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Ecclesiastes 3

Hebrew22 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.
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1
לַכֹּ֖לfor the everythingזְמָ֑ןan appointed timeוְעֵ֥תand an timeלְכָל־for everyחֵ֖פֶץmatterתַּ֥חַתunderהַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃ סthe heavens
2
עֵ֥תa timeלָלֶ֖דֶתto bear a childוְעֵ֣תand a timeלָמ֑וּתto dieעֵ֣תa timeלָטַ֔עַתto plantוְעֵ֖תand a timeלַעֲק֥וֹרto pluck upנָטֽוּעַ׃what is planted
3
עֵ֤תa timeלַהֲרוֹג֙to killוְעֵ֣תand a timeלִרְפּ֔וֹאto healעֵ֥תa timeלִפְר֖וֹץto break downוְעֵ֥תand a timeלִבְנֽוֹת׃to build
4
עֵ֤תa timeלִבְכּוֹת֙to weepוְעֵ֣תand a timeלִשְׂח֔וֹקto laughעֵ֥תa timeסְפ֖וֹדto mournוְעֵ֥תand a timeרְקֽוֹד׃to dance
5
עֵ֚תa timeלְהַשְׁלִ֣יךְto throw awayאֲבָנִ֔יםstonesוְעֵ֖תand a timeכְּנ֣וֹסto gatherאֲבָנִ֑יםstonesעֵ֣תa timeלַחֲב֔וֹקto embraceוְעֵ֖תand a timeלִרְחֹ֥קto be farמֵחַבֵּֽק׃from embracing
6
עֵ֤תa timeלְבַקֵּשׁ֙to seekוְעֵ֣תand a timeלְאַבֵּ֔דto count as lostעֵ֥תa timeלִשְׁמ֖וֹרto keepוְעֵ֥תand a timeלְהַשְׁלִֽיךְ׃to throw away
7
עֵ֤תa timeלִקְר֙וֹעַ֙to tearוְעֵ֣תand a timeלִתְפּ֔וֹרto sewעֵ֥תa timeלַחֲשׁ֖וֹתto be silentוְעֵ֥תand a timeלְדַבֵּֽר׃to speak
8
עֵ֤תa timeלֶֽאֱהֹב֙to loveוְעֵ֣תand a timeלִשְׂנֹ֔אto hateעֵ֥תa time ofמִלְחָמָ֖הwarfareוְעֵ֥תand a time ofשָׁלֽוֹם׃ סpeace
9
מַה־what?יִּתְרוֹן֙is the profit ofהָֽעוֹשֶׂ֔הthe workerבַּאֲשֶׁ֖רin that whichה֥וּאheעָמֵֽל׃is a laborer
10
רָאִ֣יתִיI have seenאֶת־obj.הָֽעִנְיָ֗ןthe taskאֲשֶׁ֨רwhichנָתַ֧ןhe has givenאֱלֹהִ֛יםGodלִבְנֵ֥יto the children ofהָאָדָ֖םthe humankindלַעֲנ֥וֹתto be busyבּֽוֹ׃with the it
11
אֶת־obj.הַכֹּ֥לthe everythingעָשָׂ֖הhe has madeיָפֶ֣הbeautifulבְעִתּ֑וֹin time itsגַּ֤םalsoאֶת־obj.הָעֹלָם֙the perpetuityנָתַ֣ןhe has putבְּלִבָּ֔םin heart theirמִבְּלִ֞יbecause notאֲשֶׁ֧רwhichלֹא־notיִמְצָ֣אhe will findהָאָדָ֗םthe humankindאֶת־obj.הַֽמַּעֲשֶׂ֛הthe workאֲשֶׁר־whichעָשָׂ֥הhe has doneהָאֱלֹהִ֖יםthe Godמֵרֹ֥אשׁfrom beginningוְעַד־and toסֽוֹף׃end
12
יָדַ֕עְתִּיI knowכִּ֛יthatאֵ֥יןthere notט֖וֹבis goodבָּ֑םfor themכִּ֣יthatאִם־exceptלִשְׂמ֔וֹחַto rejoiceוְלַעֲשׂ֥וֹתand to doט֖וֹבgoodבְּחַיָּֽיו׃in life his
13
וְגַ֤םand alsoכָּל־everyהָאָדָם֙the personשֶׁיֹּאכַ֣לthat he will eatוְשָׁתָ֔הand he will drinkוְרָאָ֥הand he will seeט֖וֹבgoodבְּכָל־in allעֲמָל֑וֹtoil hisמַתַּ֥תis a gift ofאֱלֹהִ֖יםGodהִֽיא׃it
14
יָדַ֗עְתִּיI knowכִּ֠יthatכָּל־allאֲשֶׁ֨רthatיַעֲשֶׂ֤הhe doesהָאֱלֹהִים֙the Godה֚וּאitיִהְיֶ֣הit will beלְעוֹלָ֔םfor everעָלָיו֙to itאֵ֣יןnotלְהוֹסִ֔יףto addוּמִמֶּ֖נּוּand from itאֵ֣יןnotלִגְרֹ֑עַto take awayוְהָאֱלֹהִ֣יםand the Godעָשָׂ֔הhe has actedשֶׁיִּֽרְא֖וּthat people will fearמִלְּפָנָֽיו׃from to before him
