The wordsדִּבְרֵיof Qohelet,קֹהֶלֶתsonבֶּןof David,דָּוִדkingמֶלֶךְin Jerusalem.בִּירוּשָׁלִָם
“Vaporהֲבֵלof vapors,”הֲבָלִיםsaysאָמַרQohelet,קֹהֶלֶת“vaporהֲבֵלof vapors;הֲבָלִיםeverythingהַכֹּלis vapor.”הָבֶל
Whatמַהprofitיִּתְרוֹןis there for the human beingלָאָדָםin allבְּכָלhis toilעֲמָלוֹat whichשֶׁhe toilsיַּעֲמֹלunderתַּחַתthe sun?הַשָּׁמֶשׁ
A generationדּוֹרgoes,הֹלֵךְand a generationוְדוֹרcomes,בָּאand the earthוְהָאָרֶץstandsעֹמָדֶתforever.לְעוֹלָם
And the sunוְ הַשֶּׁמֶשׁrises,זָרַחand the sunוּ הַשָּׁמֶשׁgoes down,בָאand it pantsוְ שׁוֹאֵףtowardאֶלits place;מְקוֹמוֹthereשָׁםit rises.זוֹרֵחַ הוּא
Goingהוֹלֵךְtoward the southאֶל דָּרוֹםand circlingוְסוֹבֵבtoward the north,אֶל צָפוֹןcircling,סוֹבֵבcirclingסֹבֵבgoesהוֹלֵךְthe wind;הָרוּחַand onוְעַלits circuitsסְבִיבֹתָיוthe windהָרוּחַreturns.שָׁב
Allכָּלthe streamsהַנְּחָלִיםgoהֹלְכִיםto the sea,אֶל הַיָּםand the seaוְהַיָּםis notאֵינֶנּוּfull;מָלֵאto the placeאֶל מְקוֹםwhereשֶׁthe streamsהַנְּחָלִיםgo,הֹלְכִיםthereשָׁםtheyהֵםgoלָלָכֶתagain.שָׁבִים
Allכָּלthingsהַדְּבָרִיםare wearisome;יְגֵעִיםno oneלֹא אִישׁcanיוּכַלtell it;לְדַבֵּרthe eyeעַיִןis notלֹאsatisfiedתִשְׂבַּעwith seeing,לִרְאוֹתnorוְלֹאis the earאֹזֶןfilledתִמָּלֵאwith hearing.מִשְּׁמֹעַ
Whatמַה שֶּׁhas beenהָיָהisהוּאwhatשֶׁwill be,יִּהְיֶהand whatוּמַה שֶׁhas been doneנַּעֲשָׂהisהוּאwhatשֶׁwill be done;יֵּעָשֶׂהand there is nothingוְאֵין כָּלnewחָדָשׁunderתַּחַתthe sun.הַשָּׁמֶשׁ
There isיֵשׁa thingדָּבָרof whichשֶׁone says,יֹּאמַר“Seeרְאֵהthis:זֶהitהוּאis new”;חָדָשׁalreadyכְּבָרit has beenהָיָהin the agesלְעֹלָמִיםthatאֲשֶׁרwereהָיָהbefore us.מִלְּפָנֵנוּ
There is noאֵיןremembranceזִכְרוֹןof the former ones,לָרִאשֹׁנִיםand alsoוְגַםof the later onesלָאַחֲרֹנִיםwho will beשֶׁיִּהְיוּthere will be noלֹא יִהְיֶהremembranceזִכָּרוֹןof themלָהֶםamong those whoעִם שֶׁwill beיִּהְיוּafterward.לָאַחֲרֹנָה
I,אֲנִיQohelet,קֹהֶלֶתwasהָיִיתִיkingמֶלֶךְover Israelעַל יִשְׂרָאֵלin Jerusalem.בִּירוּשָׁלִָם
And I gaveוְנָתַתִּיmy heartאֶת לִבִּיto seekלִדְרוֹשׁand to exploreוְלָתוּרby wisdomבַּחָכְמָהconcerningעַלallכָּלthatאֲשֶׁרis doneנַעֲשָׂהunderתַּחַתthe heavens;הַשָּׁמָיִםit isהוּאa badרָעoccupationעִנְיַןthat Elohimאֱלֹהִיםhas givenנָתַןto human beingsלִבְנֵי הָאָדָםto be occupiedלַעֲנוֹתwith it.בּוֹ
I sawרָאִיתִיallכָּלthe worksהַמַּעֲשִׂיםthat are doneשֶׁנַּעֲשׂוּunderתַּחַתthe sun,הַשָּׁמֶשׁand look,וְהִנֵּהallהַכֹּלis vaporהֶבֶלand strivingוּרְעוּתafter wind.רוּחַ
What is crookedמְעֻוָּתcannotלֹא יוּכַלbe made straight,לִתְקֹןand what is lackingוְחֶסְרוֹןcannotלֹא יוּכַלbe counted.לְהִמָּנוֹת
Iאֲנִיspokeדִּבַּרְתִּיwith my heart,עִם לִבִּיsaying,לֵאמֹר“I,אֲנִיlook,הִנֵּהhave become greatהִגְדַּלְתִּיand have increasedוְהוֹסַפְתִּיwisdomחָכְמָהbeyond allעַל כָּלwhoאֲשֶׁרwereהָיָהbefore meלְפָנַיover Jerusalem;עַל יְרוּשָׁלִָםand my heartוְלִבִּיhas seenרָאָהmuchהַרְבֵּהwisdomחָכְמָהand knowledge.”וָדָעַת
And I gaveוָאֶתְּנָהmy heartלִבִּיto knowלָדַעַתwisdomחָכְמָהand to knowוְדַעַתmadnessהוֹלֵלוֹתand witlessness;וְשִׂכְלוּתI knewיָדַעְתִּיthatשֶׁthis alsoגַּם זֶהisהוּאstrivingרַעְיוֹןafter wind.רוּחַ
Forכִּיin muchבְּרֹבwisdomחָכְמָהis muchרָבvexation,כָּעַסand he who increasesוְיוֹסִיףknowledgeדַּעַתincreasesיוֹסִיףpain.מַכְאוֹב