1Who is as the wise man? And who knows the interpretation of a thing? A man’s wisdom makes his face to shine, and the boldness of his face is changed. 2I [counsel you], keep the command of a Melekh, and that in regard of the oath of Elohim. 3Be not hasty to go out of his presence; stand not in an evil thing; for he does whatsoever pleases him. 4Forasmuch as the word of a Melekh has power; and who may say unto him, “What are you doing?” 5Whoever keeps the Mitzvah shall know no evil thing; and a wise man’s heart discerns time and judgment. 6For to every matter there is a time and judgment; for the evil of man is great upon him. 7For he knows not that which shall be; for even when it comes to pass, who shall declare it unto him? 8There is no man that has power over the wind to retain the wind; neither has he power over the day of death; and there is no discharge in war; neither shall wickedness deliver him that is given to it. 9All this have I seen, even applied my heart thereto, whatever the work that is done under the sun; what time one man had power over another to his hurt. 10And so I saw the wicked buried, and they entered into their rest; but they that had done right went away from the Mekom Kadosh and were forgotten in the city; this also is vanity. 11Because a sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil; 12because a sinner does evil a hundred times, and prolongs his days, though yet I know that it shall be well with them that fear Elohim, that fear before Him, 13but it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow, because he fears not before Elohim. 14There is a vanity which is done upon the earth: that there are Tzadikim unto whom it happens according to the work of the wicked; again, there are wicked men, to whom it happens according to the work of the Tzadikim; I said that this also is vanity. 15So I commended mirth, that a man has no better thing under the sun than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry, and that this should accompany him in his labor all the days of his life which Elohim has given him under the sun. 16When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth, for neither day nor night do men see sleep with their eyes, 17then I beheld all the work of Elohim, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun; because though a man labors to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yes further, though a wise man thinks to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it.
אמִי כְּהֶחָכָם וּמִי יוֹדֵעַ פֵּשֶׁר דָּבָר; חָכְמַת אָדָם תָּאִיר פָּנָיו וְעֹז פָּנָיו יְשֻׁנֶּא. באֲנִי פִּי מֶלֶךְ שְׁמֹר וְעַל דִּבְרַת שְׁבוּעַת אֱלֹהִים. גאַל תִּבָּהֵל מִפָּנָיו תֵּלֵךְ אַל תַּעֲמֹד בְּדָבָר רָע: כִּי כָּל אֲשֶׁר יַחְפֹּץ יַעֲשֶׂה. דבַּאֲשֶׁר דְּבַר מֶלֶךְ שִׁלְטוֹן; וּמִי יֹאמַר לוֹ מַה תַּעֲשֶׂה. השׁוֹמֵר מִצְוָה לֹא יֵדַע דָּבָר רָע; וְעֵת וּמִשְׁפָּט יֵדַע לֵב חָכָם. וכִּי לְכָל חֵפֶץ יֵשׁ עֵת וּמִשְׁפָּט: כִּי רָעַת הָאָדָם רַבָּה עָלָיו. זכִּי אֵינֶנּוּ יֹדֵעַ מַה שֶּׁיִּהְיֶה: כִּי כַּאֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה מִי יַגִּיד לוֹ. חאֵין אָדָם שַׁלִּיט בָּרוּחַ לִכְלוֹא אֶת הָרוּחַ וְאֵין שִׁלְטוֹן בְּיוֹם הַמָּוֶת וְאֵין מִשְׁלַחַת בַּמִּלְחָמָה; וְלֹא יְמַלֵּט רֶשַׁע אֶת בְּעָלָיו. טאֶת כָּל זֶה רָאִיתִי וְנָתוֹן אֶת לִבִּי לְכָל מַעֲשֶׂה אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשָׂה תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ: עֵת אֲשֶׁר שָׁלַט הָאָדָם בְּאָדָם לְרַע לוֹ. יוּבְכֵן רָאִיתִי רְשָׁעִים קְבֻרִים וָבָאוּ וּמִמְּקוֹם קָדוֹשׁ יְהַלֵּכוּ וְיִשְׁתַּכְּחוּ בָעִיר אֲשֶׁר כֵּן עָשׂוּ; גַּם זֶה הָבֶל. יאאֲשֶׁר אֵין נַעֲשָׂה פִתְגָם מַעֲשֵׂה הָרָעָה מְהֵרָה; עַל כֵּן מָלֵא לֵב בְּנֵי הָאָדָם בָּהֶם לַעֲשׂוֹת רָע. יבאֲשֶׁר חֹטֶא עֹשֶׂה רָע מְאַת וּמַאֲרִיךְ לוֹ: כִּי גַּם יוֹדֵעַ אָנִי אֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה טּוֹב לְיִרְאֵי הָאֱלֹהִים אֲשֶׁר יִירְאוּ מִלְּפָנָיו. יגוְטוֹב לֹא יִהְיֶה לָרָשָׁע וְלֹא יַאֲרִיךְ יָמִים כַּצֵּל אֲשֶׁר אֵינֶנּוּ יָרֵא מִלִּפְנֵי אֱלֹהִים. ידיֶשׁ הֶבֶל אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשָׂה עַל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר יֵשׁ צַדִּיקִים אֲשֶׁר מַגִּיעַ אֲלֵהֶם כְּמַעֲשֵׂה הָרְשָׁעִים וְיֵשׁ רְשָׁעִים שֶׁמַּגִּיעַ אֲלֵהֶם כְּמַעֲשֵׂה הַצַּדִּיקִים: אָמַרְתִּי שֶׁגַּם זֶה הָבֶל. טווְשִׁבַּחְתִּי אֲנִי אֶת הַשִּׂמְחָה אֲשֶׁר אֵין טוֹב לָאָדָם תַּחַת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ כִּי אִם לֶאֱכֹל וְלִשְׁתּוֹת וְלִשְׂמוֹחַ; וְהוּא יִלְוֶנּוּ בַעֲמָלוֹ יְמֵי חַיָּיו אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לוֹ הָאֱלֹהִים תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ. טזכַּאֲשֶׁר נָתַתִּי אֶת לִבִּי לָדַעַת חָכְמָה וְלִרְאוֹת אֶת הָעִנְיָן אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשָׂה עַל הָאָרֶץ: כִּי גַם בַּיּוֹם וּבַלַּיְלָה שֵׁנָה בְּעֵינָיו אֵינֶנּוּ רֹאֶה. יזוְרָאִיתִי אֶת כָּל מַעֲשֵׂה הָאֱלֹהִים כִּי לֹא יוּכַל הָאָדָם לִמְצוֹא אֶת הַמַּעֲשֶׂה אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשָׂה תַחַת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ בְּשֶׁל אֲשֶׁר יַעֲמֹל הָאָדָם לְבַקֵּשׁ וְלֹא יִמְצָא; וְגַם אִם יֹאמַר הֶחָכָם לָדַעַת לֹא יוּכַל לִמְצֹא.
D'var יהוה , The Word of יהוה 