1 וּזְכֹר אֶת־בֹּורְאֶיךָ בִּימֵי בְּחוּרֹתֶיךָ עַד אֲשֶׁר לֹא־יָבֹאוּ יְמֵי הָרָעָה וְהִגִּיעוּ שָׁנִים אֲשֶׁר תֹּאמַר אֵין־לִי בָהֶם חֵפֶץ | 1 Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the time of affliction arrives and the years draw near, about which you will say, “These do not please me.” |
2 עַד אֲשֶׁר לֹא־תֶחְשַׁךְ הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וְהָאֹור וְהַיָּרֵחַ וְהַכֹּוכָבִים וְשָׁבוּ הֶעָבִים אַחַר הַגָּשֶׁם | 2 Before the sun, and the light, and the moon, and the stars are darkened and the clouds return after the rain, |
3 בַּיֹּום שֶׁיָּזֻעוּ שֹׁמְרֵי הַבַּיִת וְהִתְעַוְּתוּ אַנְשֵׁי הֶחָיִל וּבָטְלוּ הַטֹּחֲנֹות כִּי מִעֵטוּ וְחָשְׁכוּ הָרֹאֹות בָּאֲרֻבֹּות | 3 when the guardians of the house will tremble, and the strongest men will waver, and those who grind grain will be idle, except for a small number, and those who look through the keyholes will be darkened. |
4 וְסֻגְּרוּ דְלָתַיִם בַּשּׁוּק בִּשְׁפַל קֹול הַטַּחֲנָה וְיָקוּם לְקֹול הַצִּפֹּור וְיִשַּׁחוּ כָּל־בְּנֹות הַשִּׁיר | 4 And they will close the doors to the street, when the voice of he who grinds the grain will be humbled, and they will be disturbed at the sound of a flying thing, and all the daughters of song shall become deaf. |
5 גַּם מִגָּבֹהַּ יִרָאוּ וְחַתְחַתִּים בַּדֶּרֶךְ וְיָנֵאץ הַשָּׁקֵד וְיִסְתַּבֵּל הֶחָגָב וְתָפֵר הָאֲבִיֹּונָה כִּי־הֹלֵךְ הָאָדָם אֶל־בֵּית עֹולָמֹו וְסָבְבוּ בַשּׁוּק הַסֹּפְדִים | 5 Likewise, they will fear the things above them, and they will dread the way. The almond tree will flourish; the locust will be fattened; and the caper plant will scattered, because man shall go into the house of his eternity, and the mourners shall wander around in the street. |
6 עַד אֲשֶׁר לֹא־ [יִרחַק כ] (יֵרָתֵק ק) חֶבֶל הַכֶּסֶף וְתָרֻץ גֻּלַּת הַזָּהָב וְתִשָּׁבֶר כַּד עַל־הַמַּבּוּעַ וְנָרֹץ הַגַּלְגַּל אֶל־הַבֹּור | 6 Before the silver cord is broken, and the golden band pulls away, and the pitcher is crushed over the fountain, and the wheel is broken above the cistern, |
7 וְיָשֹׁב הֶעָפָר עַל־הָאָרֶץ כְּשֶׁהָיָה וְהָרוּחַ תָּשׁוּב אֶל־הָאֱלֹהִים אֲשֶׁר נְתָנָהּ | 7 and the dust returns to its earth, from which it was, and the spirit returns to God, who granted it. |
8 הֲבֵל הֲבָלִים אָמַר הַקֹּוהֶלֶת הַכֹּל הָבֶל | 8 Vanity of vanities, said Ecclesiastes, and all is vanity! |
9 וְיֹתֵר שֶׁהָיָה קֹהֶלֶת חָכָם עֹוד לִמַּד־דַּעַת אֶת־הָעָם וְאִזֵּן וְחִקֵּר תִּקֵּן מְשָׁלִים הַרְבֵּה | 9 And since Ecclesiastes was very wise, he taught the people, and he described what he had accomplished. And while searching, he composed many parables. |
10 בִּקֵּשׁ קֹהֶלֶת לִמְצֹא דִּבְרֵי־חֵפֶץ וְכָתוּב יֹשֶׁר דִּבְרֵי אֱמֶת | 10 He sought useful words, and he wrote most righteous words, which were full of truth. |
11 דִּבְרֵי חֲכָמִים כַּדָּרְבֹנֹות וּכְמַשְׂמְרֹות נְטוּעִים בַּעֲלֵי אֲסֻפֹּות נִתְּנוּ מֵרֹעֶה אֶחָד | 11 The words of the wise are like a goad, and like nails deeply fastened, which, through the counsel of teachers, are set forth by one pastor. |
12 וְיֹתֵר מֵהֵמָּה בְּנִי הִזָּהֵר עֲשֹׂות סְפָרִים הַרְבֵּה אֵין קֵץ וְלַהַג הַרְבֵּה יְגִעַת בָּשָׂר | 12 You should require no more than this, my son. For there is no end to the making of many books. And excessive study is an affliction to the flesh. |
13 סֹוף דָּבָר הַכֹּל נִשְׁמָע אֶת־הָאֱלֹהִים יְרָא וְאֶת־מִצְוֹתָיו שְׁמֹור כִּי־זֶה כָּל־הָאָדָם | 13 Let us all listen together to the end of the discourse. Fear God, and observe his commandments. This is everything for man. |
14 כִּי אֶת־כָּל־מַעֲשֶׂה הָאֱלֹהִים יָבִא בְמִשְׁפָּט עַל כָּל־נֶעְלָם אִם־טֹוב וְאִם־רָע | 14 And so, for all that is done and for each error, God will bring judgment: whether it was good or evil. |