Ecclesiastes 8
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.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
אֵ֣יןthere notאָדָ֞םis anyoneשַׁלִּ֤יטhaving masteryבָּר֙וּחַ֙over the windלִכְל֣וֹאto restrainאֶת־obj.הָר֔וּחַthe windוְאֵ֤יןand there notשִׁלְטוֹן֙is masteryבְּי֣וֹםover the day ofהַמָּ֔וֶתthe deathוְאֵ֥יןand there notמִשְׁלַ֖חַתis dischargeבַּמִּלְחָמָ֑הin the battleוְלֹֽא־and notיְמַלֵּ֥טit will rescueרֶ֖שַׁעwickednessאֶת־obj.בְּעָלָֽיו׃owners its
9
10
וּבְכֵ֡ןand in suchרָאִיתִי֩I have seenרְשָׁעִ֨יםwicked peopleקְבֻרִ֜יםbeing buriedוָבָ֗אוּand they cameוּמִמְּק֤וֹםand from a place ofקָדוֹשׁ֙holyיְהַלֵּ֔כוּthey wentוְיִֽשְׁתַּכְּח֥וּand they may be forgottenבָעִ֖ירin the cityאֲשֶׁ֣רwhereכֵּן־rightעָשׂ֑וּthey had doneגַּם־alsoזֶ֖הthisהָֽבֶל׃is futility
11
12
אֲשֶׁ֣רthatחֹטֶ֗אa sinnerעֹשֶׂ֥הis doingרָ֛עevilמְאַ֖תa hundred timesוּמַאֲרִ֣יךְand he is prolongingל֑וֹfor the himselfכִּ֚יforגַּם־alsoיוֹדֵ֣עַam knowingאָ֔נִיIאֲשֶׁ֤רthatיִהְיֶה־it will belongטּוֹב֙goodלְיִרְאֵ֣יto those fearingהָאֱלֹהִ֔יםof the Godאֲשֶׁ֥רthatיִֽירְא֖וּthey fearמִלְּפָנָֽיו׃from to before him
13
14
יֶשׁ־thereהֶבֶל֮is futilityאֲשֶׁ֣רwhichנַעֲשָׂ֣הit is doneעַל־onהָאָרֶץ֒the earthאֲשֶׁ֣ר׀thatיֵ֣שׁthereצַדִּיקִ֗יםare righteous peopleאֲשֶׁ֨רwhomמַגִּ֤יעַit is happeningאֲלֵהֶם֙to themכְּמַעֲשֵׂ֣הaccording to the deeds ofהָרְשָׁעִ֔יםthe wicked peopleוְיֵ֣שׁand thereרְשָׁעִ֔יםare wicked peopleשֶׁמַּגִּ֥יעַto whom it is happeningאֲלֵהֶ֖םto themכְּמַעֲשֵׂ֣הaccording to the deeds ofהַצַּדִּיקִ֑יםthe righteous peopleאָמַ֕רְתִּיI saidשֶׁגַּם־that alsoזֶ֖הthisהָֽבֶל׃is futility
15
וְשִׁבַּ֤חְתִּֽיand I commendאֲנִי֙Iאֶת־obj.הַשִּׂמְחָ֔הthe gladnessאֲשֶׁ֨רthatאֵֽין־notט֤וֹבgoodלָֽאָדָם֙belongs to the humankindתַּ֣חַתunderהַשֶּׁ֔מֶשׁthe sunכִּ֛יthatאִם־exceptלֶאֱכ֥וֹלto eatוְלִשְׁתּ֖וֹתand to drinkוְלִשְׂמ֑וֹחַand to be happyוְה֞וּאand thatיִלְוֶ֣נּוּit will accompany himבַעֲמָל֗וֹin toil hisיְמֵ֥יthe days ofחַיָּ֛יוlife hisאֲשֶׁר־whichנָֽתַן־he has givenל֥וֹto the himהָאֱלֹהִ֖יםthe Godתַּ֥חַתunderהַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃the sun
16
כַּאֲשֶׁ֨רjust whenנָתַ֤תִּיI gaveאֶת־obj.לִבִּי֙heart myלָדַ֣עַתto knowחָכְמָ֔הwisdomוְלִרְאוֹת֙and to seeאֶת־obj.הָ֣עִנְיָ֔ןthe taskאֲשֶׁ֥רwhichנַעֲשָׂ֖הit is doneעַל־onהָאָ֑רֶץthe earthכִּ֣יforגַ֤םalsoבַּיּוֹם֙in the dayוּבַלַּ֔יְלָהand in the nightשֵׁנָ֕הsleepבְּעֵינָ֖יוin view hisאֵינֶ֥נּוּnot heרֹאֶֽה׃is seeing
17
וְרָאִיתִי֮and I sawאֶת־obj.כָּל־allמַעֲשֵׂ֣הthe work ofהָאֱלֹהִים֒the Godכִּי֩thatלֹ֨אnotיוּכַ֜לhe is ableהָאָדָ֗םthe humankindלִמְצוֹא֙to find outאֶת־obj.הַֽמַּעֲשֶׂה֙the workאֲשֶׁ֣רwhichנַעֲשָׂ֣הit is doneתַֽחַת־underהַשֶּׁ֔מֶשׁthe sunבְּ֠שֶׁלin that toאֲשֶׁ֨רthatיַעֲמֹ֧לhe toilsהָאָדָ֛םthe humankindלְבַקֵּ֖שׁto seekוְלֹ֣אand notיִמְצָ֑אhe will find outוְגַ֨םand alsoאִם־ifיֹאמַ֤רhe will sayהֶֽחָכָם֙the wise personלָדַ֔עַתto knowלֹ֥אnotיוּכַ֖לhe will be ableלִמְצֹֽא׃to find out
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.
Need a different tool?
Explore the whole Calcs family here.
Think we tagged a word wrong?
