Ecclesiastes 7

Hebrew29 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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ט֥וֹבis good שֵׁ֖םa name מִשֶּׁ֣מֶןmore than ointment ט֑וֹבgood וְי֣וֹםand the day of הַמָּ֔וֶתthe death מִיּ֖וֹםmore than the day of הִוָּלְדֽוֹ׃being born he

ט֞וֹבis good לָלֶ֣כֶתto go אֶל־to בֵּֽית־a house of אֵ֗בֶלmourning מִלֶּ֙כֶת֙more than to go אֶל־to בֵּ֣יתa house of מִשְׁתֶּ֔הa feast בַּאֲשֶׁ֕רin that ה֖וּאthis ס֣וֹףis the end of כָּל־every הָאָדָ֑םthe person וְהַחַ֖יand the living person יִתֵּ֥ןhe will give אֶל־to לִבּֽוֹ׃heart his

ט֥וֹבis good כַּ֖עַסvexation מִשְּׂחֹ֑קmore than laughter כִּֽי־for בְרֹ֥עַby sadness of פָּנִ֖יםface יִ֥יטַבit will be good לֵֽב׃a heart

לֵ֤בthe heart of חֲכָמִים֙wise people בְּבֵ֣יתis in a house of אֵ֔בֶלmourning וְלֵ֥בand the heart of כְּסִילִ֖יםfools בְּבֵ֥יתis in a house of שִׂמְחָֽה׃gladness

ט֕וֹבis good לִשְׁמֹ֖עַto listen to גַּעֲרַ֣תthe rebuke of חָכָ֑םa wise person מֵאִ֕ישׁmore than someone שֹׁמֵ֖עַwho listens to שִׁ֥ירthe song of כְּסִילִֽים׃fools

כִּ֣יfor כְק֤וֹלlike the sound of הַסִּירִים֙the thorns תַּ֣חַתunder הַסִּ֔ירthe pot כֵּ֖ןso שְׂחֹ֣קthe laughter of הַכְּסִ֑ילthe fool וְגַם־and also זֶ֖הthis הָֽבֶל׃is futility

כִּ֥יfor הָעֹ֖שֶׁקthe oppression יְהוֹלֵ֣לit will make look foolish חָכָ֑םa wise person וִֽיאַבֵּ֥דso it may destroy אֶת־obj.לֵ֖בa heart מַתָּנָֽה׃a bribe

ט֛וֹבis good אַחֲרִ֥יתthe end of דָּבָ֖רa matter מֵֽרֵאשִׁית֑וֹmore than beginning its ט֥וֹבis good אֶֽרֶךְ־a person patient of ר֖וּחַspirit מִגְּבַהּ־more than a person proud of רֽוּחַ׃spirit

אַל־may not תְּבַהֵ֥לyou be hasty בְּרֽוּחֲךָ֖in spirit your לִכְע֑וֹסto become angry כִּ֣יfor כַ֔עַסanger בְּחֵ֥יקin the bosom of כְּסִילִ֖יםfools יָנֽוּחַ׃it settles

אַל־may not תֹּאמַר֙you say מֶ֣הwhy?הָיָ֔הwas it שֶׁ֤הַיָּמִים֙that the days הָרִ֣אשֹׁנִ֔יםthe former הָי֥וּthey were טוֹבִ֖יםgood מֵאֵ֑לֶּהmore than these כִּ֛יfor לֹ֥אnot מֵחָכְמָ֖הfrom wisdom שָׁאַ֥לְתָּyou have asked עַל־on זֶֽה׃this

טוֹבָ֥הis good חָכְמָ֖הwisdom עִֽם־with נַחֲלָ֑הan inheritance וְיֹתֵ֖רand is an advantage לְרֹאֵ֥יto those who see הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃of the sun

כִּ֛יfor בְּצֵ֥לis in a shade הַֽחָכְמָ֖הthe wisdom בְּצֵ֣לis in a shade הַכָּ֑סֶףthe money וְיִתְר֣וֹןand the advantage of דַּ֔עַתknowledge הַֽחָכְמָ֖הthe wisdom תְּחַיֶּ֥הit preserves alive בְעָלֶֽיהָ׃owners its

רְאֵ֖הconsider אֶת־obj.מַעֲשֵׂ֣הthe work of הָאֱלֹהִ֑יםthe God כִּ֣יfor מִ֤יwho?יוּכַל֙is he able לְתַקֵּ֔ןto straighten אֵ֖תobj.אֲשֶׁ֥רthat which עִוְּתֽוֹ׃he has bent it

אֶת־obj.הַכֹּ֥לthe everything רָאִ֖יתִיI have seen בִּימֵ֣יin the days of הֶבְלִ֑יfutility my יֵ֤שׁthere צַדִּיק֙is a righteous person אֹבֵ֣דwho perishes בְּצִדְק֔וֹin righteousness his וְיֵ֣שׁand there רָשָׁ֔עis a wicked person מַאֲרִ֖יךְwho prolongs בְּרָעָתֽוֹ׃in evil his

