1
דִּבְרֵי קֹהֶלֶת בֶּן־דָּוִד מֶלֶךְ בִּירוּשָׁלָ͏ִם
THE WORDS OF the Koheleth, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
ῬΗΜΑΤΑ Ἐκκλησιαστοῦ υἱοῦ Δαυὶδ βασιλέως Ἰσραὴλ ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ.
The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king of Israel in Jerusalem.
2
הֲבֵל הֲבָלִים אָמַר קֹהֶלֶת הֲבֵל הֲבָלִים הַכֹּל הָבֶל
Vanity of vanities, saith Koheleth; vanity of vanities, all is vanity.
Ματαιότης ματαιοτήτων, εἶπεν ὁ Ἐκκλησιαστὴς, ματαιότης ματαιοτήτων, τὰ πάντα ματαιότης.
Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher, Vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
3
מַה־יִּתְרוֹן לָאָדָם בְּכָל־עֲמָלוֹ שֶׁיַּעֲמֹל תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ
What profit hath man of all his labour wherein he laboureth under the sun?
Τίς περίσσεια τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ ἐν παντὶ μόχθῳ αὐτοῦ ᾧ μοχθεῖ ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον;
What advantage [is there] to a man In all his labor that he takes under the sun?
4
דּוֹר הֹלֵךְ וְדוֹר בָּא וְהָאָרֶץ לְעוֹלָם עֹמָדֶת
One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh; and the earth abideth for ever.
Γενεὰ πορεύεται καὶ γενεὰ ἔρχεται, καὶ ἡ γῆ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ἕστηκε.
A generation goes, and a generation comes: But the earth stands forever.
5
וְזָרַח הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וּבָא הַשָּׁמֶשׁ וְאֶל־מְקוֹמוֹ שׁוֹאֵף זוֹרֵחַ הוּא שָׁם
The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he ariseth.
Καὶ ἀνατέλλει ὁ ἥλιος καὶ δύνει ὁ ἥλιος καὶ εἰς τὸν τόπον αὐτοῦ ἕλκει·
And the sun arises, and the sun goes down And draws toward its place;
6
הוֹלֵךְ אֶל־דָּרוֹם וְסוֹבֵב אֶל־צָפוֹן סוֹבֵב סֹבֵב הוֹלֵךְ הָרוּחַ וְעַל־סְבִיבֹתָיו שָׁב הָרוּחַ
The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it turneth about continually in its circuit, and the wind returneth again to its circuits.
αὐτὸς ἀνατέλλων ἐκεῖ πορεύεται πρὸς Νότον, καὶ κυκλοῖ πρὸς Βοῤῥᾶν· κυκλοῖ κυκλῶν πορεύεται τὸ πνεῦμα, καὶ ἐπὶ κύκλους αὐτοῦ ἐπιστρέφει τὸ πνεῦμα.
Arising there it proceeds southward, And goes round toward the north. The wind goes round and round, And the wind returns to its circuits.
7
כָּל־הַנְּחָלִים הֹלְכִים אֶל־הַיָּם וְהַיָּם אֵינֶנּוּ מָלֵא אֶל־מְקוֹם שֶׁהַנְּחָלִים הֹלְכִים שָׁם הֵם שָׁבִים לָלָכֶת
All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full; unto the place whither the rivers go, thither they go again.
Πάντες οἱ χείμαῤῥοι πορεύονται εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν, καὶ ἡ θάλασσα οὐκ ἔστιν ἐμπιμπλαμένη· εἰς τὸν τόπον οὗ οἱ χείμαῤῥοι πορεύονται, ἐκεῖ αὐτοὶ ἐπιστρέφουσι τοῦ πορευθῆναι.
All the rivers run into the sea; And yet the sea is not filled: To the place whence the rivers come, Thither they return again.
8
כָּל־הַדְּבָרִים יְגֵעִים לֹא־יוּכַל אִישׁ לְדַבֵּר לֹא־תִשְׂבַּע עַיִן לִרְאוֹת וְלֹא־תִמָּלֵא אֹזֶן מִשְּׁמֹעַ
All things toil to weariness; man cannot utter it, the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
Πάντες οἱ λόγοι ἔγκοποι, οὐ δυνήσεται ἀνὴρ τοῦ λαλεῖν· καὶ οὐ πλησθήσεται ὀφθαλμὸς τοῦ ὁρᾷν, καὶ οὐ πληρωθήσεται οὖς ἀπὸ ἀκροάσεως.
All things are full of labor; A man will not be able to speak [of them]: Neither shall the eye be satisfied with seeing, Neither shall the ear be filled with hearing.
9
מַה־שֶּׁהָיָה הוּא שֶׁיִּהְיֶה וּמַה־שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה הוּא שֶׁיֵּעָשֶׂה וְאֵין כָּל־חָדָשׁ תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ
That which hath been is that which shall be, and that which hath been done is that which shall be done; and there is nothing new under the sun.
Τί τὸ γεγονός; αὐτὸ τὸ γενησόμενον· καὶ τί τὸ πεποιημένον; αὐτὸ τὸ ποιηθησόμενον· καὶ οὐκ ἔστι πᾶν πρόσφατον ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον.
What is that which has been? the very thing which shall be: And what is that which has been done? the very thing which shall be done: And there is no new thing under the sun.
10
יֵשׁ דָּבָר שֶׁיֹּאמַר רְאֵה־זֶה חָדָשׁ הוּא כְּבָר הָיָה לְעֹלָמִים אֲשֶׁר הָיָה מִלְּפָנֵנוּ
Is there a thing whereof it is said: 'See, this is new'? --it hath been already, in the ages which were before us.
