Everything Is Futile

1  דִּבְרֵי֙ (The words) קֹהֶ֣לֶת (of Qoheleth), בֶּן־ (the son) דָּוִ֔ד (of David), מֶ֖לֶךְ (king) בִּירוּשָׁלִָֽם׃ (in Jerusalem).

2  הֲבֵ֤ל (Vapor) הֲבָלִים֙ (of vapors),

אָמַ֣ר (says) קֹהֶ֔לֶת (Qoheleth),

הֲבֵ֥ל (Vapor) הֲבָלִ֖ים (of vapors)!

הַכֹּ֥ל (The whole of it) הָֽבֶל׃ (is vapor)!

3  מַה־ (What) יִּתְר֖וֹן (profit is) לָֽאָדָ֑ם (unto the man) בְּכָל־ (from all) עֲמָל֔וֹ (his toil)

שֶֽׁיַּעֲמֹ֖ל (with which he toils) תַּ֥חַת (under) הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ (the sun)?

4  דּ֤וֹר (A generation) הֹלֵךְ֙ (is going) וְד֣וֹר (and a generation) בָּ֔א (is coming),

וְהָאָ֖רֶץ (and the earth) לְעוֹלָ֥ם (forever) עֹמָֽדֶת׃ (is standing).

5  וְזָרַ֥ח (Has risen) הַשֶּׁ֖מֶשׁ (the sun) וּבָ֣א (has gone in) הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ (and the sun),

וְאֶ֨ל־ (and to) מְקוֹמ֔וֹ (its place) שׁוֹאֵ֛ף (panting) זוֹרֵ֥חַֽ (is rising) ה֖וּא (it) שָֽׁם׃ (there).

6  הוֹלֵךְ֙ (Going) אֶל־ (toward) דָּר֔וֹם (the south)

וְסוֹבֵ֖ב (and turning about) אֶל־ (to) צָפ֑וֹן (the north),

סוֹבֵ֤ב׀ (turning about), סֹבֵב֙ (turning about), הוֹלֵ֣ךְ (is going about) הָר֔וּחַ (the wind);

וְעַל־ (and on) סְבִיבֹתָ֖יו (its round) שָׁ֥ב (is returning) הָרֽוּחַ׃ (the wind).

7  כָּל־ (All) הַנְּחָלִים֙ (the rivers) הֹלְכִ֣ים (are going) אֶל־ (to) הַיָּ֔ם (the sea),

וְהַיָּ֖ם (and the sea) אֵינֶ֣נּוּ (it has no) מָלֵ֑א (filling);

אֶל־ (to) מְק֗וֹם (the place) שֶׁ֤הַנְּחָלִים֙ (from which the rivers) הֹֽלְכִ֔ים (come),

שָׁ֛ם (there) הֵ֥ם (they) שָׁבִ֖ים (are turning back) לָלָֽכֶת׃ (to go).

8  כָּל־ (All) הַדְּבָרִ֣ים (the things) יְגֵעִ֔ים (are wearisome)

לֹא־ (not) יוּכַ֥ל (is able) אִ֖ישׁ (a man) לְדַבֵּ֑ר (to speak);

לֹא־ (not) תִשְׂבַּ֥ע (is satisfied) עַ֙יִן֙ (the eye) לִרְא֔וֹת (from seeing),

וְלֹא־ (and not) תִמָּלֵ֥א (is filled) אֹ֖זֶן (the ear) מִשְּׁמֹֽעַ׃ (from hearing).

9  מַה־ (What) שֶּֽׁהָיָה֙ (has been), ה֣וּא (it) שֶׁיִּהְיֶ֔ה (will be),

וּמַה־ (and what) שֶׁנַּֽעֲשָׂ֔ה (has been done), ה֖וּא (it) שֶׁיֵּעָשֶׂ֑ה (will be done).

וְאֵ֥ין (And nothing) כָּל־ (at all) חָדָ֖שׁ (is new) תַּ֥חַת (under) הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ (the sun).

10  יֵ֥שׁ (Is there) דָּבָ֛ר (anything) שֶׁיֹּאמַ֥ר (of which one may say),

רְאֵה־ (See), זֶ֖ה (this is) חָדָ֣שׁ (new)? ה֑וּא (It)

כְּבָר֙ (already) הָיָ֣ה (it has been)

לְעֹֽלָמִ֔ים (in the ages) אֲשֶׁ֥ר (that) הָיָ֖ה (were) מִלְּפָנֵֽנוּ׃ (from before our faces).

