קֹהֶלֶת

Ecclesiastes — Chapter 12

Read Ecclesiastes Chapter 12 in Biblical Hebrew alongside the King James Version (KJV) — 14 verses. Original Hebrew text with vowel points (nikud) and full English translation.

וּזְכֹ֥ר אֶת בּוֹרְאֶ֖יךָ בִּימֵ֣י בְחוּרֹתֶ֑יךָ עַ֣ד אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹֽא יָבֹ֙אוּ֙ יְמֵ֣י הָרָעָ֔ה וְהִגִּ֣יעוּ שָׁנִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר תֹּאמַ֖ר אֵֽין לִ֥י בָהֶ֖ם חֵֽפֶץ׃

KJVRemember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;

Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, "I have no pleasure in them."

עַ֠ד אֲשֶׁ֨ר לֹֽא תֶחְשַׁ֤ךְ הַשֶּׁ֙מֶשׁ֙ וְהָא֔וֹר וְהַיָּרֵ֖חַ וְהַכּוֹכָבִ֑ים וְשָׁב֥וּ הֶעָבִ֖ים אַחַ֥ר הַגָּֽשֶׁם׃

KJVWhile the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:

before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened and the clouds return after the rain,

בַּיּ֗וֹם שֶׁיָּזֻ֙עוּ֙ שֹׁמְרֵ֣י הַבַּ֔יִת וְהִֽתְעַוְּת֖וּ אַנְשֵׁ֣י הֶחָ֑יִל וּבָטְל֤וּ הַטֹּחֲנוֹת֙ כִּ֣י מִעֵ֔טוּ וְחָשְׁכ֥וּ הָרֹא֖וֹת בָּאֲרֻבּֽוֹת׃

KJVIn the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened,

in the day when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men are bent, and the grinding women cease because they are few, and those who look through the windows are dimmed,

וְסֻגְּר֤וּ דְלָתַ֙יִם֙ בַּשּׁ֔וּק בִּשְׁפַ֖ל ק֣וֹל הַטֲּחָנָ֑ה וְיָקוּם֙ לְק֣וֹל הַצִּפּ֔וֹר וְיִשַּׁ֖חוּ כָּל בְּנ֥וֹת הַשִּֽׁיר׃

KJVAnd the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low;

and the doors on the street are shut—when the sound of the grinding is low, and one rises up at the sound of a bird, and all the daughters of song are brought low—

גַּ֣ם מִגָּבֹ֣הַּ יִירָ֡אוּ וְחַתְחַתִּ֣ים בַּדֶּרֶךְ֮ וְיָנֵ֣אץ הַשָּׁקֵד֒ וְיִסְתַּבֵּ֣ל הֶחָגָ֔ב וְתָפֵ֖ר הָאֲבִיּוֹנָ֑ה כִּ֤י הֹלֵךְ֙ הָאָדָ֔ם אֶל בֵּ֣ית עוֹלָמ֔וֹ וְסָבְב֥וּ בָשּׁ֖וּק הַסֹּפְדִֽים׃

KJVAlso when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:

they are afraid also of what is high, and terrors are in the way; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along, and desire fails, because man is going to his eternal home, and the mourners go about the streets—

עַ֠ד אֲשֶׁ֨ר לֹֽא יֵרָתֵ֤ק חֶ֙בֶל הַכֶּ֙סֶף֙ וְתָרֻ֣ץ גֻּלַּ֣ת הַזָּהָ֔ב וְתִשָּׁ֥בֶר כַּ֖ד עַל הַמַּבּ֑וּעַ וְנָרֹ֥ץ הַגַּלְגַּ֖ל אֶל הַבּֽוֹר׃

KJVOr ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.

before the silver cord is snapped, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is shattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern,

וְיָשֹׁ֤ב הֶעָפָר֙ עַל הָאָ֔רֶץ כְּשֶׁהָיָ֑ה וְהָר֣וּחַ תָּשׁ֔וּב אֶל הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר נְתָנָֽהּ׃

KJVThen shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

הֲבֵ֤ל הֲבָלִים֙ אָמַ֣ר הַקּוֹהֶ֔לֶת הַכֹּ֖ל הָֽבֶל׃

KJVVanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity.

Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher; all is vanity.

וְיֹתֵ֕ר שֶׁהָיָ֥ה קֹהֶ֖לֶת חָכָ֑ם ע֗וֹד לִמַּד דַּ֙עַת֙ אֶת הָעָ֔ם וְאִזֵּ֧ן וְחִקֵּ֛ר תִּקֵּ֖ן מְשָׁלִ֥ים הַרְבֵּֽה׃

KJVAnd moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.

Besides being wise, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge, weighing and studying and arranging many proverbs with great care.

בִּקֵּ֣שׁ קֹהֶ֗לֶת לִמְצֹ֛א דִּבְרֵי חֵ֖פֶץ וְכָת֥וּב יֹ֖שֶׁר דִּבְרֵ֥י אֱמֶֽת׃

KJVThe preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth.

The Preacher sought to find words of delight, and uprightly he wrote words of truth.

דִּבְרֵ֤י חֲכָמִים֙ כַּדָּרְבֹנ֔וֹת וּכְמַשְׂמְר֥וֹת נְטוּעִ֖ים בַּעֲלֵ֣י אֲסֻפּ֑וֹת נִתְּנ֖וּ מֵרֹעֶ֥ה אֶחָֽד׃

KJVThe words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.

The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings; they are given by one Shepherd.

וְיֹתֵ֥ר מֵהֵ֖מָּה בְּנִ֣י הִזָּהֵ֑ר עֲשׂ֨וֹת סְפָרִ֤ים הַרְבֵּה֙ אֵ֣ין קֵ֔ץ וְלַ֥הַג הַרְבֵּ֖ה יְגִעַ֥ת בָּשָֽׂר׃

KJVAnd further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

ס֥וֹף דָּבָ֖ר הַכֹּ֣ל נִשְׁמָ֑ע אֶת הָאֱלֹהִ֤ים יְרָא֙ וְאֶת מִצְוֺתָ֣יו שְׁמ֔וֹר כִּ֥י זֶ֖ה כָּל הָאָדָֽם׃

KJVLet us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.

כִּ֤י אֶת כָּל מַעֲשֶׂה֙ הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים יָבִ֥א בְמִשְׁפָּ֖ט עַ֣ל כָּל נֶעְלָ֑ם אִם ט֖וֹב וְאִם רָֽע׃

KJVFor God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.