15
מַה־whateverשֶּֽׁהָיָה֙that it isכְּבָ֣רhas been alreadyה֔וּאitוַאֲשֶׁ֥רand that whichלִהְי֖וֹתis to beכְּבָ֣רalreadyהָיָ֑הit has beenוְהָאֱלֹהִ֖יםand the Godיְבַקֵּ֥שׁhe will seekאֶת־obj.נִרְדָּֽף׃what was pursued
16
וְע֥וֹדand againרָאִ֖יתִיI have seenתַּ֣חַתunderהַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁthe sunמְק֤וֹםthe place ofהַמִּשְׁפָּט֙the justiceשָׁ֣מָּהwas there towardsהָרֶ֔שַׁעthe wickednessוּמְק֥וֹםand the place ofהַצֶּ֖דֶקthe righteousnessשָׁ֥מָּהwas there towardsהָרָֽשַׁע׃the wickedness
17
אָמַ֤רְתִּֽיI saidאֲנִי֙Iבְּלִבִּ֔יin heart myאֶת־obj.הַצַּדִּיק֙the righteousוְאֶת־and obj.הָ֣רָשָׁ֔עthe wickedיִשְׁפֹּ֖טhe will judgeהָאֱלֹהִ֑יםthe Godכִּי־forעֵ֣תa timeלְכָל־is for everyחֵ֔פֶץmatterוְעַ֥לand onכָּל־everyהַֽמַּעֲשֶׂ֖הthe deedשָֽׁם׃there
18
אָמַ֤רְתִּֽיI saidאֲנִי֙Iבְּלִבִּ֔יin heart myעַל־onדִּבְרַת֙cause ofבְּנֵ֣יthe children ofהָאָדָ֔םthe humankindלְבָרָ֖םto test themהָאֱלֹהִ֑יםthe Godוְלִרְא֕וֹתand to seeשְׁהֶם־that theyבְּהֵמָ֥הare animalsהֵ֖מָּהtheyלָהֶֽם׃for the themselves
19
כִּי֩forמִקְרֶ֨הthe fate ofבְֽנֵי־the children ofהָאָדָ֜םthe humankindוּמִקְרֶ֣הand the fate ofהַבְּהֵמָ֗הthe animalsוּמִקְרֶ֤הand fateאֶחָד֙oneלָהֶ֔םbelongs to the themכְּמ֥וֹתlike the death ofזֶה֙thisכֵּ֣ןsoמ֣וֹתthe death ofזֶ֔הthisוְר֥וּחַand breathאֶחָ֖דoneלַכֹּ֑לbelongs to the allוּמוֹתַ֨רand the advantage ofהָאָדָ֤םthe humankindמִן־is more thanהַבְּהֵמָה֙the animalsאָ֔יִןnotכִּ֥יforהַכֹּ֖לthe everythingהָֽבֶל׃is futility
20
הַכֹּ֥לthe everythingהוֹלֵ֖ךְis goingאֶל־toמָק֣וֹםplaceאֶחָ֑דoneהַכֹּל֙the everythingהָיָ֣הit wasמִן־fromהֶֽעָפָ֔רthe dustוְהַכֹּ֖לand the everythingשָׁ֥בis returningאֶל־toהֶעָפָֽר׃the dust
21
מִ֣יwho?יוֹדֵ֗עַis knowingר֚וּחַthe spirit ofבְּנֵ֣יthe children ofהָאָדָ֔םthe humankindהָעֹלָ֥הthat is going upהִ֖יאitלְמָ֑עְלָהto upwards towardsוְר֙וּחַ֙and the spirit ofהַבְּהֵמָ֔הthe animalsהַיֹּרֶ֥דֶתthat is going downהִ֖יאitלְמַ֥טָּהto downwardsלָאָֽרֶץ׃to the earth
22
וְרָאִ֗יתִיand I sawכִּ֣יthatאֵ֥יןthere notטוֹב֙is goodמֵאֲשֶׁ֨רmore than thatיִשְׂמַ֤חhe will be happyהָאָדָם֙the humankindבְּֽמַעֲשָׂ֔יוin works hisכִּי־forה֖וּאthatחֶלְק֑וֹis portion hisכִּ֣יforמִ֤יwho?יְבִיאֶ֙נּוּ֙will he bring himלִרְא֔וֹתto lookבְּמֶ֖הon whateverשֶׁיִּהְיֶ֥הthat it will beאַחֲרָֽיו׃after him

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.

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