The New Jew: A Field Guide

Hebrew

דִּבְרֵי קֹהֶלֶת בֶּן־דָּוִד מֶלֶךְ בִּירוּשָׁלָ͏ִם׃ הֲבֵל הֲבָלִים אָמַר קֹהֶלֶת
הֲבֵל הֲבָלִים הַכֹּל הָבֶל׃ מַה־יִּתְרוֹן לָאָדָם בְּכָל־עֲמָלוֹ שֶׁיַּעֲמֹל תַּחַת
הַשָּׁמֶשׁ׃ דּוֹר הֹלֵךְ וְדוֹר בָּא וְהָאָרֶץ לְעוֹלָם עֹמָדֶת׃ וְזָרַח הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ
וּבָא הַשָּׁמֶשׁ וְאֶל־מְקוֹמוֹ שׁוֹאֵף זוֹרֵחַ הוּא שָׁם׃ הוֹלֵךְ אֶל־דָּרוֹם
וְסוֹבֵב אֶל־צָפוֹן סוֹבֵב ׀ סֹבֵב הוֹלֵךְ הָרוּחַ וְעַל־סְבִיבֹתָיו שָׁב הָרוּחַ׃
כָּל־הַנְּחָלִים הֹלְכִים אֶל־הַיָּם וְהַיָּם אֵינֶנּוּ מָלֵא אֶל־מְקוֹם שֶׁהַנְּחָלִים
הֹלְכִים שָׁם הֵם שָׁבִים לָלָכֶת׃ כָּל־הַדְּבָרִים יְגֵעִים לֹא־יוּכַל אִישׁ לְדַבֵּר
לֹא־תִשְׂבַּע עַיִן לִרְאוֹת וְלֹא־תִמָּלֵא אֹזֶן מִשְּׁמֹעַ׃ מַה־שֶּׁהָיָה הוּא
שֶׁיִּהְיֶה וּמַה־שֶּׁנַּעֲשָׂה הוּא שֶׁיֵּעָשֶׂה וְאֵין כָּל־חָדָשׁ תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ׃
יֵשׁ דָּבָר שֶׁיֹּאמַר רְאֵה־זֶה חָדָשׁ הוּא כְּבָר הָיָה לְעֹלָמִים אֲשֶׁר הָיָה
מִלְּפָנֵנוּ׃ אֵין זִכָּרוֹן לָרִאשֹׁנִים וְגַם לָאַחֲרֹנִים שֶׁיִּהְיוּ לֹא־יִהְיֶה לָהֶם
זִכָּרוֹן עִם שֶׁיִּהְיוּ לָאַחֲרֹנָה׃
אֲנִי קֹהֶלֶת הָיִיתִי מֶלֶךְ עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּירוּשָׁלָ͏ִם׃ וְנָתַתִּי אֶת־לִבִּי
לִדְרוֹשׁ וְלָתוּר בַּחָכְמָה עַל כָּל־אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשָׂה תַּחַת הַשָּׁמָיִם הוּא ׀ עִנְיַן
רַע נָתַן אֱלֹהִים לִבְנֵי הָאָדָם לַעֲנוֹת בּוֹ׃ רָאִיתִי אֶת־כָּל־הַמַּעֲשִׂים
שֶׁנַּעֲשׂוּ תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ וְהִנֵּה הַכֹּל הֶבֶל וּרְעוּת רוּחַ׃ מְעֻוָּת לֹא־יוּכַל
לִתְקֹן וְחֶסְרוֹן לֹא־יוּכַל לְהִמָּנוֹת׃ דִּבַּרְתִּי אֲנִי עִם־לִבִּי לֵאמֹר אֲנִי
הִנֵּה הִגְדַּלְתִּי וְהוֹסַפְתִּי חָכְמָה עַל כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־הָיָה לְפָנַי עַל־יְרוּשָׁלָ͏ִם
וְלִבִּי רָאָה הַרְבֵּה חָכְמָה וָדָעַת׃ וָאֶתְּנָה לִבִּי לָדַעַת חָכְמָה וְדַעַת
הוֹלֵלוֹת וְשִׂכְלוּת יָדַעְתִּי שֶׁגַּם־זֶה הוּא רַעְיוֹן רוּחַ׃ כִּי בְּרֹב חָכְמָה
רָב־כָּעַס וְיוֹסִיף דַּעַת יוֹסִיף מַכְאוֹב׃ אָמַרְתִּי אֲנִי בְּלִבִּי לְכָה־נָּא
אֲנַסְּכָה בְשִׂמְחָה וּרְאֵה בְטוֹב וְהִנֵּה גַם־הוּא הָבֶל׃ לִשְׂחוֹק אָמַרְתִּי
מְהוֹלָל וּלְשִׂמְחָה מַה־זֹּה עֹשָׂה׃ תַּרְתִּי בְלִבִּי לִמְשׁוֹךְ בַּיַּיִן אֶת־בְּשָׂרִי
וְלִבִּי נֹהֵג בַּחָכְמָה וְלֶאֱחֹז בְּסִכְלוּת עַד אֲשֶׁר־אֶרְאֶה אֵי־זֶה טוֹב

