Ecclesiastes · Westminster Leningrad Codex
Ecclesiastes 4 Westminster Leningrad Codex
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 וְשַׁ֣בְתִּֽי אֲנִ֗י וָאֶרְאֶה֙ אֶת־כָּל־הָ֣עֲשֻׁקִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר נַעֲשִׂ֖ים תַּ֣חַת הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ וְהִנֵּ֣ה ׀ דִּמְעַ֣ת הָעֲשֻׁקִ֗ים וְאֵ֤ין לָהֶם֙ מְנַחֵ֔ם וּמִיַּ֤ד עֹֽשְׁקֵיהֶם֙ כֹּ֔חַ וְאֵ֥ין לָהֶ֖ם מְנַחֵֽם׃
1 Then I returned and saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold, the tears of those who were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.
2 וְשַׁבֵּ֧חַ אֲנִ֛י אֶת־הַמֵּתִ֖ים שֶׁכְּבָ֣ר מֵ֑תוּ מִן־הַ֣חַיִּ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֛ר הֵ֥מָּה חַיִּ֖ים עֲדֶֽנָה׃
2 Therefore I praised the dead who have been long dead more than the living who are yet alive.
3 וְטוֹב֙ מִשְּׁנֵיהֶ֔ם אֵ֥ת אֲשֶׁר־עֲדֶ֖ן לֹ֣א הָיָ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹֽא־רָאָה֙ אֶת־הַמַּעֲשֶׂ֣ה הָרָ֔ע אֲשֶׁ֥ר נַעֲשָׂ֖ה תַּ֥חַת הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃
3 Yes, better than them both is him who has not yet been, who has not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.
4 וְרָאִ֨יתִֽי אֲנִ֜י אֶת־כָּל־עָמָ֗ל וְאֵת֙ כָּל־כִּשְׁר֣וֹן הַֽמַּעֲשֶׂ֔ה כִּ֛י הִ֥יא קִנְאַת־אִ֖ישׁ מֵרֵעֵ֑הוּ גַּם־זֶ֥ה הֶ֖בֶל וּרְע֥וּת רֽוּחַ׃
4 Then I saw all the labor and achievement that is the envy of a man’s neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.
5 הַכְּסִיל֙ חֹבֵ֣ק אֶת־יָדָ֔יו וְאֹכֵ֖ל אֶת־בְּשָׂרֽוֹ׃
5 The fool folds his hands together and ruins himself.
6 ט֕וֹב מְלֹ֥א כַ֖ף נָ֑חַת מִמְּלֹ֥א חָפְנַ֛יִם עָמָ֖ל וּרְע֥וּת רֽוּחַ׃
6 Better is a handful, with quietness, than two handfuls with labor and chasing after wind.
7 וְשַׁ֧בְתִּי אֲנִ֛י וָאֶרְאֶ֥ה הֶ֖בֶל תַּ֥חַת הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃
7 Then I returned and saw vanity under the sun.
8 יֵ֣שׁ אֶחָד֩ וְאֵ֨ין שֵׁנִ֜י גַּ֣ם בֵּ֧ן וָאָ֣ח אֵֽין־ל֗וֹ וְאֵ֥ין קֵץ֙ לְכָל־עֲמָל֔וֹ גַּם־עיניו לֹא־תִשְׂבַּ֣ע עֹ֑שֶׁר וּלְמִ֣י ׀ אֲנִ֣י עָמֵ֗ל וּמְחַסֵּ֤ר אֶת־נַפְשִׁי֙ מִטּוֹבָ֔ה גַּם־זֶ֥ה הֶ֛בֶל וְעִנְיַ֥ן רָ֖ע הֽוּא׃
8 There is one who is alone, and he has neither son nor brother. There is no end to all of his labor, neither are his eyes satisfied with wealth. “For whom then do I labor and deprive my soul of enjoyment?” This also is vanity. Yes, it is a miserable business.
9 טוֹבִ֥ים הַשְּׁנַ֖יִם מִן־הָאֶחָ֑ד אֲשֶׁ֧ר יֵשׁ־לָהֶ֛ם שָׂכָ֥ר ט֖וֹב בַּעֲמָלָֽם׃
9 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor.
10 כִּ֣י אִם־יִפֹּ֔לוּ הָאֶחָ֖ד יָקִ֣ים אֶת־חֲבֵר֑וֹ וְאִ֣יל֗וֹ הָֽאֶחָד֙ שֶׁיִּפּ֔וֹל וְאֵ֥ין שֵׁנִ֖י לַהֲקִימֽוֹ׃
10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him who is alone when he falls, and doesn’t have another to lift him up.
