1 For all this I laid to my heart, even to make clear all this: that the Tzadikim, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of Elohim; whether it is love or hatred, man knows it not; all is before them. 2All things come alike to all; there is one event to HaTzadik and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean and to the unclean; to him that sacrifices and to him that sacrifices not; as is the good, so is the sinner, and he that swears, as he that fears an oath. 3This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one event unto all; yes also, the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead. 4For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope; for a living dog is better than a dead lion. 5For the living know that they shall die; but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. 6As well their love, as their hatred and their envy, is long ago perished; neither have they any more a portion forever in any thing that is done under the sun. 7Go your way, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for Elohim has already accepted your works. 8Let your garments be always white; and let your head lack no oil. 9Enjoy life with the wife whom you love all the days of the life of your vanity, which He has given you under the sun, all the days of your vanity; for that is your portion in life, and in your labor wherein you labor under the sun. 10Whatsoever your hand attains to do by your strength, do that; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, where you are going. 11I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance happens to them all. 12For man also knows not his time; as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare, even so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falls suddenly upon them. 13This also have I seen as wisdom under the sun, and it seemed great unto me: 14there was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it; 15now there was found in it a man poor and wise, and he, by his wisdom, delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man. 16Then said I, “Wisdom is better than strength; nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.” 17The words of the wise spoken in quiet are more acceptable than the cry of a ruler among fools. 18Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner destroys much good.
אכִּי אֶת כָּל זֶה נָתַתִּי אֶל לִבִּי וְלָבוּר אֶת כָּל זֶה אֲשֶׁר הַצַּדִּיקִים וְהַחֲכָמִים וַעֲבָדֵיהֶם בְּיַד הָאֱלֹהִים; גַּם אַהֲבָה גַם שִׂנְאָה אֵין יוֹדֵעַ הָאָדָם הַכֹּל לִפְנֵיהֶם. בהַכֹּל כַּאֲשֶׁר לַכֹּל מִקְרֶה אֶחָד לַצַּדִּיק וְלָרָשָׁע לַטּוֹב וְלַטָּהוֹר וְלַטָּמֵא וְלַזֹּבֵחַ וְלַאֲשֶׁר אֵינֶנּוּ זֹבֵחַ: כַּטּוֹב כַּחֹטֶא הַנִּשְׁבָּע כַּאֲשֶׁר שְׁבוּעָה יָרֵא. גזֶה רָע בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשָׂה תַּחַת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ כִּי מִקְרֶה אֶחָד לַכֹּל; וְגַם לֵב בְּנֵי הָאָדָם מָלֵא רָע וְהוֹלֵלוֹת בִּלְבָבָם בְּחַיֵּיהֶם וְאַחֲרָיו אֶל הַמֵּתִים. דכִּי מִי אֲשֶׁר יבחר (יְחֻבַּר) אֶל כָּל הַחַיִּים יֵשׁ בִּטָּחוֹן: כִּי לְכֶלֶב חַי הוּא טוֹב מִן הָאַרְיֵה הַמֵּת. הכִּי הַחַיִּים יוֹדְעִים שֶׁיָּמֻתוּ; וְהַמֵּתִים אֵינָם יוֹדְעִים מְאוּמָה וְאֵין עוֹד לָהֶם שָׂכָר כִּי נִשְׁכַּח זִכְרָם. וגַּם אַהֲבָתָם גַּם שִׂנְאָתָם גַּם קִנְאָתָם כְּבָר אָבָדָה; וְחֵלֶק אֵין לָהֶם עוֹד לְעוֹלָם בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשָׂה תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ. זלֵךְ אֱכֹל בְּשִׂמְחָה לַחְמֶךָ וּשְׁתֵה בְלֶב טוֹב יֵינֶךָ: כִּי כְבָר רָצָה הָאֱלֹהִים אֶת מַעֲשֶׂיךָ. חבְּכָל עֵת יִהְיוּ בְגָדֶיךָ לְבָנִים; וְשֶׁמֶן עַל רֹאשְׁךָ אַל יֶחְסָר. טרְאֵה חַיִּים עִם אִשָּׁה אֲשֶׁר אָהַבְתָּ כָּל יְמֵי חַיֵּי הֶבְלֶךָ אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לְךָ תַּחַת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ כֹּל יְמֵי הֶבְלֶךָ: כִּי הוּא חֶלְקְךָ בַּחַיִּים וּבַעֲמָלְךָ אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה עָמֵל תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ. יכֹּל אֲשֶׁר תִּמְצָא יָדְךָ לַעֲשׂוֹת בְּכֹחֲךָ עֲשֵׂה: כִּי אֵין מַעֲשֶׂה וְחֶשְׁבּוֹן וְדַעַת וְחָכְמָה בִּשְׁאוֹל אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה הֹלֵךְ שָׁמָּה. יאשַׁבְתִּי וְרָאֹה תַחַת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ כִּי לֹא לַקַּלִּים הַמֵּרוֹץ וְלֹא לַגִּבּוֹרִים הַמִּלְחָמָה וְגַם לֹא לַחֲכָמִים לֶחֶם וְגַם לֹא לַנְּבֹנִים עֹשֶׁר וְגַם לֹא לַיֹּדְעִים חֵן: כִּי עֵת וָפֶגַע יִקְרֶה אֶת כֻּלָּם. יבכִּי גַּם לֹא יֵדַע הָאָדָם אֶת עִתּוֹ כַּדָּגִים שֶׁנֶּאֱחָזִים בִּמְצוֹדָה רָעָה וְכַצִּפֳּרִים הָאֲחֻזוֹת בַּפָּח; כָּהֵם יוּקָשִׁים בְּנֵי הָאָדָם לְעֵת רָעָה כְּשֶׁתִּפּוֹל עֲלֵיהֶם פִּתְאֹם. יגגַּם זֹה רָאִיתִי חָכְמָה תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ; וּגְדוֹלָה הִיא אֵלָי. ידעִיר קְטַנָּה וַאֲנָשִׁים בָּהּ מְעָט; וּבָא אֵלֶיהָ מֶלֶךְ גָּדוֹל וְסָבַב אֹתָהּ וּבָנָה עָלֶיהָ מְצוֹדִים גְּדֹלִים. טווּמָצָא בָהּ אִישׁ מִסְכֵּן חָכָם וּמִלַּט הוּא אֶת הָעִיר בְּחָכְמָתוֹ; וְאָדָם לֹא זָכַר אֶת הָאִישׁ הַמִּסְכֵּן הַהוּא. טזוְאָמַרְתִּי אָנִי טוֹבָה חָכְמָה מִגְּבוּרָה; וְחָכְמַת הַמִּסְכֵּן בְּזוּיָה וּדְבָרָיו אֵינָם נִשְׁמָעִים. יזדִּבְרֵי חֲכָמִים בְּנַחַת נִשְׁמָעִים מִזַּעֲקַת מוֹשֵׁל בַּכְּסִילִים. יחטוֹבָה חָכְמָה מִכְּלֵי קְרָב; וְחוֹטֶא אֶחָד יְאַבֵּד טוֹבָה הַרְבֵּה.
D'var יהוה , The Word of יהוה 