מִקְנֶה בָקָר וְצָאן הַרְבֵּה הָיָה לִי מִכָּל שֶׁהִיוּ לְפְנֵי בִּירוּשָׁלָם: כָּנַסְתִּי לִי גַּם־כֶּסֶף וְזָהָב וּסְגְלֶת מְלָכִים וְהַמְדִינוֹת עָשִׂיתִי לִי שָׁרִים וְשָׁרוֹת וְתַעֲנֶכָּוֹת בְּנֵי הָאָדָם שְׁדֶה וְשִׁדְוֹת: וְגָדַלְתִּי 9 וְהוֹסַפְתִּי מִכָּל שֶׁהָיָה לְפָנַי בְּרָוּשָׁלִַם אַף חָכְמָתִי עָמְדָה לִי : וכל אשר שאלוּ עֵיני לא אצלתִּי מֵהֶם לֹא־מָנַעְתִּי אֶת־לִבִּי מִכָּל־שְׂמְחָה כִּי־לִבִּי שָׂמֵחַ מִכָּל־עֲמָלִי וְזֶה־הָיָה לְקי מכָּל־עֲמָלִי : וּפָנִיתִי אֲנִי בְּכָל־־מַעַשִׁי שֶׁעָשׂוּ יָדִי וּבֶעָמָל 11 שעמלתִּי לַעֲשׂוֹת וְהִנֵּה הַכֹּל הֶבֶל וּרְעוּת רוּחַ וְאֵין יִתְרוֹן תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ: וּפְנִיתִי אֲנִי לִרְאוֹת 12 חָכְמָה וְהוֹלֵלוֹת וְסִכְלוּת בַּי מֶה הָאָדָם שֶׁיָּבוֹא אַחֲרֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ אֵת אֲשֶׁר־כְּבָר עָשׂוּהוּ : וְרָאִיתִי 19 אֲנִי שִׁישׁ יָתְרֵין לַחָכְמָה מִן־הַסִכְלוּת כִּיתְרוֹן הָאוֹר מִן־הַחְשֶׁךְ: הֲחָכָם עֵינָיו בְּרֹאשׁוֹ וְהַכּסיל בַּחשֶׁךְ 14 הוֹלֵךְ וְיָדַעְתִּי גַם־אָנִי שֶׁמִּקְרֶה אֶחָד יִקְרֶה אֶת־ כִּלָּם: וְאָמַרְתִּי אֲנִי בְּלִבִּי כְּמִקְרֶה הַכְּסִיל בַּחַ־אֲנִי טו יִקְרֵנִי וְלָמֶה חָכַמְתִּי אֲנִי אָז יֹתֵר וְדִבַּרְתִּי בְלִבִּי שֶׁגַּם־זֶה הֶבֶל: כִּי אֵין זִכְרְוֹן לֶחָכָם עס־הַכְּסִיל 6 לְעוֹלָם בְּשֶׁכְּבָר הַיָּמִים הַבָּאִים הַכֹּל נִשְׁכַּח וְאֵיךְ יָמוּת הֶחָכָם עִם־הַכְּסִיל : וְשָׂנֵאתִי אֶת־הַחַיִּים כִּי 17 רָע עֲלֵי הַמַעֲשֶׂה שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ כִּי־הַכָּל הֶבֶל וּרְעוּת רוּחַ : וְשָׂנֵאתִי אֲנִי אֶת־כָּל־עֲמָלִי שֶׁאֲנִי 13 14 16 17 12 I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem: 13 And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man, to be exercised therewith. 14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit. 15 That which is crooked cannot be made straight; and that which is wanting cannot be numbered. 16 I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem; yea, my heart had great experiences of wisdom and knowledge. 17 And I give my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit. CHAP. II. 18 For in much wisdom is much grief; and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow. SAID in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirh; therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity. 2 I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it? 3 I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, (yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom,) and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life. 4 I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards; 5 I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits; 6 I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees; 7 I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me; 1 THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES. THE words of the Preacher, full; unto the place from the son of David, king of whence the rivers come, Jerusalem. thither they return again. 2 Vanity of vanities, saith 8 All things are full of the Preacher, vanity of vani-| labour; man canırot utter it: ties; all is vanity. the eye is not satisfied with 3. What profit hath a man seeing, nor the ear filled with of all his labour which he hearing. taketh under the sun? 9 The thing that hath been, 4 One generation passeth it is that which shall be; and away, and another genera- that which is done, is that tion cometh: but the earth which shall be done: and abideth for ever. there is no new thing under 5 The sun also ariseth, and the sun. the sun goeth down, and has- 10 Is there any thing whereteth to his place where he of it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of 6 The wind goeth toward old time, which was before the south, and turneth about us. unto the north: it whirleth 11 There is no rememabout continually; and the brance of former things: wind returneth again accord-neither shall there be any ing to his circuits. remembrance of things that 7 All the rivers run into are to come with those that the sea; yet the sea is not shall come after. arose. 1 2 ful 6 א קהֶלֶת בֶּן־דָּוִד מֶלֶךְ בִּירוּשָׁלָם : הֲבֵל הֲבָלִים אָמַר קהֶלֶת הֲבֵל הֲבָלִים הַכֹּל הָבֶל: מַה־יִתְרוֹן 5 לאָדָם בְּכָל־עֲמָלוֹ שֶׁיעמל תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ: דּוֹר 4 הלֵךְ וְדוֹר בָּא וְהָאָרֶץ לְעוֹלָם עֹמָדֶת : וְרַחה הַשֶׁמֶשׁ וּבָא הַשָּׁמֶשׁ וְאֶל־מְקוֹמוֹ שׁוֹאֵף זוֹרֵחַ הוּא 15 שָׁם : הוֹלֵךְ אֶל־הָרוֹם וְסוֹבֵב אֶל־צָפוֹן סוֹבֵב סבב הוֹלִךְ הָרוּם וְעַל־סְבִיבתיו שֶׁב הָרוּחַ: כָּל־ הַנְחָלִים הִלְכִים אֶל־הַיָּם וְהַיָּם אֵינֶנּוּ מָלֵא אֶל־ * מְקוֹם שֶׁהַנְחָלִים הִלְכִים שָׁם הֵם שָׁבִים לָלֶכֶת : כָּל־הַדְּבָרִים יְגֵעִים לֹא־יוּכַל אִישׁ לְדַבֵּר לֹא־ * תִשְׂבַּע עַיִן לִרְאוֹת וְלֹא־תִמָּלֵא אֹזֶן מִשְׁמְעַ : מַה־שֶׁהָיָה הוּא שֶׁיִּהְיֶה וּמַה־שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה הוּא שֶׁיִּנְטֶה 9 וְאֵין כָּל-חָדָשׁ תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ: יֵשׁ דָּבָר שֶׁיֹּאמַר רְאֵה-זֶר חָדָשׁ הוּא כְּבָר הָיָה לְעלְמִים אֲשֶׁר הָיָה מִלִפְנֵינוּ: אֵין זִכְרון לָרָאשֹׁנִים וְגַם לָאַחֲרנים 13 שֶׁיִהְיוּ לֹא־יִהְיֶה לָהֶם זִכָּרוֹן עֶט שֶׁיִּהְיוּ לָאַחֲרֹנָה: ot 11 |