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Ecclesiastes 9

Hebrew18 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
כִּ֣יforאֶת־obj.כָּל־allזֶ֞הthisנָתַ֤תִּיI have givenאֶל־toלִבִּי֙heart myוְלָב֣וּרand to make clearאֶת־obj.כָּל־allזֶ֔הthisאֲשֶׁ֨רthatהַצַּדִּיקִ֧יםthe righteousוְהַחֲכָמִ֛יםand the wiseוַעֲבָדֵיהֶ֖םand deeds theirבְּיַ֣דare in the hand ofהָאֱלֹהִ֑יםthe Godגַּֽם־bothאַהֲבָ֣הloveגַם־as well asשִׂנְאָ֗הhatredאֵ֤יןnotיוֹדֵ֙עַ֙is knowingהָֽאָדָ֔םthe humankindהַכֹּ֖לthe everythingלִפְנֵיהֶֽם׃is to before them
2
הַכֹּ֞לthe allכַּאֲשֶׁ֣רis just asלַכֹּ֗לfor the allמִקְרֶ֨הfateאֶחָ֜דoneלַצַּדִּ֤יקbelongs to the righteousוְלָרָשָׁע֙and to the wickedלַטּוֹב֙to the goodוְלַטָּה֣וֹרand to the cleanוְלַטָּמֵ֔אand to the uncleanוְלַזֹּבֵ֔חַand to the one who sacrificesוְלַאֲשֶׁ֖רand to one whoאֵינֶ֣נּוּnot heזֹבֵ֑חַis sacrificingכַּטּוֹב֙as the good personכַּֽחֹטֶ֔אas the sinnerהַנִּשְׁבָּ֕עthe one who swears an oathכַּאֲשֶׁ֖רjust asשְׁבוּעָ֥הan oathיָרֵֽא׃one fearingוְלָרַעand to the evil
3
זֶ֣ה׀thisרָ֗עis an evilבְּכֹ֤לin allאֲשֶֽׁר־thatנַעֲשָׂה֙it is doneתַּ֣חַתunderהַשֶּׁ֔מֶשׁthe sunכִּֽי־forמִקְרֶ֥הfateאֶחָ֖דoneלַכֹּ֑לbelongs to the everyoneוְגַ֣םand alsoלֵ֣בthe heart ofבְּֽנֵי־the children ofהָ֠אָדָםthe humankindמָלֵא־is fullרָ֨עevilוְהוֹלֵל֤וֹתand madnessבִּלְבָבָם֙is in heart theirבְּחַיֵּיהֶ֔םin lives theirוְאַחֲרָ֖יוand after itאֶל־toהַמֵּתִֽים׃the dead
4
כִּי־forמִי֙who?אֲשֶׁ֣רis the one whoיְחֻבַּ֔רhe is unitedאֶ֥לtoכָּל־allהַחַיִּ֖יםthe livingיֵ֣שׁthereבִּטָּח֑וֹןis hopeכִּֽי־forלְכֶ֤לֶבto a dogחַי֙livingה֣וּאitט֔וֹבis goodמִן־more thanהָאַרְיֵ֖הthe lionהַמֵּֽת׃the dead
5
כִּ֧יforהַֽחַיִּ֛יםthe livingיוֹדְעִ֖יםare knowingשֶׁיָּמֻ֑תוּthat they will dieוְהַמֵּתִ֞יםand the deadאֵינָ֧םnot theyיוֹדְעִ֣יםare knowingמְא֗וּמָהanythingוְאֵֽין־and notע֤וֹדstillלָהֶם֙belongs to the themשָׂכָ֔רa rewardכִּ֥יforנִשְׁכַּ֖חit is forgottenזִכְרָֽם׃memory their
6
גַּ֣םbothאַהֲבָתָ֧םlove theirגַּם־as well asשִׂנְאָתָ֛םhatred theirגַּם־as well asקִנְאָתָ֖םenvy theirכְּבָ֣רalreadyאָבָ֑דָהit has perishedוְחֵ֨לֶקand a portionאֵין־notלָהֶ֥םbelongs to the themעוֹד֙againלְעוֹלָ֔םfor everבְּכֹ֥לin allאֲשֶֽׁר־thatנַעֲשָׂ֖הit is doneתַּ֥חַתunderהַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃the sun
7
לֵ֣ךְgoאֱכֹ֤לeatבְּשִׂמְחָה֙with gladnessלַחְמֶ֔ךָfood yourוּֽשֲׁתֵ֥הand drinkבְלֶב־with a heartט֖וֹבgoodיֵינֶ֑ךָwine yourכִּ֣יforכְבָ֔רalreadyרָצָ֥הhe has taken pleasure inהָאֱלֹהִ֖יםthe Godאֶֽת־obj.מַעֲשֶֽׂיךָ׃deeds your
8
בְּכָל־at everyעֵ֕תtimeיִהְי֥וּlet them beבְגָדֶ֖יךָclothes yourלְבָנִ֑יםwhiteוְשֶׁ֖מֶןand oilעַל־onרֹאשְׁךָ֥head yourאַל־may notיֶחְסָֽר׃it be lacking
9
