Ecclesiastes

Chapter 12

Phonetic (Hebrew): uzekor֙ 'et-bּ֣ore'e֔yka bּiyme֖y bּechurote֑yka 'a֣d 'ashshe֤r lo'-yabo֨'u֙ yeme֣y haֽra'a֔h vehigּi֣y'u shshani֔ym 'ashshe֣r tּo'ma֔r 'eֽyn-li֥y bahe֖m cheֽpetz׃

Edified Edition (EDE)Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw near, when you shall say, "I have no pleasure in them;"

וּזְכֹר֙ אֶת־בּ֣וֹרְאֶ֔יךָ בִּימֵ֖י בְּחוּרֹתֶ֑יךָ עַ֣ד אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹא־יָבֹ֨אוּ֙ יְמֵ֣י הָֽרָעָ֔ה וְהִגִּ֣יעוּ שָׁנִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר תֹּאמַ֔ר אֵֽין־לִ֥י בָהֶ֖ם חֵֽפֶץ׃

Phonetic (Hebrew): a֠d 'ashshe֨r loֽ'-techeshsha֤ke hashshּe֨meshsh֙ veha'֔or vehayּare֖cha vehakּokabi֑ym veshsha֥bu he'abi֖ym 'acha֥r hagּaֽshshem׃

Edified Edition (EDE)While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:

עַ֠ד אֲשֶׁ֨ר לֹֽא־תֶחְשַׁ֤ךְ הַשֶּׁ֨מֶשׁ֙ וְהָא֔וֹר וְהַיָּרֵ֖חַ וְהַכּוֹכָבִ֑ים וְשָׁ֥בוּ הֶעָבִ֖ים אַחַ֥ר הַגָּֽשֶׁם׃

Phonetic (Hebrew): bּayּ֗om shsheyּazu֨'u֙ shshomere֣y habּa֔yit vehiֽte'auet֖u 'aneshshe֣y hecha֑yil ubatel֤u hatּoֽchanot֙ kּi֣y mi'e֔tu vechashshek֥u haro'֖ot bּa'arubּֽot׃

Edified Edition (EDE)In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened,

בַּיּ֗וֹם שֶׁיָּזֻ֨עוּ֙ שֹׁמְרֵ֣י הַבַּ֔יִת וְהִֽתְעַוְּת֖וּ אַנְשֵׁ֣י הֶחָ֑יִל וּבָטְל֤וּ הַטֹּֽחֲנוֹת֙ כִּ֣י מִעֵ֔טוּ וְחָשְׁכ֥וּ הָרֹא֖וֹת בָּאֲרֻבּֽוֹת׃

Phonetic (Hebrew): vesugּer֤u delata֨yim֙ bּashshּ֔uq bּishshepa֖l q֣ol haֽtּachana֑h veyaqum֙ leq֣ol hatzּipּ֔or veyishshּa֖chu kּal-bּen֥ot hashshּiֽyr׃

Edified Edition (EDE)And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low;

וְסֻגְּר֤וּ דְלָתַ֨יִם֙ בַּשּׁ֔וּק בִּשְׁפַ֖ל ק֣וֹל הַֽטַּחֲנָ֑ה וְיָקוּם֙ לְק֣וֹל הַצִּפּ֔וֹר וְיִשַּׁ֖חוּ כָּל־בְּנ֥וֹת הַשִּֽׁיר׃

Phonetic (Hebrew): gּa֣m migּabo֤hּa yira֨'u֙ vechatechatּi֣ym bּadּe֔reke veyane֤'tz hashshּaqed֙ veyisetּabּe֣l heֽchaga֔b vetape֖r haֽ'abiyּona֑h kּiֽy-hole֤ke ha'adam֙ 'el-bּe֣yt 'olam֔o vesabeb֥u bashshּ֖uq hasּopediֽym׃

Edified Edition (EDE)Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goes to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:

גַּ֣ם מִגָּבֹ֤הַּ יִרָ֨אוּ֙ וְחַתְחַתִּ֣ים בַּדֶּ֔רֶךְ וְיָנֵ֤אץ הַשָּׁקֵד֙ וְיִסְתַּבֵּ֣ל הֶֽחָגָ֔ב וְתָפֵ֖ר הָֽאֲבִיּוֹנָ֑ה כִּֽי־הֹלֵ֤ךְ הָאָדָם֙ אֶל־בֵּ֣ית עוֹלָמ֔וֹ וְסָבְב֥וּ בָשּׁ֖וּק הַסֹּפְדִֽים׃

Phonetic (Hebrew): a֣d 'ashshe֤r loֽ'-yrchq yerateq֙ che֣bel hakּe֔sep vetaru֖tz gּulּa֣t hazּaha֑b vetishshּa֤ber kּad֙ 'al-hamּabּ֔u'a venaro֥tz hagּalegּa֖l 'el-habּֽor׃

Edified Edition (EDE)Wait till the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.

