קֹהֶלֶת

Ecclesiastes — Chapter 8

Read Ecclesiastes Chapter 8 in Biblical Hebrew alongside the King James Version (KJV) — 17 verses. Original Hebrew text with vowel points (nikud) and full English translation.

מִ֚י כְּהֶֽחָכָ֔ם וּמִ֥י יוֹדֵ֖עַ פֵּ֣שֶׁר דָּבָ֑ר חָכְמַ֤ת אָדָם֙ תָּאִ֣יר פָּנָ֔יו וְעֹ֥ז פָּנָ֖יו יְשֻׁנֶּֽה׃

KJVWho is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? a man's wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed.

Who is like the wise man? And who knows the interpretation of a thing? A man's wisdom makes his face shine, and the hardness of his face is changed.

אֲנִ֕י פִּ֥י מֶ֖לֶךְ שְׁמֹ֑ר וְעַ֕ל דִּבְרַ֖ת שְׁבוּעַ֥ת אֱלֹהִֽים׃

KJVI counsel thee to keep the king's commandment, and that in regard of the oath of God.

I say: Keep the king's command, because of God's oath to him.

אַל תִּבָּהֵ֣ל מִפָּנָ֗יו תֵּלֵ֕ךְ אַֽל תַּעֲמֹ֖ד בְּדָבָ֣ר רָ֑ע כִּ֛י כָּל אֲשֶׁ֥ר יַחְפֹּ֖ץ יַעֲשֶֽׂה׃

KJVBe not hasty to go out of his sight: stand not in an evil thing; for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him.

Be not hasty to go from his presence. Do not take your stand in an evil cause, for he does whatever he pleases.

בַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר דְּבַר מֶ֖לֶךְ שִׁלְט֑וֹן וּמִ֥י יֹֽאמַר ל֖וֹ מַה תַּעֲשֶֽׂה׃

KJVWhere the word of a king is, there is power: and who may say unto him, What doest thou?

For the word of the king is supreme, and who may say to him, "What are you doing?"

שׁוֹמֵ֤ר מִצְוָה֙ לֹ֣א יֵדַ֣ע דָּבָ֣ר רָ֑ע וְעֵ֥ת וּמִשְׁפָּ֖ט יֵדַ֥ע לֵב חָכָֽם׃

KJVWhoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man's heart discerneth both time and judgment.

Whoever keeps a command will know no evil thing, and the wise heart will know the proper time and the just way.

כִּ֣י לְכָל חֵ֥פֶץ יֵשׁ עֵ֛ת וּמִשְׁפָּ֖ט כִּ֥י רָעַ֖ת הָאָדָ֥ם רַבָּ֖ה עָלָֽיו׃

KJVBecause to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great upon him.

For there is a time and a way for everything, even though man's trouble lies heavy on him.

כִּי אֵינֶ֣נּוּ יֹדֵ֔עַ מַה שֶּׁיִּהְיֶ֑ה כִּ֚י כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר יִהְיֶ֔ה מִ֖י יַגִּ֥יד לֽוֹ׃

KJVFor he knoweth not that which shall be: for who can tell him when it shall be?

For he does not know what is to be, for who can tell him how it will be?

אֵ֣ין אָדָ֞ם שַׁלִּ֤יט בָּר֙וּחַ֙ לִכְל֣וֹא אֶת הָר֔וּחַ וְאֵ֥ין שִׁלְט֖וֹן בְּי֣וֹם הַמָּ֑וֶת וְאֵ֤ין מִשְׁלַ֙חַת֙ בַּמִּלְחָמָ֔ה וְלֹא יְמַלֵּ֥ט רֶ֖שַׁע אֶת בְּעָלָֽיו׃

KJVThere is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it.

No man has power to retain the spirit, or power over the day of death. There is no discharge from war, nor will wickedness deliver those who are given to it.

אֶת כָּל זֶ֣ה רָאִ֗יתִי וְנָת֤וֹן אֶת לִבִּי֙ לְכָ֣ל מַעֲשֶׂ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר נַעֲשָׂ֖ה תַּ֣חַת הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ עֵ֗ת אֲשֶׁ֤ר שָׁלַט֙ הָאָדָ֔ם בְּאָדָ֖ם לְרַ֥ע לֽוֹ׃

KJVAll this have I seen, and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun: there is a time wherein one man ruleth over another to his own hurt.

All this I observed while applying my heart to all that is done under the sun, when man had power over man to his hurt.

וּבְכֵ֣ן רָאִ֣יתִי רְשָׁעִ֣ים קְבֻרִ֡ים וָבָ֡אוּ וּמִמְּק֣וֹם קָד֣וֹשׁ יְהַלֵּ֡כוּ וְיִשְׁתַּכְּח֣וּ בָעִ֣יר אֲשֶׁ֣ר כֵּן עָשׂ֔וּ גַּם זֶ֖ה הָֽבֶל׃

KJVAnd so I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of the holy, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done: this is also vanity.

Then I saw the wicked buried. They used to go in and out of the holy place and were praised in the city where they had done such things. This also is vanity.

אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֵין נַעֲשָׂ֣ה פִתְגָ֗ם מַעֲשֵׂ֤ה הָרָעָה֙ מְהֵרָ֔ה עַל כֵּ֛ן מָלֵ֥א לֵ֛ב בְּנֵ֥י הָאָדָ֖ם בָּהֶ֑ם לַעֲשׂ֖וֹת רָֽע׃

KJVBecause 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.

Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil.

אֲשֶׁ֨ר חוֹטֵ֜א עֹשֶׂ֥ה רָ֛ע מְאַ֖ת וּמַאֲרִ֣יךְ ל֑וֹ כִּ֣י גַם יוֹדֵ֣עַ אָ֗נִי אֲשֶׁ֨ר יִהְיֶה טּ֤וֹב לְיִרְאֵ֣י הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִֽירְא֖וּ מִלְּפָנָֽיו׃

KJVThough a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him:

Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his life, yet I know that it will be well with those who fear God, because they fear before him.

וְטוֹב֙ לֹֽא יִהְיֶ֣ה לָרָשָׁ֔ע וְלֹא יַאֲרִ֥יךְ יָמִ֖ים כַּצֵּ֑ל אֲשֶׁ֛ר אֵינֶ֥נּוּ יָרֵ֖א מִלִּפְנֵ֥י הָאֱלֹהִֽים׃

KJVBut it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.

But it will not be well with the wicked, neither will he prolong his days like a shadow, because he does not fear before God.

יֵ֣שׁ הֶ֔בֶל אֲשֶׁ֥ר נַעֲשָׂ֖ה עַל הָאָ֑רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יֵ֤שׁ צַדִּיקִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר מַגִּ֣יעַ אֲלֵהֶ֔ם כְּמַעֲשֵׂ֖ה הָרְשָׁעִ֑ים וְיֵ֣שׁ רְשָׁעִ֗ים שֶׁמַּגִּ֤יעַ אֲלֵהֶם֙ כְּמַעֲשֵׂ֣ה הַצַּדִּיקִ֔ים אָמַ֕רְתִּי שֶׁגַּם זֶ֖ה הָֽבֶל׃

KJVThere is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there be just men, unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there be wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also is vanity.

There is a vanity that takes place on earth, that there are righteous people to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked, and there are wicked people to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity.

וְשִׁבַּ֤חְתִּי אֲנִי֙ אֶת הַשִּׂמְחָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר אֵין טּ֤וֹב לָאָדָם֙ תַּ֣חַת הַשֶּׁ֔מֶשׁ כִּ֣י אִם לֶ֔אֱכֹל וְלִשְׁת֖וֹת וְלִשְׂמ֑וֹחַ וְה֗וּא יִלְוֶ֙נּוּ֙ בַּעֲמָל֔וֹ יְמֵ֣י חַיָּ֔יו אֲשֶׁר נָתַן ל֥וֹ הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים תַּ֥חַת הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃

KJVThen I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun.

And I commend joy, for man has nothing better under the sun but to eat and drink and be joyful, for this will go with him in his toil through the days of his life that God has given him under the sun.

כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר נָתַ֤תִּי אֶת לִבִּי֙ לָדַ֣עַת חָכְמָ֔ה וְלִרְא֧וֹת אֶת הָעִנְיָ֛ן אֲשֶׁ֥ר נַעֲשָׂ֖ה עַל הָאָ֑רֶץ כִּ֣י גַם בַּיּ֔וֹם וּבַלַּ֕יְלָה שֵׁנָ֛ה בְּעֵינָ֖יו אֵינֶ֥נּוּ רֹאֶֽה׃

KJVWhen I applied mine heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon earth: (for also there is that neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes:)

When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done on earth, how neither day nor night do one's eyes see sleep—

וְרָאִ֙יתִי֙ אֶת כָּל מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים כִּ֣י לֹ֤א יוּכַל֙ הָאָדָ֔ם לִמְצוֹ֕א אֶת הַמַּעֲשֶׂ֛ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר נַעֲשָׂ֖ה תַּ֣חַת הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ בְּשֶׁ֨ל אֲשֶׁ֤ר יַעֲמֹל֙ הָֽאָדָ֔ם לְבַקֵּ֖שׁ וְלֹ֣א יִמְצָ֑א וְגַ֗ם אִֽם יֹאמַ֤ר הֶחָכָם֙ לָדַ֔עַת לֹ֥א יוּכַ֖ל לִמְצֹֽא׃

KJVThen I beheld all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because though a man labour to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea further; though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it.

then I saw all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. However much man may toil in seeking, he will not find it out. Even though a wise man claims to know, he cannot find it out.