Betterטוֹבis a goodnameשֵׁםthan good perfume,מִשֶּׁמֶן טוֹבand the dayוְיוֹםof deathהַמָּוֶתthan the dayמִיּוֹםof one’s birth.הִוָּלְדוֹ
Betterטוֹבto goלָלֶכֶתto the houseאֶל בֵּיתof mourningאֵבֶלthan to goמִלֶּכֶתto the houseאֶל בֵּיתof feasting,מִשְׁתֶּהbecauseבַּאֲשֶׁרthatהוּאis the endסוֹףof everyכָּלhuman being,הָאָדָםand the livingוְהַחַיwill lay itיִתֵּןto his heart.אֶל לִבּוֹ
Betterטוֹבis griefכַּעַסthan laughter,מִשְּׂחֹקforכִּיby sadnessבְרֹעַof faceפָּנִיםthe heartלֵבis made better.יִיטַב
The heartלֵבof the wiseחֲכָמִיםis in the houseבְּבֵיתof mourning,אֵבֶלand the heartוְלֵבof the senselessכְּסִילִיםin the houseבְּבֵיתof joy.שִׂמְחָה
Betterטוֹבto hearלִשְׁמֹעַthe rebukeגַּעֲרַתof a wise manחָכָםthan to be a manמֵאִישׁwho hearsשֹׁמֵעַthe songשִׁירof the senseless.כְּסִילִים
Forכִּיlike the soundכְקוֹלof thornsהַסִּירִיםunderתַּחַתthe pot,הַסִּירso isכֵּןthe laughterשְׂחֹקof the senseless;הַכְּסִילand this tooוְגַם זֶהis vapor.הָבֶל
Forכִּיoppressionהָעֹשֶׁקmakes a wise man mad,יְהוֹלֵל חָכָםand a giftוִ מַתָּנָהdestroysיאַבֵּדthe heart.אֶת לֵב
Betterטוֹבis the endאַחֲרִיתof a matterדָּבָרthan its beginning;מֵרֵאשִׁיתוֹbetterטוֹבis one longאֶרֶךְof spiritרוּחַthan one highמִגְּבַהּof spirit.רוּחַ
Do notאַלbe hastyתְּבַהֵלin your spiritבְּרוּחֲךָto be vexed,לִכְעוֹסforכִּיvexationכַעַסrestsיָנוּחַin the bosomבְּחֵיקof the senseless.כְּסִילִים
Do notאַלsay,תֹּאמַר“Whatמֶהhas happenedהָיָהthat the former daysשֶׁהַיָּמִים הָרִאשֹׁנִיםwereהָיוּbetterטוֹבִיםthan these?”מֵאֵלֶּהforכִּיit is notלֹאfrom wisdomמֵחָכְמָהthat you askשָׁאַלְתָּabout this.עַל זֶה
Goodטוֹבָהis wisdomחָכְמָהwith an inheritance,עִם נַחֲלָהandוְit gives moreיֹתֵרto those who seeלְרֹאֵיthe sun.הַשָּׁמֶשׁ
Forכִּיin the shadowבְּצֵלof wisdom,הַחָכְמָהin the shadowבְּצֵלof silver;הַכָּסֶףand the profitוְיִתְרוֹןof knowledgeדַּעַתis that wisdomהַחָכְמָהgives lifeתְּחַיֶּהto its owners.בְעָלֶיהָ
Seeרְאֵהthe workאֶת מַעֲשֵׂהof Elohim,הָאֱלֹהִיםforכִּיwhoמִיcanיוּכַלmake straightלְתַקֵּןwhatאֵת אֲשֶׁרhe has made crooked?עִוְּתוֹ
In the dayבְּיוֹםof good,טוֹבָהbeהֱיֵהin the good,בְטוֹבand in the dayוּבְיוֹםof evil,רָעָהsee:רְאֵהalsoגַּםthis oneאֶת זֶהalongsideלְעֻמַּתthat oneזֶהElohimהָאֱלֹהִיםhas made,עָשָׂהso thatעַל דִּבְרַת שֶׁthe human beingהָאָדָםmay notלֹּאfindיִמְצָאanythingמְאוּמָהafter him.אַחֲרָיו
Everythingאֶת הַכֹּלI have seenרָאִיתִיin the daysבִּימֵיof my vapor:הֶבְלִיthere isיֵשׁa righteous manצַדִּיקperishingאֹבֵדin his righteousness,בְּצִדְקוֹand there isוְיֵשׁa wicked manרָשָׁעprolonging his daysמַאֲרִיךְin his evil.בְּרָעָתוֹ
