Ecclesiastes 8

mi kehekhakham umi yodea pesher davar khokhmat adam ta'ir panayw ve'oz panayw yeshunne

Who is like the sage, and who knows the meaning of the adage: “Wisdom lights up a person’s face, So that deep discontent is dissembled”?

ani pi-melekh shemor ve'al divrat shevu'at elohim

I do! “Obey the king’s orders—and don’t rush into uttering an oath by God.”

al-tibbahel mippanayw telekh al-ta'amod bedavar ra ki kol-asher yakhpots ya'aseh

Leave his presence; do not tarry in a dangerous situation, for he can do anything he pleases;

ba'asher devar-melekh shilton umi yomar-lo mah-tta'aseh

inasmuch as a king’s command is authoritative, and none can say to him, “What are you doing?”

shomer mitsvah lo yeda davar ra ve'et umishpat yeda lev khakham

One who obeys orders will not suffer from the dangerous situation. Someone wise, however, will bear in mind that there is a time of doom.

ki lekhol-khefets yesh et umishpat ki-ra'at ha'adam rabbah alayw

For there is a time for every experience, including the doom; for calamity overwhelms.

ki-enennu yodea mah-sheyyihyeh ki ka'asher yihyeh mi yaggid lo

Indeed, what is to happen is unknown; even when it is on the point of happening, who can tell?

en adam shallit baruakh likhlo et-haruakh ve'en shilton beyom hammavet ve'en mishlakhat bammilkhamah velo-yemallet resha et-be'alayw

No one has authority over the lifebreath—to hold back the lifebreath; there is no authority over the day of death. There is no mustering out from that war; wickedness is powerless to save its owner.

et-kol-zeh ra'iti venaton et-libbi lekhol-ma'aseh asher na'asah takhat hashamesh et asher shalat ha'adam be'adam lera lo

All these things I observed; I noted all that went on under the sun, while people still had authority over others to treat them unjustly.

uvekhen ra'iti resha'im qevurim vava'u umimmeqom qadosh yehallekhu veyishtakkekhu va'ir asher ken-asu gam-zeh havel

And then I saw scoundrels coming from the Holy Site and being brought to burial, while such as had acted righteously were forgotten in the city. And here is another frustration:

asher en-na'asah fitgam ma'aseh hara'ah meherah al-ken male lev bene-ha'adam bahem la'asot ra

the fact that the sentence imposed for evil deeds is not executed swiftly, which is why people are emboldened to do evil—

asher khote oseh ra me'at uma'arikh lo ki gam-yodea ani asher yihyeh-ttov leyire ha'elohim asher yire'u millefanayw

the fact that sinners may do evil a hundred times and their [punishment] still be delayed. For although I am aware that “It will be well with those who revere God since they show reverence,

vetov lo-yihyeh larasha velo-ya'arikh yamim katsel asher enennu yare millifne elohim

and it will not be well with scoundrels, and they will not live long, because they do not revere God”—

yesh-hevel asher na'asah al-ha'arets asher yesh tsaddiqim asher maggia alehem kema'aseh haresha'im veyesh resha'im shemmaggia alehem kema'aseh hatsaddiqim amarti sheggam-zeh havel

here is a frustration that occurs in the world: sometimes someone upright is requited according to the conduct of the scoundrel; and sometimes the scoundrel is requited according to the conduct of the upright. I say all that is frustration.

veshibbakhti ani et-hassimkhah asher en-tov la'adam takhat hashemesh ki im-le'ekhol velishtot velismoakh vehu yilvennu va'amalo yeme khayyayw asher-natan-lo ha'elohim takhat hashamesh

I therefore praised enjoyment. For the only good people can have under the sun is to eat and drink and enjoy themselves. That much can accompany them, in exchange for their wealth, through the days of life that God has granted them under the sun.

ka'asher natatti et-libbi lada'at khokhmah velirot et-ha'inyan asher na'asah al-ha'arets ki gam bayyom uvallaylah shenah be'enayw enennu ro'eh

For I have set my mind to learn wisdom and to observe the business that goes on in the world—even to the extent of going without sleep day and night—

vera'iti et-kol-ma'aseh ha'elohim ki lo yukhal ha'adam limtso et-hamma'aseh asher na'asah takhat-hashemesh beshel asher ya'amol ha'adam levaqqesh velo yimtsa vegam im-yomar hekhakham lada'at lo yukhal limtso

and I have observed all that God brings to pass. Indeed, human beings cannot guess the events that occur under the sun. For humans try strenuously, but fail to guess them; and even if those who are wise should think to discover them they would not be able to guess them.