11 גַּ֛ם אִם־יִשְׁכְּב֥וּ שְׁנַ֖יִם וְחַ֣ם לָהֶ֑ם וּלְאֶחָ֖ד אֵ֥יךְ יֵחָֽם׃
11 Again, if two lie together, then they have warmth; but how can one keep warm alone?
12 וְאִֽם־יִתְקְפוֹ֙ הָאֶחָ֔ד הַשְּׁנַ֖יִם יַעַמְד֣וּ נֶגְדּ֑וֹ וְהַחוּט֙ הַֽמְשֻׁלָּ֔שׁ לֹ֥א בִמְהֵרָ֖ה יִנָּתֵֽק׃
12 If a man prevails against one who is alone, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
13 ט֛וֹב יֶ֥לֶד מִסְכֵּ֖ן וְחָכָ֑ם מִמֶּ֤לֶךְ זָקֵן֙ וּכְסִ֔יל אֲשֶׁ֛ר לֹא־יָדַ֥ע לְהִזָּהֵ֖ר עֽוֹד׃
13 Better is a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who doesn’t know how to receive admonition any more.
14 כִּֽי־מִבֵּ֥ית הָסוּרִ֖ים יָצָ֣א לִמְלֹ֑ךְ כִּ֛י גַּ֥ם בְּמַלְכוּת֖וֹ נוֹלַ֥ד רָֽשׁ׃
14 For out of prison he came out to be king; yes, even in his kingdom he was born poor.
15 רָאִ֙יתִי֙ אֶת־כָּל־ הַ֣חַיִּ֔ים הַֽמְהַלְּכִ֖ים תַּ֣חַת הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ עִ֚ם הַיֶּ֣לֶד הַשֵּׁנִ֔י אֲשֶׁ֥ר יַעֲמֹ֖ד תַּחְתָּֽיו׃
15 I saw all the living who walk under the sun, that they were with the youth, the other, who succeeded him.
16 אֵֽין־קֵ֣ץ לְכָל־הָעָ֗ם לְכֹ֤ל אֲשֶׁר־הָיָה֙ לִפְנֵיהֶ֔ם גַּ֥ם הָאַחֲרוֹנִ֖ים לֹ֣א יִשְׂמְחוּ־ב֑וֹ כִּֽי־גַם ־זֶ֥ה הֶ֖בֶל וְרַעְי֥וֹן רֽוּחַ׃
16 There was no end of all the people, even of all them over whom he was—yet those who come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a chasing after wind.
17 שְׁמֹ֣ר רגליך כַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר תֵּלֵךְ֙ אֶל־בֵּ֣ית הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים וְקָר֣וֹב לִשְׁמֹ֔עַ מִתֵּ֥ת הַכְּסִילִ֖ים זָ֑בַח כִּֽי־אֵינָ֥ם יוֹדְעִ֖ים לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת רָֽע׃
17 Not in this translation
Cross references (16)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Ecclesiastes 3:16; Ecclesiastes 5:8; Isaiah 5:7; 2 Timothy 4:16–17; Isaiah 51:23
- 2 Job 3:11–26; Ecclesiastes 2:17; Ecclesiastes 9:4–6
- 3 Luke 23:29; Matthew 24:19; Ecclesiastes 6:3–5; Job 10:18–19; Jeremiah 9:2–3
- 4 1 John 3:12; Ecclesiastes 1:14; Ecclesiastes 2:21; Ecclesiastes 2:26; 1 Samuel 18:29–30
- 5 Isaiah 9:20; Proverbs 6:10–11; Proverbs 13:4; Proverbs 20:4; Job 13:14
- 6 Proverbs 16:8; Proverbs 15:16–17; Psalm 37:16; Proverbs 17:1
- 7 Ecclesiastes 4:1; Psalm 78:33; Zechariah 1:6
- 8 1 John 2:16; Proverbs 27:20; Luke 12:20; Ecclesiastes 1:8; Matthew 11:28
- 9 Proverbs 27:17; Genesis 2:18; 1 Corinthians 12:18–21; Numbers 11:14; Mark 6:7
- 10 1 Thessalonians 5:11; 1 Thessalonians 4:18; Galatians 6:1; Isaiah 35:3–4; Job 4:3–4
- 11 1 Kings 1:1–4
- 12 Ephesians 4:3; Daniel 3:16–17
- 13 Proverbs 19:1; 2 Chronicles 25:16; 2 Chronicles 16:9–10; Proverbs 28:15–16; 1 Kings 22:8
- 14 Psalm 113:7–8; Genesis 41:14; Job 5:11; Lamentations 4:20; Genesis 41:33–44
- 15 2 Samuel 15:6
- 16 Ecclesiastes 1:14; 1 Kings 1:40; Ecclesiastes 2:17; 2 Samuel 15:12–13; 1 Kings 1:5–7
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences