Ecclesiastes 12

Hebrew14 verses

How to read this: this is a word-for-word rendering straight from the original Hebrew, not a copyrighted translation — the top of each chip is the original word, the bottom is its plain-English sense. Faded chips mark words the Hebrew implies but wouldn't literally be spoken in English. Click any word for its full Strong's dictionary entry.

← Ecclesiastes 11Ecclesiastes 12All chapters →

וּזְכֹר֙and remember אֶת־obj.בּ֣וֹרְאֶ֔יךָcreators your בִּימֵ֖יin the days of בְּחוּרֹתֶ֑יךָyouths your עַ֣דuntil אֲשֶׁ֤רthat לֹא־not יָבֹ֙אוּ֙they will come יְמֵ֣יthe days of הָֽרָעָ֔הthe evil וְהִגִּ֣יעוּand they will arrive שָׁנִ֔יםyears אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich תֹּאמַ֔רyou will say אֵֽין־notלִ֥יbelongs to the meבָהֶ֖םin the themחֵֽפֶץ׃pleasure

עַ֠דuntil אֲשֶׁ֨רthat לֹֽא־not תֶחְשַׁ֤ךְit will become dark הַשֶּׁ֙מֶשׁ֙the sun וְהָא֔וֹרand the light וְהַיָּרֵ֖חַand the moon וְהַכּוֹכָבִ֑יםand the stars וְשָׁ֥בוּand they will return הֶעָבִ֖יםthe clouds אַחַ֥רafter הַגָּֽשֶׁם׃the rain

בַּיּ֗וֹםin the day שֶׁיָּזֻ֙עוּ֙when they will tremble שֹׁמְרֵ֣יthe keepers of הַבַּ֔יִתthe house וְהִֽתְעַוְּת֖וּand they will bend themselves אַנְשֵׁ֣יthe people of הֶחָ֑יִלthe strength וּבָטְל֤וּand they will cease הַטֹּֽחֲנוֹת֙the female grinders כִּ֣יfor מִעֵ֔טוּthey have become few וְחָשְׁכ֥וּand they will grow dim הָרֹא֖וֹתthe women who look בָּאֲרֻבּֽוֹת׃in the windows

וְסֻגְּר֤וּand they will be shut up דְלָתַ֙יִם֙the doors בַּשּׁ֔וּקon the street בִּשְׁפַ֖לwhen becomes low ק֣וֹלthe sound of הַֽטַּחֲנָ֑הthe grinding mill וְיָקוּם֙for someone may arise לְק֣וֹלto the sound of הַצִּפּ֔וֹרthe bird וְיִשַּׁ֖חוּand they may be reduced כָּל־all בְּנ֥וֹתthe daughters of הַשִּֽׁיר׃the song

עַ֣דuntil אֲשֶׁ֤רthat לֹֽא־not יֵרָתֵק֙it will be snapped חֶ֣בֶלthe cord of הַכֶּ֔סֶףthe silver וְתָרֻ֖ץso it may be crushed גֻּלַּ֣תthe bowl of הַזָּהָ֑בthe gold וְתִשָּׁ֤בֶרso it may be broken כַּד֙the jar עַל־at הַמַּבּ֔וּעַthe water spring וְנָרֹ֥ץand it will be crushed הַגַּלְגַּ֖לthe water wheel אֶל־to הַבּֽוֹר׃the well

וְיָשֹׁ֧בand it will return הֶעָפָ֛רthe dust עַל־to הָאָ֖רֶץthe earth כְּשֶׁהָיָ֑הlike which it was וְהָר֣וּחַand the spirit תָּשׁ֔וּבit will return אֶל־to הָאֱלֹהִ֖יםthe God אֲשֶׁ֥רwho נְתָנָֽהּ׃he gave it

הֲבֵ֧לfutility of הֲבָלִ֛יםfutilities אָמַ֥רhe said הַקּוֹהֶ֖לֶתthe Teacher הַכֹּ֥לthe everything הָֽבֶל׃is futility

וְיֹתֵ֕רand besides שֶׁהָיָ֥הthat he was קֹהֶ֖לֶתTeacher חָכָ֑םwise ע֗וֹדagain לִמַּד־he taught דַּ֙עַת֙knowledge אֶת־obj.הָעָ֔םthe people וְאִזֵּ֣ןand he weighed וְחִקֵּ֔רand he searched out תִּקֵּ֖ןhe arranged in order מְשָׁלִ֥יםproverbs הַרְבֵּֽה׃surely a multitude

בִּקֵּ֣שׁhe sought קֹהֶ֔לֶתTeacher לִמְצֹ֖אto find דִּבְרֵי־words of חֵ֑פֶץdelight וְכָת֥וּבand what was written יֹ֖שֶׁרuprightness דִּבְרֵ֥יwas words of אֱמֶֽת׃truth

דִּבְרֵ֤יthe words of חֲכָמִים֙wise people כַּדָּ֣רְבֹנ֔וֹתare like the goads וּֽכְמַשְׂמְר֥וֹתand are like nails נְטוּעִ֖יםfirmly fixed בַּעֲלֵ֣יmasters of אֲסֻפּ֑וֹתcollections נִתְּנ֖וּthey are given מֵרֹעֶ֥הfrom a shepherd אֶחָֽד׃one

וְיֹתֵ֥רand excessמֵהֵ֖מָּהmore than themבְּנִ֣יO child my הִזָּהֵ֑רbe warned עֲשׂ֨וֹתto make סְפָרִ֤יםbooks הַרְבֵּה֙many אֵ֣יןthere not קֵ֔ץis an end וְלַ֥הַגand study הַרְבֵּ֖הmuch יְגִעַ֥תis weariness of בָּשָֽׂר׃flesh

ס֥וֹףthe end of דָּבָ֖רthe matter הַכֹּ֣לthe everything נִשְׁמָ֑עit has been heard אֶת־obj.הָאֱלֹהִ֤יםthe God יְרָא֙fear וְאֶת־and obj.מִצְוֹתָ֣יוcommandments his שְׁמ֔וֹרkeep כִּי־for זֶ֖הthis כָּל־is all הָאָדָֽם׃the humankind

כִּ֤יfor אֶת־obj.כָּל־every מַֽעֲשֶׂ֔הdeed הָאֱלֹהִ֛יםthe God יָבִ֥אhe will bring בְמִשְׁפָּ֖טin judgment עַ֣לwith כָּל־every נֶעְלָ֑םhidden thing אִם־whether ט֖וֹבgood וְאִם־and or רָֽע׃evil

Frequently asked questions

Is this a Bible translation?

No — it's a word-for-word rendering of the original Hebrew text, tagged with Strong's numbers, so you can see exactly which original word underlies each part of the verse. For a devotional reading, see our Bible verses by topic section, which uses the King James Version.

What do the faded (italic) words mean?

They're words the Hebrew implies grammatically but that wouldn't be spoken as a separate word in natural English — shown here so nothing from the original text is hidden.

How do I look up what a word means?

Click any word — it links straight to that word's entry in our Strong's Concordance, with the full definition and how it's used elsewhere in the Bible.

← Ecclesiastes 11 All chapters

Need a different tool?

Explore the whole Calcs family here.

Think we tagged a word wrong?

Let us know.