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Ecclesiastes

Kohelet

The heart of Ecclesiastes in about 9 minutes: 17 passages from 12 chapters, in its own words.

By
King Solomon
When
c. 950 BCE
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How it begins

הֲבֵ֤ל הֲבָלִים֙ אָמַ֣ר קֹהֶ֔לֶת הֲבֵ֥ל הֲבָלִ֖ים הַכֹּ֥ל הָֽבֶל׃

Vanity of vanities, saith Koheleth; Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.

Every word below is the text itself, as written, with its translator named. Texts from Sefaria. Nothing is paraphrased.

Chapter 1

  1. הֲבֵ֤ל הֲבָלִים֙ אָמַ֣ר קֹהֶ֔לֶת הֲבֵ֥ל הֲבָלִ֖ים הַכֹּ֥ל הָֽבֶל׃

    Vanity of vanities, saith Koheleth; Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.

    Ecclesiastes 1:2 · The Holy Scriptures: A New Translation (JPS 1917)

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  2. מַה־שֶּֽׁהָיָה֙ ה֣וּא שֶׁיִּהְיֶ֔ה וּמַה־שֶּׁנַּֽעֲשָׂ֔ה ה֖וּא שֶׁיֵּעָשֶׂ֑ה וְאֵ֥ין כׇּל־חָדָ֖שׁ תַּ֥חַת הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃

    That which hath been is that which shall be, And that which hath been done is that which shall be done; And there is nothing new under the sun.

    Ecclesiastes 1:9 · The Holy Scriptures: A New Translation (JPS 1917)

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Chapter 2

  1. אֵֽין־ט֤וֹב בָּאָדָם֙ שֶׁיֹּאכַ֣ל וְשָׁתָ֔ה וְהֶרְאָ֧ה אֶת־נַפְשׁ֛וֹ ט֖וֹב בַּעֲמָל֑וֹ גַּם־זֹה֙ רָאִ֣יתִי אָ֔נִי כִּ֛י מִיַּ֥ד הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים הִֽיא׃

    There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and make his soul enjoy pleasure for his labour. This also I saw, that it is from the hand of God.

    Ecclesiastes 2:24 · The Holy Scriptures: A New Translation (JPS 1917)

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Chapter 3

  1. לַכֹּ֖ל זְמָ֑ן וְעֵ֥ת לְכׇל־חֵ֖פֶץ תַּ֥חַת הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃

    To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

    Ecclesiastes 3:1 · The Holy Scriptures: A New Translation (JPS 1917)

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Chapter 4

  1. טוֹבִ֥ים הַשְּׁנַ֖יִם מִן־הָאֶחָ֑ד אֲשֶׁ֧ר יֵשׁ־לָהֶ֛ם שָׂכָ֥ר ט֖וֹב בַּעֲמָלָֽם׃

    Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.

    Ecclesiastes 4:9 · The Holy Scriptures: A New Translation (JPS 1917)

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Chapter 5

  1. אַל־תְּבַהֵ֨ל עַל־פִּ֜יךָ וְלִבְּךָ֧ אַל־יְמַהֵ֛ר לְהוֹצִ֥יא דָבָ֖ר לִפְנֵ֣י הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים כִּ֣י הָאֱלֹהִ֤ים בַּשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙ וְאַתָּ֣ה עַל־הָאָ֔רֶץ עַל־כֵּ֛ן יִהְי֥וּ דְבָרֶ֖יךָ מְעַטִּֽים׃

    Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be hasty to utter a word before God; for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth; therefore let thy words be few.

    Ecclesiastes 5:1 · The Holy Scriptures: A New Translation (JPS 1917)

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  2. אֹהֵ֥ב כֶּ֙סֶף֙ לֹא־יִשְׂבַּ֣ע כֶּ֔סֶף וּמִֽי־אֹהֵ֥ב בֶּהָמ֖וֹן לֹ֣א תְבוּאָ֑ה גַּם־זֶ֖ה הָֽבֶל׃

    He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance, with increase; this also is vanity.

    Ecclesiastes 5:9 · The Holy Scriptures: A New Translation (JPS 1917)

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Chapter 6

  1. כׇּל־עֲמַ֥ל הָאָדָ֖ם לְפִ֑יהוּ וְגַם־הַנֶּ֖פֶשׁ לֹ֥א תִמָּלֵֽא׃

    All the labour of man is for his mouth, And yet the appetite is not filled.

    Ecclesiastes 6:7 · The Holy Scriptures: A New Translation (JPS 1917)

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Chapter 7

  1. ט֞וֹב לָלֶ֣כֶת אֶל־בֵּֽית־אֵ֗בֶל מִלֶּ֙כֶת֙ אֶל־בֵּ֣ית מִשְׁתֶּ֔ה בַּאֲשֶׁ֕ר ה֖וּא ס֣וֹף כׇּל־הָאָדָ֑ם וְהַחַ֖י יִתֵּ֥ן אֶל־לִבּֽוֹ׃

    It is better to go to the house of mourning, Than to go to the house of feasting; For that is the end of all men, And the living will lay it to his heart.

