1 Better `is' a name than good perfume, And the day of death than the day of birth.

1 טֹ֥וב שֵׁ֖ם מִשֶּׁ֣מֶן טֹ֑וב וְיֹ֣ום הַמָּ֔וֶת מִיֹּ֖ום הִוָּלְדֹֽו׃

2 Better to go unto a house of mourning, Than to go unto a house of banqueting, For that is the end of all men, And the living layeth `it' unto his heart.

2 טֹ֞וב לָלֶ֣כֶת אֶל־בֵּֽית־אֵ֗בֶל מִלֶּ֙כֶת֙ אֶל־בֵּ֣ית מִשְׁתֶּ֔ה בַּאֲשֶׁ֕ר ה֖וּא סֹ֣וף כָּל־הָאָדָ֑ם וְהַחַ֖י יִתֵּ֥ן אֶל־לִבֹּֽו׃

3 Better `is' sorrow than laughter, For by the sadness of the face the heart becometh better.

3 טֹ֥וב כַּ֖עַס מִשְּׂחֹ֑ק כִּֽי־בְרֹ֥עַ פָּנִ֖ים יִ֥יטַב לֵֽב׃

4 The heart of the wise `is' in a house of mourning, And the heart of fools in a house of mirth.

4 לֵ֤ב חֲכָמִים֙ בְּבֵ֣ית אֵ֔בֶל וְלֵ֥ב כְּסִילִ֖ים בְּבֵ֥ית שִׂמְחָֽה׃

5 Better to hear a rebuke of a wise man, Than `for' a man to hear a song of fools,

5 טֹ֕וב לִשְׁמֹ֖עַ גַּעֲרַ֣ת חָכָ֑ם מֵאִ֕ישׁ שֹׁמֵ֖עַ שִׁ֥יר כְּסִילִֽים׃

6 For as the noise of thorns under the pot, So `is' the laughter of a fool, even this `is' vanity.

6 כִּ֣י כְקֹ֤ול הַסִּירִים֙ תַּ֣חַת הַסִּ֔יר כֵּ֖ן שְׂחֹ֣ק הַכְּסִ֑יל וְגַם־זֶ֖ה הָֽבֶל׃

7 Surely oppression maketh the wise mad, And a gift destroyeth the heart.

7 כִּ֥י הָעֹ֖שֶׁק יְהֹולֵ֣ל חָכָ֑ם וִֽיאַבֵּ֥ד אֶת־לֵ֖ב מַתָּנָֽה׃

8 Better `is' the latter end of a thing than its beginning, Better `is' the patient of spirit, than the haughty of spirit.

8 טֹ֛וב אַחֲרִ֥ית דָּבָ֖ר מֵֽרֵאשִׁיתֹ֑ו טֹ֥וב אֶֽרֶךְ־ר֖וּחַ מִגְּבַהּ־רֽוּחַ׃

9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry, For anger in the bosom of fools resteth.

9 אַל־תְּבַהֵ֥ל בְּרֽוּחֲךָ֖ לִכְעֹ֑וס כִּ֣י כַ֔עַס בְּחֵ֥יק כְּסִילִ֖ים יָנֽוּחַ׃

10 Say not thou, `What was it, That the former days were better than these?' For thou hast not asked wisely of this.

10 אַל־תֹּאמַר֙ מֶ֣ה הָיָ֔ה שֶׁ֤הַיָּמִים֙ הָרִ֣אשֹׁנִ֔ים הָי֥וּ טֹובִ֖ים מֵאֵ֑לֶּה כִּ֛י לֹ֥א מֵחָכְמָ֖ה שָׁאַ֥לְתָּ עַל־זֶֽה׃

11 Wisdom `is' good with an inheritance, And an advantage `it is' to those beholding the sun.

11 טֹובָ֥ה חָכְמָ֖ה עִֽם־נַחֲלָ֑ה וְיֹתֵ֖ר לְרֹאֵ֥י הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃

12 For wisdom `is' a defense, money `is' a defence, And the advantage of the knowledge of wisdom `is', She reviveth her possessors.

12 כִּ֛י בְּצֵ֥ל הַֽחָכְמָ֖ה בְּצֵ֣ל הַכָּ֑סֶף וְיִתְרֹ֣ון דַּ֔עַת הַֽחָכְמָ֖ה תְּחַיֶּ֥ה בְעָלֶֽיהָ׃

13 See the work of God, For who is able to make straight that which He made crooked?

13 רְאֵ֖ה אֶת־מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים כִּ֣י מִ֤י יוּכַל֙ לְתַקֵּ֔ן אֵ֖ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר עִוְּתֹֽו׃

14 In a day of prosperity be in gladness, And in a day of evil consider. Also this over-against that hath God made, To the intent that man doth not find anything after him.

14 בְּיֹ֤ום טֹובָה֙ הֱיֵ֣ה בְטֹ֔וב וּבְיֹ֥ום רָעָ֖ה רְאֵ֑ה גַּ֣ם אֶת־זֶ֤ה לְעֻמַּת־זֶה֙ עָשָׂ֣ה הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים עַל־דִּבְרַ֗ת שֶׁלֹּ֨א יִמְצָ֧א הָֽאָדָ֛ם אַחֲרָ֖יו מְאֽוּמָה׃

15 The whole I have considered in the days of my vanity. There is a righteous one perishing in his righteousness, and there is a wrong-doer prolonging `himself' in his wrong.