Sephardi

divrei kohelet ben-david melech biyrushalayim: hevel havalim amar kohelet
hevel havalim hakol havel: mah-yitron la'adam bechol-amalo sheya'amol tachat
hashemesh: dor holech vedor ba veha'aretz le'olam omedet: vezarach hashemesh
uva hashemesh ve'el-mekomo sho'ef zoreach hu sham: holech el-darom
vesovev el-tzafon sovev sovev holech haruach ve'al-sevivotav shav haruach:
kol-hanechalim holchim el-hayam vehayam einenu malei el-mekom shehanechalim
holchim sham heim shavim lalachet: kol-hadevarim yegi'im lo-yuchal ish ledaber
lo-tisba ayin lir'ot velo-timalei ozen mishmoa: mah-shehayah hu
sheyihyeh umah-shena'asah hu sheyei'aseh ve'ein kol-chadash tachat hashemesh:
yesh davar sheyomar re'eh-zeh chadash hu kevar hayah le'olamim asher hayah
milefanenu: ein zikaron larishonim vegam la'acharonim sheyihyu lo-yihyeh lahem
zikaron im sheyihyu la'acharonah:
ani kohelet hayiti melech al-yisrael biyrushalayim: venatati et-libi
lidrosh velatur bachochmah al kol-asher na'asah tachat hashamayim hu inyan
ra natan elohim livnei ha'adam la'anot bo: ra'iti et-kol-hama'asim
shena'asu tachat hashemesh vehineh hakol hevel ure'ut ruach: me'uvat lo-yuchal
litkon vechesron lo-yuchal lehimanot: dibarti ani im-libi leimor ani
hineh higdalti vehosafti chochmah al kol-asher-hayah lefanai al-yerushalayim
velibi ra'ah harbeh chochmah vada'at: va'etnah libi lada'at chochmah veda'at
holelot vesichlut yadati shegam-zeh hu ra'yon ruach: ki berov chochmah
rav-ka'as veyosif da'at yosif mach'ov: amarti ani belibi lecha-na
anasechah besimchah ure'eh betov vehineh gam-hu havel: lischok amarti
meholal ulesimchah mah-zoh osah: tarti belibi limshoch bayayin et-besari
velibi noheg bachochmah vele'echoz besichlut ad asher-er'eh ei-zeh tov

English

The sayings of Kohelet son of David, King of Israel in Jerusalem: Shallowest breath, said Kohelet; the shallowest breath, it is all but breath. What profit remains of all the labor one toils over beneath the sun? One age departs, another comes; the earth stands still forever. The sun rises, the sun sets. It heaves towards its place, and there it rises. Blowing south, turning north, turning then turning blows the wind, and back upon its turnings, the wind returns. All streams flow into the sea. The sea is still not full. Into the place where the streams flow, they turn to flow again. Everything is tiresome. One can say nothing, the eye can never see enough, the ear is never filled with hearing. What is to be - is what has been already, what is to be done is what is done, and there is nothing new at all beneath the sun. Something may make a person say, "Look at this: new!" - It has been here already, in all the eternities that came before us. The earliest left no memory behind; and those who are to come will still leave no memorial with the last ones who will be. I, Kohelet, was king of Israel in Jerusalem. And I gave my mind over to searching and exploring with Wisdom, all that is done beneath the sky. A wretched occupation, this, given by God to mortal man, with which to be oppressed. I saw everything that is done beneath the sun. It is nothing but fleeting breath, but courting the wind. What is crooked can never be straightened; what is lost can never be counted. I said to my mind, I have built up and gathered more wisdom than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before, and my mind has seen much wisdom and insight. And I gave my mind over to understand wisdom; and to understand delirium and folly. I know that too is but courting the wind. For in great wisdom lies great bitterness; and one who gathers insight gathers pain. I said to my mind, Come, let me try you with joy, come and see good living. I found that too to be but shallow breath. Delirium, I called laughter; told joy, What comes of this? And so I explored on, through my mind, steeping my body in wine, and my mind at the helm remained wise - that I might catch hold of folly, and finally see what is good for mortal man to do

Ecclesiastes (Kohelet)

KOHELET