Ecclesiastes (Book of Ecclesiastes)

Category: Judaism

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Ecclesiastes (/ɪˌkliːziˈæstiːz/; Hebrew: קֹהֶלֶת‎, qōheleṯ, Greek: Ἐκκλησιαστής, Ekklēsiastēs) written c. 450–200 BCE, is one of the "Wisdom" books of the Old Testament. The title commonly used in English is a Latin transliteration of the Greek translation of the Hebrew word Kohelet (also written as Koheleth, Qoheleth or Qohelet). An unnamed author introduces "Kohelet" as the son of David (1:1) and does not use his own voice again until the final verses (12:9–14), where he gives his own thoughts and summarises the statements of "Kohelet"; the main body of the text is ascribed to Kohelet himself.

Ecclesiastes
(Book of Ecclesiastes)

קֹהֶלֶת

Ketuvim - כְּתוּבִים

Ecclesiastes - Chapter 1

The words of Koheleth, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

Vanity of vanities, saith Koheleth; vanity of vanities, all is vanity.

What profit hath man of all his labour wherein he laboureth under the sun?

One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh; and the earth abideth for ever.

The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he ariseth.

The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it turneth about continually in its circuit, and the wind returneth again to its circuits.

All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full; unto the place whither the rivers go, thither they go again.

All things toil to weariness; man cannot utter it, the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.

That which hath been is that which shall be, and that which hath been done is that which shall be done; and there is nothing new under the sun.

Is there a thing whereof it is said: ‘See, this is new’? — it hath been already, in the ages which were before us.

There is no remembrance of them of former times; neither shall there be any remembrance of them of latter times that are to come, among those that shall come after. {P}

I Koheleth have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.

And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven; it is a sore task that God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith.

I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.

That which is crooked cannot be made straight; and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.

I spoke with my own heart, saying: ‘Lo, I have gotten great wisdom, more also than all that were before me over Jerusalem’; yea, my heart hath had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.

And I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly — I perceived that this also was a striving after wind.

For in much wisdom is much vexation; and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.

Ecclesiastes - Chapter 2

I said in my heart: ‘Come now, I will try thee with mirth, and enjoy pleasure’; and, behold, this also was vanity.

I said of laughter: ‘It is mad’; and of mirth: ‘What doth it accomplish?’

I searched in my heart how to pamper my flesh with wine, and, my heart conducting itself with wisdom, how yet to lay hold on folly, till I might see which it was best for the sons of men that they should do under the heaven the few days of their life.

I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards; I made me gardens and parks, and I planted trees in them of all kinds of fruit; I made me pools of water, to water therefrom the wood springing up with trees; I acquired men-servants and maid-servants, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of herds and flocks, above all that were before me in Jerusalem; I gathered me also silver and gold, and treasure such as kings and the provinces have as their own; I got me men-singers and women-singers, and the delights of the sons of men, women very many.

So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem; also my wisdom stood me in stead.

And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them; I withheld not my heart from any joy, for my heart had joy of all my labour; and this was my portion from all my labour.

Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do; and, behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was no profit under the sun.

And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness and folly; for what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been already done.

Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.

The wise man, his eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness. And I also perceived that one event happeneth to them all.

Then said I in my heart: ‘As it happeneth to the fool, so will it happen even to me; and why was I then more wise?’ Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity.

For of the wise man, even as of the fool, there is no remembrance for ever; seeing that in the days to come all will long ago have been forgotten. And how must the wise man die even as the fool!

So I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun was grievous unto me; for all is vanity and a striving after wind.

And I hated all my labour wherein I laboured under the sun, seeing that I must leave it unto the man that shall be after me.

And who knoweth whether he will be a wise man or a fool? yet will he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity.

Therefore I turned about to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labour wherein I had laboured under the sun.

For there is a man whose labour is with wisdom, and with knowledge, and with skill; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.

For what hath a man of all his labour, and of the striving of his heart, wherein he laboureth under the sun?

For all his days are pains, and his occupation vexation; yea, even in the night his heart taketh not rest. This also is vanity.

There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and make his soul enjoy pleasure for his labour. This also I saw, that it is from the hand of God.

For who will eat, or who will enjoy, if not I?

For to the man that is good in His sight He giveth wisdom, and knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner He giveth the task, to gather and to heap up, that he may leave to him that is good in the sight of God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.

Ecclesiastes - Chapter 3

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: {P} {S} A time to be born, {S} and a time to die; {N} {S} a time to plant, {S} and a time to pluck up that which is planted; {N} {S} A time to kill, {S} and a time to heal; {N} {S} a time to break down, {S} and a time to build up; {N} {S} A time to weep, {S} and a time to laugh; {N} {S} a time to mourn, {S} and a time to dance; {N} {S} A time to cast away stones, {S} and a time to gather stones together; {N} {S} a time to embrace, {S} and a time to refrain from embracing; {N} {S} A time to seek, {S} and a time to lose; {N} {S} a time to keep, {S} and a time to cast away; {N} {S} A time to rend, {S} and a time to sew; {N} {S} a time to keep silence, {S} and a time to speak; {N} {S} A time to love, {S} and a time to hate; {N} {S} a time for war, {S} and a time for peace. {N}

{S} What profit hath he that worketh in that he laboureth?

I have seen the task which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith.

He hath made every thing beautiful in its time; also He hath set the world in their heart, yet so that man cannot find out the work that God hath done from the beginning even to the end.

I know that there is nothing better for them, than to rejoice, and to get pleasure so long as they live.

But also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy pleasure for all his labour, is the gift of God.

I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever; nothing can be added to it, nor any thing taken from it; and God hath so made it, that men should fear before Him.

That which is hath been long ago, and that which is to be hath already been; and God seeketh that which is pursued.

And moreover I saw under the sun, in the place of justice, that wickedness was there; and in the place of righteousness, that wickedness was there.

I said in my heart: ‘The righteous and the wicked God will judge; for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.’

I said in my heart: ‘It is because of the sons of men, that God may sift them, and that they may see that they themselves are but as beasts.’

For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them; as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that man hath no pre-eminence above a beast; for all is vanity.

All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all return to dust.

Who knoweth the spirit of man whether it goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast whether it goeth downward to the earth?

Wherefore I perceived that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his works; for that is his portion; for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?

Ecclesiastes(Book of Ecclesiastes)