1I said in my heart, “Come now, I will try you with mirth, and enjoy pleasure”; and, behold, this also was vanity. 2I said of laughter, “It is mad”; and of mirth, “What does it accomplish?” 3I searched in my heart how to pamper my flesh with wine, and, my heart conducting itself with wisdom, how yet to lay hold on folly, till I might see which it was best for the sons of men that they should do under the heaven the few days of their life. 4I made myself great works; I built myself houses; I planted myself vineyards; 5I made myself gardens and parks, and I planted trees in them of all kinds of fruit; 6I made myself pools of water, to water therefrom the wood springing up with trees; 7I acquired men-servants and maid-servants, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of herds and flocks, above all that were before me in Yerushalayim; 8I gathered myself also silver and gold, and treasure such as kings and the provinces have as their own; I got myself men-singers and women-singers, and the delights of the sons of men, women very many. 9So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Yerushalayim; also my wisdom stood me in stead. 10And whatsoever my eyes desired I kept not from them; I withheld not my heart from any joy, for my heart had joy of all my labor; and this was my portion from all my labor. 11Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labor that I had labored to do; and, behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was no profit under the sun. 12And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness and folly; for what can the man do that comes after HaMelekh? Even that which has been already done. 13Then I saw that wisdom exceeds folly, as far as light exceeds darkness. 14The wise man, his eyes are in his head; but the fool walks in darkness. And I also perceived that one event happens to them all. 15Then said I in my heart, “As it happens to the fool, so will it happen even to me; and why was I then more wise?” Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity. 16For of the wise man, even as of the fool, there is no remembrance forever; seeing that in the days to come all will long ago have been forgotten. And how must the wise man die even as the fool! 17So I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun was grievous unto me; for all is vanity and a striving after wind. 18And I hated all my labor wherein I labored under the sun, seeing that I must leave it unto the man that shall be after me. 19And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet will he have rule over all my labor wherein I have labored, and wherein I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity. 20Therefore I turned about to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labor wherein I had labored under the sun. 21For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, and with knowledge, and with skill; yet to a man that has not labored therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil. 22For what has a man of all his labor, and of the striving of his heart, wherein he labors under the sun? 23For all his days are pains, and his occupation vexation; yes, even in the night his heart takes not rest. This also is vanity. 24There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and make his soul enjoy pleasure for his labor. This also I saw, that it is from the hand of Elohim. 25For who will eat, or who will enjoy, if not I? 26For to the man that is good in His sight He gives wisdom, and knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner He gives the task, to gather and to heap up, that he may leave to him what is good in the sight of Elohim. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.