Do notאַלbeתְּהִיrighteousצַדִּיקovermuch,הַרְבֵּהand do notוְאַלact overlyיוֹתֵרwise;תִּתְחַכַּםwhyלָמָּהshould you ruin yourself?תִּשּׁוֹמֵם
Do notאַלbe wickedתִּרְשַׁעovermuch,הַרְבֵּהand do notוְאַלbeתְּהִיwitless;סָכָלwhyלָמָּהshould you dieתָמוּתbefore your time?בְּלֹא עִתֶּךָ
It is goodטוֹבthatאֲשֶׁרyou graspתֶּאֱחֹזthis,בָּזֶהand alsoוְגַםfrom thatמִזֶּהdo notאַלwithdrawתַּנַּחyour hand;אֶת יָדֶךָforכִּיthe one who fearsיְרֵאElohimאֱלֹהִיםwill come outיֵצֵאwith all of them.אֶת כֻּלָּם
Wisdomהַחָכְמָהmakes strongתָּעֹזthe wise manלֶחָכָםmore than tenמֵעֲשָׂרָהrulersשַׁלִּיטִיםwhoאֲשֶׁרareהָיוּin the city.בָּעִיר
Forכִּיthere is noאֵיןrighteousצַדִּיקhuman beingאָדָםon the earthבָּאָרֶץwhoאֲשֶׁרdoesיַעֲשֶׂהgoodטּוֹבand does notוְלֹאsin.יֶחֱטָא
Also,גַּםto allלְכָלthe wordsהַדְּבָרִיםthatאֲשֶׁרthey speakיְדַבֵּרוּdo notאַלgiveתִּתֵּןyour heart,לִבֶּךָso thatאֲשֶׁרyou do notלֹאhearתִשְׁמַעyour slaveאֶת עַבְדְּךָcursing you;מְקַלְלֶךָ
forכִּיalsoגַּםmany timesפְּעָמִים רַבּוֹתyour heartלִבֶּךָknowsיָדַעthatאֲשֶׁרyou alsoגַּם אַתָּהhave cursedקִלַּלְתָּothers.אֲחֵרִים
AllכָּלthisזֹהI testedנִסִּיתִיby wisdom;בַחָכְמָהI said,אָמַרְתִּי“I will be wise,”אֶחְכָּמָהbut itוְהִיאwas farרְחוֹקָהfrom me.מִמֶּנִּי
Far offרָחוֹקis whatמַה שֶּׁhas been,הָיָהand deep,וְעָמֹקdeep;עָמֹקwhoמִיcan find it?יִמְצָאֶנּוּ
I turned,סַבּוֹתִיIאֲנִיand my heart,וְלִבִּיto knowלָדַעַתand to exploreוְלָתוּרand to seekוּבַקֵּשׁwisdomחָכְמָהand the reckoning,וְחֶשְׁבּוֹןand to knowוְלָדַעַתthe wickednessרֶשַׁעof senselessnessכֶּסֶלand the witlessnessוְהַסִּכְלוּתof madness.הוֹלֵלוֹת
And Iוּ אֲנִיfindמוֹצֶאmore bitterמַרthan deathמִמָּוֶתthe womanאֶת הָאִשָּׁהwhoאֲשֶׁרisהִיאtraps,מְצוֹדִיםand her heartלִבָּהּnets,וַחֲרָמִיםher handsיָדֶיהָbonds;אֲסוּרִיםthe one who is goodטוֹבbeforeלִפְנֵיElohimהָאֱלֹהִיםwill escapeיִמָּלֵטfrom her,מִמֶּנָּהbut the sinnerוְחוֹטֵאwill be caughtיִלָּכֶדby her.בָּהּ
See,רְאֵהthisזֶהI have found,מָצָאתִיsaysאָמְרָהQohelet,קֹהֶלֶתadding oneאַחַתto oneלְאַחַתto findלִמְצֹאthe reckoning,חֶשְׁבּוֹן
whichאֲשֶׁרmy soulנַפְשִׁיstillעוֹדhas soughtבִּקְשָׁהand I have notוְלֹאfound:מָצָאתִיoneאֶחָדmanאָדָםamong a thousandמֵאֶלֶףI have found,מָצָאתִיbut a womanוְאִשָּׁהamong allבְכָלtheseאֵלֶּהI have notלֹאfound.מָצָאתִי
Onlyלְבַדsee,רְאֵהthisזֶהI have found:מָצָאתִיthatאֲשֶׁרElohimהָאֱלֹהִיםmadeעָשָׂהthe human beingאֶת הָאָדָםupright,יָשָׁרbut theyוְהֵמָּהhave soughtבִקְשׁוּmanyרַבִּיםinventions.חִשְּׁבֹנוֹת