Ὃς λαλήσει καὶ ἐρεῖ, ἴδε τοῦτο καινόν ἐστιν; ἤδη γέγονεν ἐν τοῖς αἰῶσι τοῖς γενομένοις ἀπὸ ἔμπροσθεν ἡμῶν.
[Who is he] that shall speak and say, Behold, this is new? It has already been in the ages That have passed before us.
11
אֵין זִכְרוֹן לָרִאשֹׁנִים וְגַם לָאַחֲרֹנִים שֶׁיִּהְיוּ לֹא־יִהְיֶה לָהֶם זִכָּרוֹן עִם שֶׁיִּהְיוּ לָאַחֲרֹנָה
There is no remembrance of them of former times; neither shall there be any remembrance of them of latter times that are to come, among those that shall come after.
Οὐκ ἔστι μνήμη τοῖς πρώτοις, καί γε τοῖς ἐσχάτοις γενομένοις οὐκ ἔσται αὐτῶν μνήμη μετὰ τῶν γενησομένων εἰς τὴν ἐσχάτην.
There is no memorial to the first things; Neither to the things that have been last Shall their memorial be With them that shall be at the last [time].
12
אֲנִי קֹהֶלֶת הָיִיתִי מֶלֶךְ עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּירוּשָׁלָ͏ִם
I Koheleth have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.
Ἐγὼ ἐκκλησιαστὴς ἐγενόμην βασιλεὺς ἐπὶ Ἰσραὴλ ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ.
I the Preacher Was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13
וְנָתַתִּי אֶת־לִבִּי לִדְרוֹשׁ וְלָתוּר בַּחָכְמָה עַל כָּל־אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשָׂה תַּחַת הַשָּׁמָיִם הוּא עִנְיַן רָע נָתַן אֱלֹהִים לִבְנֵי הָאָדָם לַעֲנוֹת בּוֹ
And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven; it is a sore task that G-d hath given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith.
Καὶ ἔδωκα τὴν καρδίαν μου τοῦ ἐκζητῆσαι καὶ τοῦ κατασκέψασθαι ἐν τῇ σοφίᾳ περὶ πάντων τῶν γινομένων ὑπὸ τὸν οὐρανόν, ὅτι περισπασμὸν πονηρὸν ἔδωκεν ὁ Θεὸς τοῖς υἱοῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων τοῦ περισπᾶσθαι ἐν αὐτῷ.
And I applied my heart to seek out And examine by wisdom concerning all things That are done under heaven, For God has given to the sons of men An evil trouble To be troubled therewith.
14
רָאִיתִי אֶת־כָּל־הַמַּעֲשִׂים שֶׁנַּעֲשׂוּ תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ וְהִנֵּה הַכֹּל הֶבֶל וּרְעוּת רוּחַ
I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.
Εἶδον σύμπαντα τὰ ποιήματα τὰ πεποιημένα ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον· καὶ ἰδοὺ τὰ πάντα ματαιότης καὶ προαίρεσις πνεύματος.
I beheld all the works That were wrought under the sun; And, behold, all were vanity and waywardness of spirit.
15
מְעֻוָּת לֹא־יוּכַל לִתְקֹן וְחֶסְרוֹן לֹא־יוּכַל לְהִמָּנוֹת
That which is crooked cannot be made straight; and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
Διεστραμμένον οὐ δυνήσεται ἐπικοσμηθῆναι, καὶ ὑστέρημα οὐ δυνήσεται ἀριθμηθῆναι.
That which is crooked cannot be made straight: And deficiency cannot be numbered.
16
דִּבַּרְתִּי אֲנִי עִם־לִבִּי לֵאמֹר אֲנִי הִנֵּה הִגְדַּלְתִּי וְהוֹסַפְתִּי חָכְמָה עַל כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־הָיָה לְפָנַי עַל־יְרוּשָׁלָ͏ִם וְלִבִּי רָאָה הַרְבֵּה חָכְמָה וָדָעַת
I spoke with my own heart, saying: 'Lo, I have gotten great wisdom, more also than all that were before me over Jerusalem'; yea, my heart hath had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.
Ἐλάλησα ἐγὼ ἐν καρδίᾳ μου, τῷ λέγειν, ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἐμεγαλύνθην, καὶ προσέθηκα σοφίαν ἐπὶ πᾶσιν οἳ ἐγένοντο ἔμπροσθέν μου ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ· καὶ ἔδωκα καρδίαν μου τοῦ γνῶναι σοφίαν καὶ γνῶσιν.
I spoke in my heart, saying, Behold, I am increased, And have acquired wisdom beyond all Who were before me in Jerusalem: Also I applied my heart to know wisdom and knowledge.
17
וָאֶתְּנָה לִבִּי לָדַעַת חָכְמָה וְדַעַת הוֹלֵלוֹת וְשִׂכְלוּת יָדַעְתִּי שֶׁגַּם־זֶה הוּא רַעְיוֹן רוּחַ
And I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly--I perceived that this also was a striving after wind.
Καὶ καρδία μου εἶδε πολλὰ, σοφίαν καὶ γνῶσιν, παραβολὰς καὶ ἐπιστήμην· ἔγνων ἐγώ ὅτι καί γε τοῦτό ἐστι προαίρεσις πνεύματος·
And my heart knew much—wisdom, and knowledge, Parables and understanding: I perceived that this also is waywardness of spirit.
18
כִּי בְּרֹב חָכְמָה רָב־כָּעַס וְיוֹסִיף דַּעַת יוֹסִיף מַכְאוֹב
For in much wisdom is much vexation; and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
Ὅτι ἐν πλήθει σοφίας πλῆθος γνώσεως, καὶ ὁ προστιθεὶς γνῶσιν, προσθήσει ἄλγημα.
For in the abundance of wisdom is abundance of knowledge; And he that increases knowledge will increase sorrow.