Ecclesiastes 9

ki et-kol-zeh natatti el-libbi velavur et-kol-zeh asher hatsaddiqim vehakhakhamim va'avadehem beyad ha'elohim gam-ahavah gam-sinah en yodea ha'adam hakkol lifnehem

For all this I noted, and I ascertained all this: that the actions of even the righteous and the wise are determined by God. Even love! Even hate! Humankind knows none of these in advance—

hakkol ka'asher lakkol miqreh ekhad latsaddiq velarasha lattov velattahor velattame velazzoveakh vela'asher enennu zoveakh kattov kakhote hannishba ka'asher shevu'ah yare

none! For the same fate is in store for all: for the righteous, and for the wicked; for the good and pure, and for the impure; for one who sacrifices, and for one who does not; for one who is pleasing, and for one who is displeasing; and for one who swears, and for one who shuns oaths.

zeh ra bekhol asher-na'asah takhat hashemesh ki-miqreh ekhad lakkol vegam lev bene-ha'adam male-ra veholelot bilvavam bekhayyehem ve'akharayw el-hammetim

That is the sad thing about all that goes on under the sun: that the same fate is in store for all. (Not only that, but people’s hearts are full of sadness, and their minds of madness, while they live; and then—to the dead!)

ki-mi asher (yvkhr) [yekhubbar] el kol-hakhayyim yesh bittakhon ki-lekhelev khay hu tov min-ha'aryeh hammet

For one who is reckoned among the living has something to look forward to—even a live dog is better than a dead lion—

ki hakhayyim yode'im sheyyamutu vehammetim enam yode'im me'umah ve'en-od lahem sakhar ki nishkakh zikhram

since the living know they will die. But the dead know nothing; they have no more recompense, for even the memory of them has died.

gam ahavatam gam-sinatam gam-qinatam kevar avadah vekheleq en-lahem od le'olam bekhol asher-na'asah takhat hashamesh

Their loves, their hates, their jealousies have long since perished; and they have no more share till the end of time in all that goes on under the sun.

lekh ekhol besimkhah lakhmekha usheteh velev-tov yenekha ki khevar ratsah ha'elohim et-ma'asekha

Go, [my son,] eat your bread in gladness, and drink your wine in joy; for your action was long ago approved by God.

bekhol-et yihyu vegadekha levanim veshemen al-roshekha al-yekhsar

Let your clothes always be freshly washed, and your head never lack ointment.

re'eh khayyim im-isha asher-ahavta kol-yeme khayye hevlekha asher natan-lekha takhat hashemesh kol yeme hevlekha ki hu khelqekha bakhayyim uva'amalekha asher-attah amel takhat hashamesh

Enjoy happiness with a woman you love all the fleeting days of life that have been granted to you under the sun—all your fleeting days. For that alone is what you can get out of life and out of the means you acquire under the sun.

kol asher timtsa yadekha la'asot bekhokhakha aseh ki en ma'aseh vekheshbon veda'at vekhokhmah bishol asher attah holekh shammah

Whatever it is in your power to do, do with all your might. For there is no action, no reasoning, no learning, no wisdom in Sheol, where you are going.

shavti vera'oh takhat-hashemesh ki lo laqqallim hammerots velo laggibborim hammilkhamah vegam lo lakhakhamim lekhem vegam lo lannevonim osher vegam lo layyode'im khen ki-et vafega yiqreh et-kullam

I have further observed under the sun that The race is not won by the swift, Nor the battle by the valiant; Nor is bread won by the wise, Nor wealth by the intelligent, Nor favor by the learned. For the time of mischance comes to all.

ki gam lo-yeda ha'adam et-itto kaddagim shenne'ekhazim bimtsodah ra'ah vekhatsipporim ha'akhuzot bappakh kahem yuqashim bene ha'adam le'et ra'ah keshettippol alehem pitom

And human beings cannot even know their time. As fishes are enmeshed in a fatal net, and as birds are trapped in a snare, so humans are caught at the time of calamity, when it comes upon them without warning.

gam-zoh ra'iti khokhmah takhat hashamesh ugedolah hi elay

This thing too I observed under the sun about wisdom, and it affected me profoundly.

ir qetannah va'anashim bah me'at uva-eleha melekh gadol vesavav otah uvanah aleha metsodim gedolim

There was a little city, with few men in it; and to it came a great king, who invested it and built mighty siege works against it.

umatsa vah ish misken khakham umillat-hu et-ha'ir bekhokhmato ve'adam lo zakhar et-ha'ish hammisken hahu

Present in the city was a poor wise man who might have saved it with his wisdom, but nobody thought of that poor man.

ve'amarti ani tovah khokhmah miggevurah vekhokhmat hammisken bezuyah udevarayw enam nishma'im

So I observed: Wisdom is better than valor; but The wisdom of the poor is scorned, And their words are not heeded.

divre khakhamim benakhat nishma'im mizza'aqat moshel bakkesilim

Words spoken softly by wise men are heeded sooner than those shouted by a lord in folly.

tovah khokhmah mikkele qerav vekhote ekhad ye'abbed tovah harbeh

Wisdom is more valuable than weapons of war, but a single error destroys much of value.