15 אֶת־הַכֹּ֥ל רָאִ֖יתִי בִּימֵ֣י הֶבְלִ֑י יֵ֤שׁ צַדִּיק֙ אֹבֵ֣ד בְּצִדְקֹ֔ו וְיֵ֣שׁ רָשָׁ֔ע מַאֲרִ֖יךְ בְּרָעָתֹֽו׃

16 Be not over-righteous, nor show thyself too wise, why art thou desolate?

16 אַל־תְּהִ֤י צַדִּיק֙ הַרְבֵּ֔ה וְאַל־תִּתְחַכַּ֖ם יֹותֵ֑ר לָ֖מָּה תִּשֹּׁומֵֽם׃

17 Do not much wrong, neither be thou a fool, why dost thou die within thy time?

17 אַל־תִּרְשַׁ֥ע הַרְבֵּ֖ה וְאַל־תְּהִ֣י סָכָ֑ל לָ֥מָּה תָמ֖וּת בְּלֹ֥א עִתֶּֽךָ׃

18 `It is' good that thou dost lay hold on this, and also, from that withdrawest not thy hand, for whoso is fearing God goeth out with them all.

18 טֹ֚וב אֲשֶׁ֣ר תֶּאֱחֹ֣ז בָּזֶ֔ה וְגַם־מִזֶּ֖ה אַל־תַּנַּ֣ח אֶת־יָדֶ֑ךָ כִּֽי־יְרֵ֥א אֱלֹהִ֖ים יֵצֵ֥א אֶת־כֻּלָּֽם׃

19 The wisdom giveth strength to a wise man, more than wealth the rulers who have been in a city.

19 הַֽחָכְמָ֖ה תָּעֹ֣ז לֶחָכָ֑ם מֵֽעֲשָׂרָה֙ שַׁלִּיטִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר הָי֖וּ בָּעִֽיר׃

20 Because there is not a righteous man on earth that doth good and sinneth not.

20 כִּ֣י אָדָ֔ם אֵ֥ין צַדִּ֖יק בָּאָ֑רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר יַעֲשֶׂה־טֹּ֖וב וְלֹ֥א יֶחֱטָֽא׃

21 Also to all the words that they speak give not thy heart, that thou hear not thy servant reviling thee.

21 גַּ֤ם לְכָל־הַדְּבָרִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יְדַבֵּ֔רוּ אַל־תִּתֵּ֖ן לִבֶּ֑ךָ אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־תִשְׁמַ֥ע אֶֽת־עַבְדְּךָ֖ מְקַלְלֶֽךָ׃

22 For many times also hath thy heart known that thou thyself also hast reviled others.

22 כִּ֛י גַּם־פְּעָמִ֥ים רַבֹּ֖ות יָדַ֣ע לִבֶּ֑ךָ אֲשֶׁ֥ר גַּם־ אַתְּ אַתָּ֖ה קִלַּ֥לְתָּ אֲחֵרִֽים׃

23 All this I have tried by wisdom; I have said, `I am wise,' and it `is' far from me.

23 כָּל־זֹ֖ה נִסִּ֣יתִי בַֽחָכְמָ֑ה אָמַ֣רְתִּי אֶחְכָּ֔מָה וְהִ֖יא רְחֹוקָ֥ה מִמֶּֽנִּי׃

24 Far off `is' that which hath been, and deep, deep, who doth find it?

24 רָחֹ֖וק מַה־שֶּׁהָיָ֑ה וְעָמֹ֥ק׀ עָמֹ֖ק מִ֥י יִמְצָאֶֽנּוּ׃

25 I have turned round, also my heart, to know and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and reason, and to know the wrong of folly, and of foolishness the madness.

25 סַבֹּ֨ותִֽי אֲנִ֤י וְלִבִּי֙ לָדַ֣עַת וְלָת֔וּר וּבַקֵּ֥שׁ חָכְמָ֖ה וְחֶשְׁבֹּ֑ון וְלָדַ֙עַת֙ רֶ֣שַׁע כֶּ֔סֶל וְהַסִּכְל֖וּת הֹולֵלֹֽות׃

26 And I am finding more bitter than death, the woman whose heart `is' nets and snares, her hands `are' bands; the good before God escapeth from her, but the sinner is captured by her.

26 וּמֹוצֶ֨א אֲנִ֜י מַ֣ר מִמָּ֗וֶת אֶת־הָֽאִשָּׁה֙ אֲשֶׁר־הִ֨יא מְצֹודִ֧ים וַחֲרָמִ֛ים לִבָּ֖הּ אֲסוּרִ֣ים יָדֶ֑יהָ טֹ֞וב לִפְנֵ֤י הָאֱלֹהִים֙ יִמָּלֵ֣ט מִמֶּ֔נָּה וְחֹוטֵ֖א יִלָּ֥כֶד בָּֽהּ׃

27 See, this I have found, said the Preacher, one to one, to find out the reason

27 רְאֵה֙ זֶ֣ה מָצָ֔אתִי אָמְרָ֖ה קֹהֶ֑לֶת אַחַ֥ת לְאַחַ֖ת לִמְצֹ֥א חֶשְׁבֹּֽון׃

28 (that still my soul had sought, and I had not found), One man, a teacher, I have found, and a woman among all these I have not found.

28 אֲשֶׁ֛ר עֹוד־בִּקְשָׁ֥ה נַפְשִׁ֖י וְלֹ֣א מָצָ֑אתִי אָדָ֞ם אֶחָ֤ד מֵאֶ֙לֶף֙ מָצָ֔אתִי וְאִשָּׁ֥ה בְכָל־אֵ֖לֶּה לֹ֥א מָצָֽאתִי׃

29 See, this alone I have found, that God made man upright, and they -- they have sought out many devices.

29 לְבַד֙ רְאֵה־זֶ֣ה מָצָ֔אתִי אֲשֶׁ֨ר עָשָׂ֧ה הָאֱלֹהִ֛ים אֶת־הָאָדָ֖ם יָשָׁ֑ר וְהֵ֥מָּה בִקְשׁ֖וּ חִשְּׁבֹנֹ֥ות רַבִּֽים׃