט וּבָֽא־ אֵלֶ֜יהָ מֶ֤לֶךְ גָּדוֹל֙ וְסָבַ֣ב אֹתָ֔הּ וּבָנָ֥ה עָלֶ֖יהָ מְצוֹדִ֥ים גְּדֹלִֽים׃
15Now a poor wise man was found in [the city], and he saved the city by his wisdom. Yet no one remembered that poor man. 15וּמָ֣צָא בָ֗הּ אִ֤ישׁ מִסְכֵּן֙ חָכָ֔ם וּמִלַּט־ ה֥וּא אֶת־ הָעִ֖יר בְּחָכְמָת֑וֹ וְאָדָם֙ לֹ֣א זָכַ֔ר אֶת־ הָאִ֥ישׁ הַמִּסְכֵּ֖ן הַהּֽוּא׃‪‬‪‬
16And I said, “Wisdom is better than strength, but the wisdom of the poor man is despised, and his words are not heeded.” 16וְאָמַ֣רְתִּי אָ֔נִי טוֹבָ֥ה חָכְמָ֖ה מִגְּבוּרָ֑ה וְחָכְמַ֤ת הַמִּסְכֵּן֙ בְּזוּיָ֔ה וּדְבָרָ֖יו אֵינָ֥ם נִשְׁמָעִֽים׃
17The calm words of the wise are heeded over the shouts of a ruler among fools. 17דִּבְרֵ֣י חֲכָמִ֔ים בְּנַ֖חַת נִשְׁמָעִ֑ים מִזַּעֲקַ֥ת מוֹשֵׁ֖ל בַּכְּסִילִֽים׃
18Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good. 18טוֹבָ֥ה חָכְמָ֖ה מִכְּלֵ֣י קְרָ֑ב וְחוֹטֶ֣א אֶחָ֔ד יְאַבֵּ֥ד טוֹבָ֥ה הַרְבֵּֽה׃
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Ecclesiastes 8
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