| 1 דִּבְרֵי קֹהֶלֶת בֶּן־דָּוִד מֶלֶךְ בִּירוּשָׁלִָֽם׃ | 1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. |
| 2 הֲבֵל הֲבָלִים אָמַר קֹהֶלֶת הֲבֵל הֲבָלִים הַכֹּל הָֽבֶל׃ | 2 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. |
| 3 מַה־יִּתְרוֹן לָֽאָדָם בְּכׇל־עֲמָלוֹ שֶֽׁיַּעֲמֹל תַּחַת הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ | 3 What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun? |
| 4 דּוֹר הֹלֵךְ וְדוֹר בָּא וְהָאָרֶץ לְעוֹלָם עֹמָֽדֶת׃ | 4 One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever. |
| 5 וְזָרַח הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וּבָא הַשָּׁמֶשׁ וְאֶל־מְקוֹמוֹ שׁוֹאֵף זוֹרֵחַֽ הוּא שָֽׁם׃ | 5 The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose. |
| 6 הוֹלֵךְ אֶל־דָּרוֹם וְסוֹבֵב אֶל־צָפוֹן סוֹבֵב ׀ סֹבֵב הוֹלֵךְ הָרוּחַ וְעַל־סְבִיבֹתָיו שָׁב הָרֽוּחַ׃ | 6 The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits. |
| 7 כׇּל־הַנְּחָלִים הֹלְכִים אֶל־הַיָּם וְהַיָּם אֵינֶנּוּ מָלֵא אֶל־מְקוֹם שֶׁהַנְּחָלִים הֹֽלְכִים שָׁם הֵם שָׁבִים לָלָֽכֶת׃ | 7 All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again. |
| 8 כׇּל־הַדְּבָרִים יְגֵעִים לֹא־יוּכַל אִישׁ לְדַבֵּר לֹא־תִשְׂבַּע עַיִן לִרְאוֹת וְלֹא־תִמָּלֵא אֹזֶן מִשְּׁמֹֽעַ׃ | 8 All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. |
| 9 מַה־שֶּֽׁהָיָה הוּא שֶׁיִּהְיֶה וּמַה־שֶּׁנַּֽעֲשָׂה הוּא שֶׁיֵּעָשֶׂה וְאֵין כׇּל־חָדָשׁ תַּחַת הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ | 9 The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. |
| 10 יֵשׁ דָּבָר שֶׁיֹּאמַר רְאֵה־זֶה חָדָשׁ הוּא כְּבָר הָיָה לְעֹֽלָמִים אֲשֶׁר הָיָה מִלְּפָנֵֽנוּ׃ | 10 Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us. |
| 11 אֵין זִכְרוֹן לָרִאשֹׁנִים וְגַם לָאַחֲרֹנִים שֶׁיִּהְיוּ לֹֽא־יִהְיֶה לָהֶם זִכָּרוֹן עִם שֶׁיִּהְיוּ לָאַחֲרֹנָֽה׃ | 11 There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after. |
| 12 אֲנִי קֹהֶלֶת הָיִיתִי מֶלֶךְ עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּירוּשָׁלִָֽם׃ | 12 I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem. |
| 13 וְנָתַתִּי אֶת־לִבִּי לִדְרוֹשׁ וְלָתוּר בַּֽחׇכְמָה עַל כׇּל־אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשָׂה תַּחַת הַשָּׁמָיִם הוּא ׀ עִנְיַן רָע נָתַן אֱלֹהִים לִבְנֵי הָאָדָם לַעֲנוֹת בּֽוֹ׃ | 13 And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith. |
| 14 רָאִיתִי אֶת־כׇּל־הַֽמַּעֲשִׂים שֶֽׁנַּעֲשׂוּ תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ וְהִנֵּה הַכֹּל הֶבֶל וּרְעוּת רֽוּחַ׃ | 14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit. |
| 15 מְעֻוָּת לֹא־יוּכַל לִתְקֹן וְחֶסְרוֹן לֹא־יוּכַל לְהִמָּנֽוֹת׃ | 15 That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered. |
| 16 דִּבַּרְתִּי אֲנִי עִם־לִבִּי לֵאמֹר אֲנִי הִנֵּה הִגְדַּלְתִּי וְהוֹסַפְתִּי חׇכְמָה עַל כׇּל־אֲשֶׁר־הָיָה לְפָנַי עַל־יְרוּשָׁלִָם וְלִבִּי רָאָה הַרְבֵּה חׇכְמָה וָדָֽעַת׃ | 16 I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge. |
| 17 וָאֶתְּנָה לִבִּי לָדַעַת חׇכְמָה וְדַעַת הוֹלֵלֹת וְשִׂכְלוּת יָדַעְתִּי שֶׁגַּם־זֶה הוּא רַעְיוֹן רֽוּחַ׃ | 17 And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit. |
| 18 כִּי בְּרֹב חׇכְמָה רׇב־כָּעַס וְיוֹסִיף דַּעַת יוֹסִיף מַכְאֽוֹב׃ | 18 For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow. |