עַ֣ד אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹֽא־ירחק יֵרָתֵק֙ חֶ֣בֶל הַכֶּ֔סֶף וְתָרֻ֖ץ גֻּלַּ֣ת הַזָּהָ֑ב וְתִשָּׁ֤בֶר כַּד֙ עַל־הַמַּבּ֔וּעַ וְנָרֹ֥ץ הַגַּלְגַּ֖ל אֶל־הַבּֽוֹר׃

Phonetic (Hebrew): veyashsho֧b he'apa֛r 'al-ha'a֖retz kּeshshehaya֑h vehar֣ucha tּashsh֔ub 'el-ha'elohi֖ym 'ashshe֥r netanaֽhּ׃

Edified Edition (EDE)Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return to God who gave it.

וְיָשֹׁ֧ב הֶעָפָ֛ר עַל־הָאָ֖רֶץ כְּשֶׁהָיָ֑ה וְהָר֣וּחַ תָּשׁ֔וּב אֶל־הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר נְתָנָֽהּ׃

Phonetic (Hebrew): habe֧l habali֛ym 'ama֥r haqּohe֖let hakּo֥l haֽbel׃

Edified Edition (EDE)Vanity of vanities, says the preacher; all is vanity.

הֲבֵ֧ל הֲבָלִ֛ים אָמַ֥ר הַקּוֹהֶ֖לֶת הַכֹּ֥ל הָֽבֶל׃

Phonetic (Hebrew): veyote֕r shshehaya֥h qohe֖let chaka֑m '֗od limּad-dּa֨'at֙ 'et-ha'a֔m ve'izּe֣n vechiqּe֔r tּiqּe֖n meshshali֥ym harebּeֽh׃

Edified Edition (EDE)And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yes, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.

וְיֹתֵ֕ר שֶׁהָיָ֥ה קֹהֶ֖לֶת חָכָ֑ם ע֗וֹד לִמַּד־דַּ֨עַת֙ אֶת־הָעָ֔ם וְאִזֵּ֣ן וְחִקֵּ֔ר תִּקֵּ֖ן מְשָׁלִ֥ים הַרְבֵּֽה׃

Phonetic (Hebrew): bּiqּe֣shsh qohe֔let limetzo֖ dּiberey-che֑petz vekat֥ub yo֖shsher dּibere֥y 'emeֽt׃

Edified Edition (EDE)The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth.

בִּקֵּ֣שׁ קֹהֶ֔לֶת לִמְצֹ֖א דִּבְרֵי־חֵ֑פֶץ וְכָת֥וּב יֹ֖שֶׁר דִּבְרֵ֥י אֱמֶֽת׃

Phonetic (Hebrew): dּibere֤y chakamiym֙ kּadּa֣rebon֔ot uֽkemashsemer֥ot netu'i֖ym bּa'ale֣y 'asupּ֑ot nitּen֖u mero'e֥h 'echaֽd׃

Edified Edition (EDE)The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.

דִּבְרֵ֤י חֲכָמִים֙ כַּדָּ֣רְבֹנ֔וֹת וּֽכְמַשְׂמְר֥וֹת נְטוּעִ֖ים בַּעֲלֵ֣י אֲסֻפּ֑וֹת נִתְּנ֖וּ מֵרֹעֶ֥ה אֶחָֽד׃

Phonetic (Hebrew): veyote֥r mehe֖mּah bּeni֣y hizּahe֑r 'ashs֨ot separi֤ym harebּeh֙ 'e֣yn qe֔tz vela֥hag harebּe֖h yegi'a֥t bּashsaֽr׃

Edified Edition (EDE)And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

וְיֹתֵ֥ר מֵהֵ֖מָּה בְּנִ֣י הִזָּהֵ֑ר עֲשׂ֨וֹת סְפָרִ֤ים הַרְבֵּה֙ אֵ֣ין קֵ֔ץ וְלַ֥הַג הַרְבֵּ֖ה יְגִעַ֥ת בָּשָֽׂר׃

Phonetic (Hebrew): s֥op dּaba֖r hakּo֣l nishshema֑ 'et-ha'elohi֤ym yera'֙ ve'et-mitzevota֣yv shshem֔or kּiy-ze֖h kּal-ha'adaֽm׃

Edified Edition (EDE)Let us hear the [1] conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

ס֥וֹף דָּבָ֖ר הַכֹּ֣ל נִשְׁמָ֑ע אֶת־הָאֱלֹהִ֤ים יְרָא֙ וְאֶת־מִצְוֺתָ֣יו שְׁמ֔וֹר כִּי־זֶ֖ה כָּל־הָאָדָֽם׃

Phonetic (Hebrew): kּi֤y 'et-kּal-maֽ'ashse֔h ha'elohi֛ym yabi֥ bemishshepּa֖t 'a֣l kּal-ne'ela֑m 'im-t֖ob ve'im-raֽ'׃

Edified Edition (EDE)For God shall bring every work into judgement, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

כִּ֤י אֶת־כָּל־מַֽעֲשֶׂ֔ה הָאֱלֹהִ֛ים יָבִ֥א בְמִשְׁפָּ֖ט עַ֣ל כָּל־נֶעְלָ֑ם אִם־ט֖וֹב וְאִם־רָֽע׃