    Ecclesiastes 7:2 · The Holy Scriptures: A New Translation (JPS 1917)

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  2. כִּ֣י אָדָ֔ם אֵ֥ין צַדִּ֖יק בָּאָ֑רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר יַעֲשֶׂה־טּ֖וֹב וְלֹ֥א יֶחֱטָֽא׃

    For there is not a righteous man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.

    Ecclesiastes 7:20 · The Holy Scriptures: A New Translation (JPS 1917)

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Chapter 8

  1. אֵ֣ין אָדָ֞ם שַׁלִּ֤יט בָּר֙וּחַ֙ לִכְל֣וֹא אֶת־הָר֔וּחַ וְאֵ֤ין שִׁלְטוֹן֙ בְּי֣וֹם הַמָּ֔וֶת וְאֵ֥ין מִשְׁלַ֖חַת בַּמִּלְחָמָ֑ה וְלֹֽא־יְמַלֵּ֥ט רֶ֖שַׁע אֶת־בְּעָלָֽיו׃

    There is no man that hath power over the wind to retain the wind; neither hath he power over the day of death; and there is no discharge in war; neither shall wickedness deliver him that is given to it.

    Ecclesiastes 8:8 · The Holy Scriptures: A New Translation (JPS 1917)

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Chapter 9

  1. לֵ֣ךְ אֱכֹ֤ל בְּשִׂמְחָה֙ לַחְמֶ֔ךָ וּֽשְׁתֵ֥ה בְלֶב־ט֖וֹב יֵינֶ֑ךָ כִּ֣י כְבָ֔ר רָצָ֥ה הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶֽת־מַעֲשֶֽׂיךָ׃

    Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, And drink thy wine with a merry heart; For God hath already accepted thy works.

    Ecclesiastes 9:7 · The Holy Scriptures: A New Translation (JPS 1917)

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  2. כֹּ֠ל אֲשֶׁ֨ר תִּמְצָ֧א יָֽדְךָ֛ לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת בְּכֹחֲךָ֖ עֲשֵׂ֑ה כִּי֩ אֵ֨ין מַעֲשֶׂ֤ה וְחֶשְׁבּוֹן֙ וְדַ֣עַת וְחׇכְמָ֔ה בִּשְׁא֕וֹל אֲשֶׁ֥ר אַתָּ֖ה הֹלֵ֥ךְ שָֽׁמָּה׃

    Whatsoever thy hand attaineth to do by thy strength, that do; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

    Ecclesiastes 9:10 · The Holy Scriptures: A New Translation (JPS 1917)

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Chapter 10

  1. זְב֣וּבֵי מָ֔וֶת יַבְאִ֥ישׁ יַבִּ֖יעַ שֶׁ֣מֶן רוֹקֵ֑חַ יָקָ֛ר מֵחׇכְמָ֥ה מִכָּב֖וֹד סִכְל֥וּת מְעָֽט׃

    Dead flies make the ointment of the perfumer fetid and putrid; So doth a little folly outweigh wisdom and honour.

    Ecclesiastes 10:1 · The Holy Scriptures: A New Translation (JPS 1917)

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Chapter 11

  1. שַׁלַּ֥ח לַחְמְךָ֖ עַל־פְּנֵ֣י הַמָּ֑יִם כִּֽי־בְרֹ֥ב הַיָּמִ֖ים תִּמְצָאֶֽנּוּ׃

    Cast thy bread upon the waters, For thou shalt find it after many days.

    Ecclesiastes 11:1 · The Holy Scriptures: A New Translation (JPS 1917)

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Chapter 12

  1. וּזְכֹר֙ אֶת־בּ֣וֹרְאֶ֔יךָ בִּימֵ֖י בְּחוּרֹתֶ֑יךָ עַ֣ד אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹא־יָבֹ֙אוּ֙ יְמֵ֣י הָֽרָעָ֔ה וְהִגִּ֣יעוּ שָׁנִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר תֹּאמַ֔ר אֵֽין־לִ֥י בָהֶ֖ם חֵֽפֶץ׃

    Remember then thy Creator in the days of thy youth, and the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say: 'I have no pleasure in them';

    Ecclesiastes 12:1 · The Holy Scriptures: A New Translation (JPS 1917)

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  2. ס֥וֹף דָּבָ֖ר הַכֹּ֣ל נִשְׁמָ֑ע אֶת־הָאֱלֹהִ֤ים יְרָא֙ וְאֶת־מִצְוֺתָ֣יו שְׁמ֔וֹר כִּי־זֶ֖ה כׇּל־הָאָדָֽם׃

    The end of the matter, all having been heard: fear God, and keep His commandments; for this is the whole man.

    Ecclesiastes 12:13 · The Holy Scriptures: A New Translation (JPS 1917)

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