Ecclesiastes (Kohelet)

Kohelet

קהלת

Visible layers

Hebrew

תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ׃ כִּי כָל־יָמָיו מַכְאֹבִים וָכַעַס עִנְיָנוֹ גַּם־בַּלַּיְלָה לֹא־שָׁכַב
לִבּוֹ גַּם־זֶה הֶבֶל הוּא׃ אֵין־טוֹב בָּאָדָם שֶׁיֹּאכַל וְשָׁתָה וְהֶרְאָה אֶת־
נַפְשׁוֹ טוֹב בַּעֲמָלוֹ גַּם־זֶה רָאִיתִי אָנִי כִּי מִיַּד הָאֱלֹהִים הִיא׃ כִּי מִי
יֹאכַל וּמִי יָחוּשׁ חוּץ מִמֶּנִּי׃ כִּי לְאָדָם שֶׁטּוֹב לְפָנָיו נָתַן חָכְמָה וְדַעַת
וְשִׂמְחָה וְלַחוֹטֵא נָתַן עִנְיָן לֶאֱסֹף וְלִכְנוֹס לָתֵת לְטוֹב לִפְנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים
גַּם־זֶה הֶבֶל וּרְעוּת רוּחַ׃

Sephardi

tachat hashemesh: ki kol-yamav machovim vacha'as inyano gam-balaylah lo-shachav
libo gam-zeh hevel hu: ein-tov ba'adam sheyochal veshatah veher'ah et-
nafsho tov ba'amalo gam-zeh ra'iti ani ki miyad ha'elohim hi: ki mi
yochal umi yachush chutz mimeni: ki le'adam shetov lefanav natan chochmah veda'at
vesimchah velachote natan inyan le'esof velichnos latet letov lifnei ha'elohim
gam-zeh hevel ure'ut ruach:

English

the sky? All your days are pain, your occupation bitterness, and even at night your mind does not rest, and this too is empty breath. There is no good for man to find, but that he eat and drink and show himself some good of all his labor; this I saw to be a gift from God. For who will eat, who will hasten after my craving if not I? He gave wisdom and insight and joy to those who are satisfied with what they have; and to sinners He gave a preoccupation with gathering and collecting, only to give it all to the one who pleases God. This too is shallow breath; but courting the wind.

Hebrew

לַכֹּל זְמָן וְעֵת לְכָל־חֵפֶץ תַּחַת הַשָּׁמָיִם׃

Sephardi

Lakol zeman ve'et lechol-chefetz tachat ha-shamayim:

English

Everything has its moment; a time for every deed beneath the sky.

Hebrew

עֵת לָלֶדֶת וְעֵת לָמוּת
עֵת לָטַעַת וְעֵת לַעֲקוֹר נָטוּעַ׃
עֵת לַהֲרוֹג וְעֵת לִרְפּוֹא
עֵת לִפְרוֹץ וְעֵת לִבְנוֹת׃
עֵת לִבְכּוֹת וְעֵת לִשְׂחוֹק
עֵת סְפוֹד וְעֵת רְקוֹד׃
עֵת לְהַשְׁלִיךְ אֲבָנִים וְעֵת כְּנוֹס אֲבָנִים
עֵת לַחֲבוֹק וְעֵת לִרְחֹק מֵחַבֵּק׃
עֵת לְבַקֵּשׁ וְעֵת לְאַבֵּד
עֵת לִשְׁמוֹר וְעֵת לְהַשְׁלִיךְ׃
עֵת לִקְרוֹעַ וְעֵת לִתְפּוֹר
עֵת לַחֲשׁוֹת וְעֵת לְדַבֵּר׃
עֵת לֶאֱהֹב וְעֵת לִשְׂנֹא
עֵת מִלְחָמָה וְעֵת שָׁלוֹם׃

Sephardi

Et laledet ve'et lamut
et lata'at ve'et la'akor natua:
et laharog ve'et lirpo
et lifrotz ve'et livnot:
et livkot ve'et lischok
et sefod ve'et rekod:
et lehashlich avanim ve'et kenos avanim
et lachavok ve'et lirchok mechavek:
et levakesh ve'et le'abed
et lishmor ve'et lehashlich:
et likroa ve'et litpor
et lachashot ve'et ledaber:
et le'ehov ve'et lisno
et milchamah ve'et shalom:

English

A time for birth, a time for death; a time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted. A time to kill, a time to heal; a time to tear down and a time to build up. A time to weep, a time to laugh; a time for eulogy and a time for dance. A time to cast away stones, a time to gather up stones; a time to embrace and a time to hold back from embracing. A time to seek, a time to lose; a time to keep and a time to cast aside. A time to sever, a time to sew; a time to be silent and a time to speak. A time to love, a time to hate; a time of war and a time for peace.

Hebrew

מַה־יִּתְרוֹן הָעוֹשֶׂה בַּאֲשֶׁר הוּא עָמֵל׃ רָאִיתִי אֶת־הָעִנְיָן אֲשֶׁר נָתַן
הָאֱלֹהִים לִבְנֵי הָאָדָם לַעֲנוֹת בּוֹ׃ אֶת־הַכֹּל עָשָׂה יָפֶה בְעִתּוֹ גַּם אֶת־
הָעֹלָם נָתַן בְּלִבָּם מִבְּלִי אֲשֶׁר לֹא־יִמְצָא הָאָדָם אֶת־הַמַּעֲשֶׂה אֲשֶׁר־
עָשָׂה הָאֱלֹהִים מֵרֹאשׁ וְעַד־סוֹף׃ יָדַעְתִּי כִּי אֵין טוֹב בָּם כִּי אִם־
לִשְׂמוֹחַ וְלַעֲשׂוֹת טוֹב בְּחַיָּיו׃ וְגַם כָּל־הָאָדָם שֶׁיֹּאכַל וְשָׁתָה וְרָאָה
טוֹב בְּכָל־עֲמָלוֹ מַתַּת אֱלֹהִים הִיא׃ יָדַעְתִּי כִּי כָּל־אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה

Sephardi

Mah-yitron ha'oseh ba'asher hu amel: ra'iti et-ha-inyan asher natan
ha'elohim livnei ha'adam la'anot bo: et-hakol asah yafeh ve'ito gam et-
ha-olam natan belibam mibli asher lo-yimtza ha'adam et-ha-ma'aseh asher-
asah ha'elohim merosh ve'ad-sof: yadati ki ein tov bam ki im-
lismoach vela'asot tov bechayav: vegam kol-ha-adam sheyochal veshatah vera'ah
tov bechol-amalo matat Elohim hi: yadati ki kol-asher ya'aseh

English

What profit has the one who works, from all his labor? I have seen the occupation that God gave mortal man to torment himself with. He made everything right in its proper time, He placed eternity in their minds; and no man ever fathoms what it is that God is working from beginning to end. And so I know that there is no good for them but to be joyful and to do what is good in their lifetime. And if any man eats and drinks and sees some good of all his labor – that is a gift from God. And I know