| 1 יֵשׁ רָעָה אֲשֶׁר רָאִיתִי תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ וְרַבָּה הִיא עַל־הָאָדָם | 1 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it lies heavy upon men: |
| 2 אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יִתֶּן־לֹו הָאֱלֹהִים עֹשֶׁר וּנְכָסִים וְכָבֹוד וְאֵינֶנּוּ חָסֵר לְנַפְשֹׁו ׀ מִכֹּל אֲשֶׁר־יִתְאַוֶּה וְלֹא־יַשְׁלִיטֶנּוּ הָאֱלֹהִים לֶאֱכֹל מִמֶּנּוּ כִּי אִישׁ נָכְרִי יֹאכֲלֶנּוּ זֶה הֶבֶל וָחֳלִי רָע הוּא | 2 a man to whom God gives wealth, possessions, and honor, so that he lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God does not give him power to enjoy them, but a stranger enjoys them; this is vanity; it is a sore affliction. |
| 3 אִם־יֹולִיד אִישׁ מֵאָה וְשָׁנִים רַבֹּות יִחְיֶה וְרַב ׀ שֶׁיִּהְיוּ יְמֵי־שָׁנָיו וְנַפְשֹׁו לֹא־תִשְׂבַּע מִן־הַטֹּובָה וְגַם־קְבוּרָה לֹא־הָיְתָה לֹּו אָמַרְתִּי טֹוב מִמֶּנּוּ הַנָּפֶל | 3 If a man begets a hundred children, and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but he does not enjoy life's good things, and also has no burial, I say that an untimely birth is better off than he. |
| 4 כִּי־בַהֶבֶל בָּא וּבַחֹשֶׁךְ יֵלֵךְ וּבַחֹשֶׁךְ שְׁמֹו יְכֻסֶּה | 4 For it comes into vanity and goes into darkness, and in darkness its name is covered; |
| 5 גַּם־שֶׁמֶשׁ לֹא־רָאָה וְלֹא יָדָע נַחַת לָזֶה מִזֶּה | 5 moreover it has not seen the sun or known anything; yet it finds rest rather than he. |
| 6 וְאִלּוּ חָיָה אֶלֶף שָׁנִים פַּעֲמַיִם וְטֹובָה לֹא רָאָה הֲלֹא אֶל־מָקֹום אֶחָד הַכֹּל הֹולֵךְ | 6 Even though he should live a thousand years twice told, yet enjoy no good--do not all go to the one place? |
| 7 כָּל־עֲמַל הָאָדָם לְפִיהוּ וְגַם־הַנֶּפֶשׁ לֹא תִמָּלֵא | 7 All the toil of man is for his mouth, yet his appetite is not satisfied. |
| 8 כִּי מַה־יֹּותֵר לֶחָכָם מִן־הַכְּסִיל מַה־לֶּעָנִי יֹודֵעַ לַהֲלֹךְ נֶגֶד הַחַיִּים | 8 For what advantage has the wise man over the fool? And what does the poor man have who knows how to conduct himself before the living? |
| 9 טֹוב מַרְאֵה עֵינַיִם מֵהֲלָךְ־נָפֶשׁ גַּם־זֶה הֶבֶל וּרְעוּת רוּחַ | 9 Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of desire; this also is vanity and a striving after wind. |
| 10 מַה־שֶּׁהָיָה כְּבָר נִקְרָא שְׁמֹו וְנֹודָע אֲשֶׁר־הוּא אָדָם וְלֹא־יוּכַל לָדִין עִם [שֶׁהַתְקִיף כ] (שֶׁתַּקִּיף ק) מִמֶּנּוּ | 10 Whatever has come to be has already been named, and it is known what man is, and that he is not able to dispute with one stronger than he. |
| 11 כִּי יֵשׁ־דְּבָרִים הַרְבֵּה מַרְבִּים הָבֶל מַה־יֹּתֵר לָאָדָם | 11 The more words, the more vanity, and what is man the better? |
| 12 כִּי מִי־יֹודֵעַ מַה־טֹּוב לָאָדָם בַּחַיִּים מִסְפַּר יְמֵי־חַיֵּי הֶבְלֹו וְיַעֲשֵׂם כַּצֵּל אֲשֶׁר מִי־יַגִּיד לָאָדָם מַה־יִּהְיֶה אַחֲרָיו תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ | 12 For who knows what is good for man while he lives the few days of his vain life, which he passes like a shadow? For who can tell man what will be after him under the sun? |
