1 אַל־תְּבַהֵל עַל־פִּיךָ וְלִבְּךָ אַל־יְמַהֵר לְהֹוצִיא דָבָר לִפְנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים כִּי הָאֱלֹהִים בַּשָּׁמַיִם וְאַתָּה עַל־הָאָרֶץ עַל־כֵּן יִהְיוּ דְבָרֶיךָ מְעַטִּים | 1 Speak not any thing rashly, and let not thy heart be hasty to utter a word before God. For God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few. |
2 כִּי בָּא הַחֲלֹום בְּרֹב עִנְיָן וְקֹול כְּסִיל בְּרֹב דְּבָרִים | 2 Dreams follow many cares: and in many words shall be found folly. |
3 כַּאֲשֶׁר תִּדֹּר נֶדֶר לֵאלֹהִים אַל־תְּאַחֵר לְשַׁלְּמֹו כִּי אֵין חֵפֶץ בַּכְּסִילִים אֵת אֲשֶׁר־תִּדֹּר שַׁלֵּם | 3 If thou hast vowed any thing to God, defer not to pay it: for an unfaithful and foolish promise displeaseth him: but whatsoever thou hast vowed, pay it. |
4 טֹוב אֲשֶׁר לֹא־תִדֹּר מִשֶּׁתִּדֹּור וְלֹא תְשַׁלֵּם | 4 And it is much better not to vow, than after a vow not to perform the things promised. |
5 אַל־תִּתֵּן אֶת־פִּיךָ לַחֲטִיא אֶת־בְּשָׂרֶךָ וְאַל־תֹּאמַר לִפְנֵי הַמַּלְאָךְ כִּי שְׁגָגָה הִיא לָמָּה יִקְצֹף הָאֱלֹהִים עַל־קֹולֶךָ וְחִבֵּל אֶת־מַעֲשֵׂה יָדֶיךָ | 5 Give not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin: and say not before the angel: There is no providence: lest God be angry at thy words, and destroy all the works of thy hands. |
6 כִּי בְרֹב חֲלֹמֹות וַהֲבָלִים וּדְבָרִים הַרְבֵּה כִּי אֶת־הָאֱלֹהִים יְרָא | 6 Where there are many dreams, there are many vanities, and words without number: but do thou fear God. |
7 אִם־עֹשֶׁק רָשׁ וְגֵזֶל מִשְׁפָּט וָצֶדֶק תִּרְאֶה בַמְּדִינָה אַל־תִּתְמַהּ עַל־הַחֵפֶץ כִּי גָבֹהַּ מֵעַל גָּבֹהַּ שֹׁמֵר וּגְבֹהִים עֲלֵיהֶם | 7 If thou shalt see the oppressions of the poor, and violent judgments, and justice perverted in the province, wonder not at this matter: for he that is high hath another higher, and there are others still higher than these: |
8 וְיִתְרֹון אֶרֶץ בַּכֹּל [הִיא כ] (הוּא ק) מֶלֶךְ לְשָׂדֶה נֶעֱבָד | 8 Moreover there is the king that reigneth over all the land subject to him. |
9 אֹהֵב כֶּסֶף לֹא־יִשְׂבַּע כֶּסֶף וּמִי־אֹהֵב בֶּהָמֹון לֹא תְבוּאָה גַּם־זֶה הָבֶל | 9 A covetous man shall not be satisfied with money: and he that loveth riches shall reap no fruit from them: so this also is vanity. |
10 בִּרְבֹות הַטֹּובָה רַבּוּ אֹוכְלֶיהָ וּמַה־כִּשְׁרֹון לִבְעָלֶיהָ כִּי אִם־ [רְאִיַּת כ] (רְאוּת ק) עֵינָיו | 10 Where there are great riches, there are also many to eat them. And what doth it profit the owner, but that he seeth the riches with his eyes? |