אאָמַרְתִּי אֲנִי בְּלִבִּי לְכָה נָּא אֲנַסְּכָה בְשִׂמְחָה וּרְאֵה בְטוֹב; וְהִנֵּה גַם הוּא הָבֶל. בלִשְׂחוֹק אָמַרְתִּי מְהוֹלָל; וּלְשִׂמְחָה מַה זֹּה עֹשָׂה. גתַּרְתִּי בְלִבִּי לִמְשׁוֹךְ בַּיַּיִן אֶת בְּשָׂרִי; וְלִבִּי נֹהֵג בַּחָכְמָה וְלֶאֱחֹז בְּסִכְלוּת עַד אֲשֶׁר אֶרְאֶה אֵי זֶה טוֹב לִבְנֵי הָאָדָם אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשׂוּ תַּחַת הַשָּׁמַיִם מִסְפַּר יְמֵי חַיֵּיהֶם. דהִגְדַּלְתִּי מַעֲשָׂי: בָּנִיתִי לִי בָּתִּים נָטַעְתִּי לִי כְּרָמִים. העָשִׂיתִי לִי גַּנּוֹת וּפַרְדֵּסִים; וְנָטַעְתִּי בָהֶם עֵץ כָּל פֶּרִי. ועָשִׂיתִי לִי בְּרֵכוֹת מָיִם לְהַשְׁקוֹת מֵהֶם יַעַר צוֹמֵחַ עֵצִים. זקָנִיתִי עֲבָדִים וּשְׁפָחוֹת וּבְנֵי בַיִת הָיָה לִי; גַּם מִקְנֶה בָקָר וָצֹאן הַרְבֵּה הָיָה לִי מִכֹּל שֶׁהָיוּ לְפָנַי בִּירוּשָׁלִָם. חכָּנַסְתִּי לִי גַּם כֶּסֶף וְזָהָב וּסְגֻלַּת מְלָכִים וְהַמְּדִינוֹת; עָשִׂיתִי לִי שָׁרִים וְשָׁרוֹת וְתַעֲנֻגוֹת בְּנֵי הָאָדָם שִׁדָּה וְשִׁדּוֹת. טוְגָדַלְתִּי וְהוֹסַפְתִּי מִכֹּל שֶׁהָיָה לְפָנַי בִּירוּשָׁלִָם; אַף חָכְמָתִי עָמְדָה לִּי. יוְכֹל אֲשֶׁר שָׁאֲלוּ עֵינַי לֹא אָצַלְתִּי מֵהֶם: לֹא מָנַעְתִּי אֶת לִבִּי מִכָּל שִׂמְחָה כִּי לִבִּי שָׂמֵחַ מִכָּל עֲמָלִי וְזֶה הָיָה חֶלְקִי מִכָּל עֲמָלִי. יאוּפָנִיתִי אֲנִי בְּכָל מַעֲשַׂי שֶׁעָשׂוּ יָדַי וּבֶעָמָל שֶׁעָמַלְתִּי לַעֲשׂוֹת; וְהִנֵּה הַכֹּל הֶבֶל וּרְעוּת רוּחַ וְאֵין יִתְרוֹן תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ. יבוּפָנִיתִי אֲנִי לִרְאוֹת חָכְמָה וְהוֹלֵלוֹת וְסִכְלוּת: כִּי מֶה הָאָדָם שֶׁיָּבוֹא אַחֲרֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ אֵת אֲשֶׁר כְּבָר עָשׂוּהוּ. יגוְרָאִיתִי אָנִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ יִתְרוֹן לַחָכְמָה מִן הַסִּכְלוּת כִּיתְרוֹן הָאוֹר מִן הַחֹשֶׁךְ. ידהֶחָכָם עֵינָיו בְּרֹאשׁוֹ וְהַכְּסִיל בַּחֹשֶׁךְ הוֹלֵךְ; וְיָדַעְתִּי גַם אָנִי שֶׁמִּקְרֶה אֶחָד יִקְרֶה אֶת כֻּלָּם. טווְאָמַרְתִּי אֲנִי בְּלִבִּי כְּמִקְרֵה הַכְּסִיל גַּם אֲנִי יִקְרֵנִי וְלָמָּה חָכַמְתִּי אֲנִי אָז יֹתֵר; וְדִבַּרְתִּי בְלִבִּי שֶׁגַּם זֶה הָבֶל. טזכִּי אֵין זִכְרוֹן לֶחָכָם עִם הַכְּסִיל לְעוֹלָם: בְּשֶׁכְּבָר הַיָּמִים הַבָּאִים הַכֹּל נִשְׁכָּח וְאֵיךְ יָמוּת הֶחָכָם עִם הַכְּסִיל. יזוְשָׂנֵאתִי אֶת הַחַיִּים כִּי רַע עָלַי הַמַּעֲשֶׂה שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ: כִּי הַכֹּל הֶבֶל וּרְעוּת רוּחַ. יחוְשָׂנֵאתִי אֲנִי אֶת כָּל עֲמָלִי שֶׁאֲנִי עָמֵל תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ: שֶׁאַנִּיחֶנּוּ לָאָדָם שֶׁיִּהְיֶה אַחֲרָי. יטוּמִי יוֹדֵעַ הֶחָכָם יִהְיֶה אוֹ סָכָל וְיִשְׁלַט בְּכָל עֲמָלִי שֶׁעָמַלְתִּי וְשֶׁחָכַמְתִּי תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ; גַּם זֶה הָבֶל. כוְסַבּוֹתִי אֲנִי לְיַאֵשׁ אֶת לִבִּי עַל כָּל הֶעָמָל שֶׁעָמַלְתִּי תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ. כאכִּי יֵשׁ אָדָם שֶׁעֲמָלוֹ בְּחָכְמָה וּבְדַעַת וּבְכִשְׁרוֹן; וּלְאָדָם שֶׁלֹּא עָמַל בּוֹ יִתְּנֶנּוּ חֶלְקוֹ גַּם זֶה הֶבֶל וְרָעָה רַבָּה. כבכִּי מֶה הֹוֶה לָאָדָם בְּכָל עֲמָלוֹ וּבְרַעְיוֹן לִבּוֹ שְׁהוּא עָמֵל תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ. כגכִּי כָל יָמָיו מַכְאֹבִים וָכַעַס עִנְיָנוֹ גַּם בַּלַּיְלָה לֹא שָׁכַב לִבּוֹ; גַּם זֶה הֶבֶל הוּא. כדאֵין טוֹב בָּאָדָם שֶׁיֹּאכַל וְשָׁתָה וְהֶרְאָה אֶת נַפְשׁוֹ טוֹב בַּעֲמָלוֹ; גַּם זֹה רָאִיתִי אָנִי כִּי מִיַּד הָאֱלֹהִים הִיא. כהכִּי מִי יֹאכַל וּמִי יָחוּשׁ חוּץ מִמֶּנִּי. כוכִּי לְאָדָם שֶׁטּוֹב לְפָנָיו נָתַן חָכְמָה וְדַעַת וְשִׂמְחָה; וְלַחוֹטֶא נָתַן עִנְיָן לֶאֱסֹף וְלִכְנוֹס לָתֵת לְטוֹב לִפְנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים גַּם זֶה הֶבֶל וּרְעוּת רוּחַ.
D'var יהוה , The Word of יהוה 