אַל־may not תְּהִ֤יyou be צַדִּיק֙righteous הַרְבֵּ֔הgreatly וְאַל־and may not תִּתְחַכַּ֖םyou make yourself wise יוֹתֵ֑רexcess לָ֖מָּהto why?תִּשּׁוֹמֵֽם׃will you destroy yourself

אַל־may not תִּרְשַׁ֥עyou be wicked הַרְבֵּ֖הgreatly וְאַל־and may not תְּהִ֣יyou be סָכָ֑לa fool לָ֥מָּהto why?תָמ֖וּתwill you die בְּלֹ֥אat not עִתֶּֽךָ׃time your

ט֚וֹבis good אֲשֶׁ֣רthat תֶּאֱחֹ֣זyou will take hold בָּזֶ֔הon this וְגַם־and also מִזֶּ֖הfrom this אַל־may not תַּנַּ֣חyou give rest to אֶת־obj.יָדֶ֑ךָhand your כִּֽי־for יְרֵ֥אone fearing אֱלֹהִ֖יםof God יֵצֵ֥אhe will go out אֶת־obj.כֻּלָּֽם׃all of them

הַֽחָכְמָ֖הthe wisdom תָּעֹ֣זit gives strength לֶחָכָ֑םto the wise person מֵֽעֲשָׂרָה֙more than ten שַׁלִּיטִ֔יםrulers אֲשֶׁ֥רwho הָי֖וּthey are בָּעִֽיר׃in the city

כִּ֣יfor אָדָ֔םa person אֵ֥יןthere not צַדִּ֖יקis righteous person בָּאָ֑רֶץon the earth אֲשֶׁ֥רwho יַעֲשֶׂה־he does טּ֖וֹבgood וְלֹ֥אand not יֶחֱטָֽא׃he sins

גַּ֤םalso לְכָל־to all הַדְּבָרִים֙the words אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich יְדַבֵּ֔רוּpeople speak אַל־may not תִּתֵּ֖ןyou give לִבֶּ֑ךָheart your אֲשֶׁ֥רthat לֹֽא־not תִשְׁמַ֥עyou will hear אֶֽת־obj.עַבְדְּךָ֖servant your מְקַלְלֶֽךָ׃cursing you

כִּ֛יfor גַּם־also פְּעָמִ֥יםtimes רַבּ֖וֹתmany יָדַ֣עit knows לִבֶּ֑ךָheart your אֲשֶׁ֥רthat גַּם־also אַתָּ֖הyou קִלַּ֥לְתָּyou have cursed אֲחֵרִֽים׃others

כָּל־all זֹ֖הthis נִסִּ֣יתִיI have put to the test בַֽחָכְמָ֑הby the wisdom אָמַ֣רְתִּיI said אֶחְכָּ֔מָהlet me be wise וְהִ֖יאand it רְחוֹקָ֥הwas far מִמֶּֽנִּי׃from me

רָח֖וֹקis far away מַה־whatever שֶּׁהָיָ֑הthat which it has been וְעָמֹ֥ק׀and deep עָמֹ֖קdeep מִ֥יwho?יִמְצָאֶֽנּוּ׃will he find out it

סַבּ֨וֹתִֽיI turned אֲנִ֤יI וְלִבִּי֙and heart my לָדַ֣עַתto know וְלָת֔וּרand to examine וּבַקֵּ֥שׁand to seek חָכְמָ֖הwisdom וְחֶשְׁבּ֑וֹןand an explanation וְלָדַ֙עַת֙and to know רֶ֣שַׁעwickedness כֶּ֔סֶלstupidity וְהַסִּכְל֖וּתand the folly הוֹלֵלֽוֹת׃madness

רְאֵה֙consider זֶ֣הthis מָצָ֔אתִיI have found אָמְרָ֖הshe said קֹהֶ֑לֶתTeacher אַחַ֥תone לְאַחַ֖תto one לִמְצֹ֥אto find חֶשְׁבּֽוֹן׃an explanation

אֲשֶׁ֛רwhich עוֹד־again בִּקְשָׁ֥הit has sought נַפְשִׁ֖יself my וְלֹ֣אand not מָצָ֑אתִיI have found אָדָ֞םa man אֶחָ֤דone מֵאֶ֙לֶף֙of a thousand מָצָ֔אתִיI have found וְאִשָּׁ֥הand a woman בְכָל־among all אֵ֖לֶּהthese לֹ֥אnot מָצָֽאתִי׃I have found

לְבַד֙to only רְאֵה־consider זֶ֣הthis מָצָ֔אתִיI have found אֲשֶׁ֨רthat עָשָׂ֧הhe made הָאֱלֹהִ֛יםthe God אֶת־obj.הָאָדָ֖םthe humankind יָשָׁ֑רupright וְהֵ֥מָּהand they בִקְשׁ֖וּthey have sought חִשְּׁבֹנ֥וֹתschemes רַבִּֽים׃many

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