1The words of Kohelet, Ben David, Melekh in Yerushalayim. 2Vanity of vanities, says Kohelet; vanity of vanities, all is vanity. 3What profit has man of all his labor wherein he labors under the sun? 4One generation passes away, and another generation comes; and the earth abides forever. 5The sun also rises, and the sun goes down, and hastes to its place where it rises. 6The wind goes toward the south, and turns about unto the north; it turns about continually in its circuit, and the wind returns again to its circuits. 7All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full; unto the place where the rivers go, there they go again. 8All things toil to weariness; man cannot utter it, the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. 9That which has been is that which shall be, and that which has been done is that which shall be done; and there is nothing new under the sun. 10Is there a thing whereof it is said, ‘See, this is new’? It has been already, in the ages which were before us. 11There 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.
12I, Kohelet, have been Melekh over Yisra’el in Yerushalayim. 13And 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 Elohim has given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith. 14I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind. 15That which is crooked cannot be made straight; and that which is wanting cannot be numbered. 16I spoke with my own heart, saying, “Lo, I have gotten great wisdom, more also than all that were before me over Yerushalayim”; yes, my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge. 17And I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also was a striving after wind. 18For in much wisdom is much vexation; and he that increases knowledge increases sorrow.
אדִּבְרֵי קֹהֶלֶת בֶּן דָּוִד מֶלֶךְ בִּירוּשָׁלִָם. בהֲבֵל הֲבָלִים אָמַר קֹהֶלֶת הֲבֵל הֲבָלִים הַכֹּל הָבֶל. גמַה יִּתְרוֹן לָאָדָם: בְּכָל עֲמָלוֹ שֶׁיַּעֲמֹל תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ. דדּוֹר הֹלֵךְ וְדוֹר בָּא וְהָאָרֶץ לְעוֹלָם עֹמָדֶת. הוְזָרַח הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וּבָא הַשָּׁמֶשׁ; וְאֶל מְקוֹמוֹ שׁוֹאֵף זוֹרֵחַ הוּא שָׁם. והוֹלֵךְ אֶל דָּרוֹם וְסוֹבֵב אֶל צָפוֹן; סוֹבֵב סֹבֵב הוֹלֵךְ הָרוּחַ וְעַל סְבִיבֹתָיו שָׁב הָרוּחַ. זכָּל הַנְּחָלִים הֹלְכִים אֶל הַיָּם וְהַיָּם אֵינֶנּוּ מָלֵא; אֶל מְקוֹם שֶׁהַנְּחָלִים הֹלְכִים שָׁם הֵם שָׁבִים לָלָכֶת. חכָּל הַדְּבָרִים יְגֵעִים לֹא יוּכַל אִישׁ לְדַבֵּר; לֹא תִשְׂבַּע עַיִן לִרְאוֹת וְלֹא תִמָּלֵא אֹזֶן מִשְּׁמֹעַ. טמַה שֶּׁהָיָה הוּא שֶׁיִּהְיֶה וּמַה שֶּׁנַּעֲשָׂה הוּא שֶׁיֵּעָשֶׂה; וְאֵין כָּל חָדָשׁ תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ. ייֵשׁ דָּבָר שֶׁיֹּאמַר רְאֵה זֶה חָדָשׁ הוּא: כְּבָר הָיָה לְעֹלָמִים אֲשֶׁר הָיָה מִלְּפָנֵנוּ. יאאֵין זִכְרוֹן לָרִאשֹׁנִים; וְגַם לָאַחֲרֹנִים שֶׁיִּהְיוּ לֹא יִהְיֶה לָהֶם זִכָּרוֹן עִם שֶׁיִּהְיוּ לָאַחֲרֹנָה.
יבאֲנִי קֹהֶלֶת הָיִיתִי מֶלֶךְ עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּירוּשָׁלִָם. יגוְנָתַתִּי אֶת לִבִּי לִדְרוֹשׁ וְלָתוּר בַּחָכְמָה עַל כָּל אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשָׂה תַּחַת הַשָּׁמָיִם; הוּא עִנְיַן רָע נָתַן אֱלֹהִים לִבְנֵי הָאָדָם לַעֲנוֹת בּוֹ. ידרָאִיתִי אֶת כָּל הַמַּעֲשִׂים שֶׁנַּעֲשׂוּ תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ; וְהִנֵּה הַכֹּל הֶבֶל וּרְעוּת רוּחַ. טומְעֻוָּת לֹא יוּכַל לִתְקֹן; וְחֶסְרוֹן לֹא יוּכַל לְהִמָּנוֹת. טזדִּבַּרְתִּי אֲנִי עִם לִבִּי לֵאמֹר אֲנִי הִנֵּה הִגְדַּלְתִּי וְהוֹסַפְתִּי חָכְמָה עַל כָּל אֲשֶׁר הָיָה לְפָנַי עַל יְרוּשָׁלִָם; וְלִבִּי רָאָה הַרְבֵּה חָכְמָה וָדָעַת. יזוָאֶתְּנָה לִבִּי לָדַעַת חָכְמָה וְדַעַת הוֹלֵלֹת וְשִׂכְלוּת: יָדַעְתִּי שֶׁגַּם זֶה הוּא רַעְיוֹן רוּחַ. יחכִּי בְּרֹב חָכְמָה רָב כָּעַס; וְיוֹסִיף דַּעַת יוֹסִיף מַכְאוֹב.
D'var יהוה , The Word of יהוה 