11  אֵ֥ין (There is no) זִכְר֖וֹן (remembrance) לָרִאשֹׁנִ֑ים (of the former things),

וְגַ֨ם (and) לָאַחֲרֹנִ֜ים (of the latter things) שֶׁיִּהְי֗וּ (that will come to be)

לֹֽא־ (no) יִהְיֶ֤ה (there will be), לָהֶם֙ (of them) זִכָּר֔וֹן (remembrance)

עִ֥ם (with) שֶׁיִּהְי֖וּ (those who come to be) לָאַחֲרֹנָֽה׃פ (after them).

With Wisdom Comes Sorrow

12  אֲנִ֣י (I), קֹהֶ֗לֶת (Qoheleth), הָיִ֥יתִי (was) מֶ֛לֶךְ (king) עַל־ (over) יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל (Israel) בִּירוּשָׁלִָֽם׃ (in Jerusalem). 13  וְנָתַ֣תִּי (And I gave) אֶת־ (-) לִבִּ֗י (my heart) לִדְר֤וֹשׁ (to search) וְלָתוּר֙ (and spy out) בַּֽחָכְמָ֔ה (by wisdom) עַ֛ל (concerning) כָּל־ (all) אֲשֶׁ֥ר (that) נַעֲשָׂ֖ה (is done) תַּ֣חַת (under) הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם (the heavens). ה֣וּא׀ (That) עִנְיַ֣ן (task) רָ֗ע (burdensome) נָתַ֧ן (has given) אֱלֹהִ֛ים (God) לִבְנֵ֥י (to the sons) הָאָדָ֖ם (of man), לַעֲנ֥וֹת (to be occupied) בּֽוֹ׃ (with it).

14  רָאִ֙יתִי֙ (I have seen) אֶת־ (-) כָּל־ (all) הַֽמַּעֲשִׂ֔ים (the deeds) שֶֽׁנַּעֲשׂ֖וּ (that are done) תַּ֣חַת (under) הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ (the sun), וְהִנֵּ֥ה (and indeed), הַכֹּ֛ל (all) הֶ֖בֶל (is vapor) וּרְע֥וּת (and striving after) רֽוּחַ׃ (the wind).

15  מְעֻוָּ֖ת (What is crooked) לֹא־ (not) יוּכַ֣ל (is able) לִתְקֹ֑ן (to be straightened),

וְחֶסְר֖וֹן (and what is lacking) לֹא־ (not) יוּכַ֥ל (is able) לְהִמָּנֽוֹת׃ (to be counted).

16  דִּבַּ֨רְתִּי (Spoke) אֲנִ֤י (I) עִם־ (with) לִבִּי֙ (my heart), לֵאמֹ֔ר (saying), אֲנִ֗י (I), הִנֵּ֨ה (behold), הִגְדַּ֤לְתִּי (have become great) וְהוֹסַ֙פְתִּי֙ (and I have added) חָכְמָ֔ה (wisdom) עַ֛ל (over) כָּל־ (all) אֲשֶׁר־ (who) הָיָ֥ה (were) לְפָנַ֖י (before me) עַל־ (in) יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑ם (Jerusalem); וְלִבִּ֛י (and my heart) רָאָ֥ה (has seen) הַרְבֵּ֖ה (great) חָכְמָ֥ה (wisdom) וָדָֽעַת׃ (and knowledge).

17  וָאֶתְּנָ֤ה (And I set) לִבִּי֙ (my heart) לָדַ֣עַת (to know) חָכְמָ֔ה (wisdom), וְדַ֥עַת (and to know) הוֹלֵל֖וֹת (madness) וְשִׂכְל֑וּת (and folly); יָדַ֕עְתִּי (I have known) שֶׁגַּם־ (that also) זֶ֥ה (this), ה֖וּא (it is) רַעְי֥וֹן (a striving after) רֽוּחַ׃ (the wind).

18  כִּ֛י (For) בְּרֹ֥ב (with an abundance) חָכְמָ֖ה (of wisdom) רָב־ (is much) כָּ֑עַס (grief),

וְיוֹסִ֥יף (and he who adds to) דַּ֖עַת (knowledge) יוֹסִ֥יף (adds to) מַכְאֽוֹב׃ (sorrow).