רְאֵ֨הseeחַיִּ֜יםlifeעִם־withאִשָּׁ֣הa wifeאֲשֶׁר־whomאָהַ֗בְתָּyou loveכָּל־allיְמֵי֙the days ofחַיֵּ֣יthe life ofהֶבְלֶ֔ךָfutility yourאֲשֶׁ֤רwhichנָֽתַן־he has givenלְךָ֙to the youתַּ֣חַתunderהַשֶּׁ֔מֶשׁthe sunכֹּ֖לallיְמֵ֣יthe days ofהֶבְלֶ֑ךָfutility yourכִּ֣יforה֤וּאthatחֶלְקְךָ֙is portion yourבַּֽחַיִּ֔יםin the lifeוּבַעֲמָ֣לְךָ֔and in toil yourאֲשֶׁר־whichאַתָּ֥הyouעָמֵ֖לare a laborerתַּ֥חַתunderהַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃the sun
10
כֹּ֠לallאֲשֶׁ֨רthatתִּמְצָ֧אit findsיָֽדְךָ֛hand yourלַעֲשׂ֥וֹתto doבְּכֹחֲךָ֖with strength yourעֲשֵׂ֑הdoכִּי֩forאֵ֨יןthere notמַעֲשֶׂ֤הis workוְחֶשְׁבּוֹן֙and explanationוְדַ֣עַתand knowledgeוְחָכְמָ֔הand wisdomבִּשְׁא֕וֹלin Sheolאֲשֶׁ֥רwhereאַתָּ֖הyouהֹלֵ֥ךְare goingשָֽׁמָּה׃ סthere towards
11
שַׁ֜בְתִּיI returnedוְרָאֹ֣הand I sawתַֽחַת־underהַשֶּׁ֗מֶשׁthe sunכִּ֣יthatלֹא֩notלַקַּלִּ֨יםbelongs to the swiftהַמֵּר֜וֹץthe raceוְלֹ֧אand notלַגִּבּוֹרִ֣יםbelongs to the mighty menהַמִּלְחָמָ֗הthe battleוְ֠גַםand alsoלֹ֣אnotלַחֲכָמִ֥יםbelongs to the wise peopleלֶ֙חֶם֙foodוְגַ֨םand alsoלֹ֤אnotלַנְּבֹנִים֙belongs to the understandingעֹ֔שֶׁרwealthוְגַ֛םand alsoלֹ֥אnotלַיֹּדְעִ֖יםbelongs to the knowledgeableחֵ֑ןfavorכִּי־forעֵ֥תtimeוָפֶ֖גַעand chanceיִקְרֶ֥הit happens toאֶת־obj.כֻּלָּֽם׃all of them
12
כִּ֡יforגַּם֩alsoלֹֽא־notיֵדַ֨עhe knowsהָאָדָ֜םthe humankindאֶת־obj.עִתּ֗וֹtime hisכַּדָּגִים֙like the fishesשֶׁנֶּֽאֱחָזִים֙that are caughtבִּמְצוֹדָ֣הin a netרָעָ֔הevilוְכַ֨צִּפֳּרִ֔יםand like the birdsהָאֲחֻז֖וֹתthat are caughtבַּפָּ֑חin the snareכָּהֵ֗םlike the themיֽוּקָשִׁים֙are ensnaredבְּנֵ֣יthe children ofהָֽאָדָ֔םthe humankindלְעֵ֣תto a timeרָעָ֔הevilכְּשֶׁתִּפּ֥וֹלwhen that it fallsעֲלֵיהֶ֖םon themפִּתְאֹֽם׃suddenly
13
גַּם־alsoזֹ֛הthisרָאִ֥יתִיI have seenחָכְמָ֖הwisdomתַּ֣חַתunderהַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁthe sunוּגְדוֹלָ֥הand was greatהִ֖יאitאֵלָֽי׃to me
14
עִ֣ירa cityקְטַנָּ֔הsmallוַאֲנָשִׁ֥יםand menבָּ֖הּin the itמְעָ֑טwere fewוּבָֽא־and he cameאֵלֶ֜יהָagainst itמֶ֤לֶךְa kingגָּדוֹל֙greatוְסָבַ֣בand he surroundedאֹתָ֔הּobj. itוּבָנָ֥הand he builtעָלֶ֖יהָon itמְצוֹדִ֥יםsiege worksגְּדֹלִֽים׃great
15
וּמָ֣צָאand someone foundבָ֗הּin the itאִ֤ישׁa manמִסְכֵּן֙poorחָכָ֔םwiseוּמִלַּט־and he deliveredה֥וּאheאֶת־obj.הָעִ֖ירthe cityבְּחָכְמָת֑וֹby wisdom hisוְאָדָם֙and anyoneלֹ֣אnotזָכַ֔רhe rememberedאֶת־obj.הָאִ֥ישׁthe manהַמִּסְכֵּ֖ןthe poorהַהּֽוּא׃the that
16
וְאָמַ֣רְתִּיand I saidאָ֔נִיIטוֹבָ֥הis goodחָכְמָ֖הwisdomמִגְּבוּרָ֑הmore than strengthוְחָכְמַ֤תand the wisdom ofהַמִּסְכֵּן֙the poor personבְּזוּיָ֔הis despisedוּדְבָרָ֖יוand words hisאֵינָ֥םnot theyנִשְׁמָעִֽים׃are listened to
17
דִּבְרֵ֣יthe words ofחֲכָמִ֔יםwise peopleבְּנַ֖חַתin quietnessנִשְׁמָעִ֑יםare heardמִזַּעֲקַ֥תmore than the cry ofמוֹשֵׁ֖לa rulerבַּכְּסִילִֽים׃among the fools
18
טוֹבָ֥הis goodחָכְמָ֖הwisdomמִכְּלֵ֣יmore than weapons ofקְרָ֑בwarוְחוֹטֶ֣אand a sinnerאֶחָ֔דoneיְאַבֵּ֥דhe will destroyטוֹבָ֥הgoodהַרְבֵּֽה׃much

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