11 מְתוּקָה שְׁנַת הָעֹבֵד אִם־מְעַט וְאִם־הַרְבֵּה יֹאכֵל וְהַשָּׂבָע לֶעָשִׁיר אֵינֶנּוּ מַנִּיחַ לֹו לִישֹׁון | 11 Sleep is sweet to a labouring man, whether he eat lttle or much: but the fulness of the rich will not suffer him to sleep. |
12 יֵשׁ רָעָה חֹולָה רָאִיתִי תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ עֹשֶׁר שָׁמוּר לִבְעָלָיו לְרָעָתֹו | 12 There is also another grievous evil, which I have seen under the sun: riches kept to the hurt of the owner. |
13 וְאָבַד הָעֹשֶׁר הַהוּא בְּעִנְיַן רָע וְהֹולִיד בֵּן וְאֵין בְּיָדֹו מְאוּמָה | 13 For they are lost with very great affliction: he hath begotten a son, who shall be in extremity of want. |
14 כַּאֲשֶׁר יָצָא מִבֶּטֶן אִמֹּו עָרֹום יָשׁוּב לָלֶכֶת כְּשֶׁבָּא וּמְאוּמָה לֹא־יִשָּׂא בַעֲמָלֹו שֶׁיֹּלֵךְ בְּיָדֹו | 14 As he came forth naked from his mother's womb, so shall he return, and shall take nothing away with him of his labour. |
15 וְגַם־זֹה רָעָה חֹולָה כָּל־עֻמַּת שֶׁבָּא כֵּן יֵלֵךְ וּמַה־יִּתְרֹון לֹו שֶׁיַּעֲמֹל לָרוּחַ | 15 A most deplorable evil: as he came, so shall he return. What then doth it profit him that he hath laboured for the wind? |
16 גַּם כָּל־יָמָיו בַּחֹשֶׁךְ יֹאכֵל וְכָעַס הַרְבֵּה וְחָלְיֹו וָקָצֶף | 16 All the days of his life he eateth in darkness, and in many cares, and in misery, and sorrow. |
17 הִנֵּה אֲשֶׁר־רָאִיתִי אָנִי טֹוב אֲשֶׁר־יָפֶה לֶאֶכֹול־וְלִשְׁתֹּות וְלִרְאֹות טֹובָה בְּכָל־עֲמָלֹו ׀ שֶׁיַּעֲמֹל תַּחַת־הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ מִסְפַּר יְמֵי־ [חַיָּו כ] (חַיָּיו ק) אֲשֶׁר־נָתַן־לֹו הָאֱלֹהִים כִּי־הוּא חֶלְקֹו | 17 This therefore hath seemed good to me, that a man should eat and drink, and enjoy the fruit of his labour, wherewith he hath laboured under the sun, all the days of his life, which God hath given him: and this is his portion. |
18 גַּם כָּל־הָאָדָם אֲשֶׁר נָתַן־לֹו הָאֱלֹהִים עֹשֶׁר וּנְכָסִים וְהִשְׁלִיטֹו לֶאֱכֹל מִמֶּנּוּ וְלָשֵׂאת אֶת־חֶלְקֹו וְלִשְׂמֹחַ בַּעֲמָלֹו זֹה מַתַּת אֱלֹהִים הִיא | 18 And every man to whom God hath given riches, and substance, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to enjoy his portion, and to rejoice of his labour: this is the gift of God. |
19 כִּי לֹא הַרְבֵּה יִזְכֹּר אֶת־יְמֵי חַיָּיו כִּי הָאֱלֹהִים מַעֲנֶה בְּשִׂמְחַת לִבֹּו | 19 For he shall not much remember the days of his life, because God entertaineth his heart with delight, |
20 לָמָּה לָנֶצַח תִּשְׁכָּחֵנוּ תַּעַזְבֵנוּ לְאֹרֶךְ יָמִים | |
21 הֲשִׁיבֵנוּ יְהוָה ׀ אֵלֶיךָ [וְנָשׁוּב כ] (וְנָשׁוּבָה ק) חַדֵּשׁ יָמֵינוּ כְּקֶדֶם | |
22 כִּי אִם־מָאֹס מְאַסְתָּנוּ קָצַפְתָּ עָלֵינוּ עַד־מְאֹד | |