Berean Interlinear
Ecclesiastes
Chapter 4
                                                            Again I looked, and I considered all the oppression taking place under the sun. I saw the tears of the oppressed, and they had no comforter; the power lay in the hands of their oppressors, and there was no comforter.
                                                    
                        
                    
        
        wə·šaḇ·tî
Again [I looked] ,
Again [I looked] ,
        
        ’ă·nî
and I
and I
        
        wā·’er·’eh
considered
considered
        
        ’eṯ-
-
-
        
        kāl-
all
all
        
        hā·‘ă·šu·qîm
the oppression
the oppression
        
        ’ă·šer
-
-
        
        na·‘ă·śîm
taking place
taking place
        
        ta·ḥaṯ
under
under
        
        haš·šā·meš
the sun .
the sun .
        
        wə·hin·nêh
[I] saw
[I] saw
        
        dim·‘aṯ
the tears
the tears
        
        hā·‘ă·šu·qîm
of the oppressed ,
of the oppressed ,
        
        wə·’ên
and they had no
and they had no
        
        lā·hem
         
    
        
        mə·na·ḥêm
comforter ;
comforter ;
        
        kō·aḥ
the power [lay]
the power [lay]
        
        ū·mî·yaḏ
in the hands
in the hands
        
        ‘ō·šə·qê·hem
of their oppressors ,
of their oppressors ,
        
        wə·’ên
and there was no
and there was no
        
        lā·hem
         
    
        
        mə·na·ḥêm
comforter .
                            comforter .
                                                            So I admired the dead, who had already died, above the living, who are still alive.
                                                    
                        
                    
        
        ’ă·nî
So I
So I
        
        ’eṯ-
-
-
        
        wə·šab·bê·aḥ
admired
admired
        
        ham·mê·ṯîm
the dead ,
the dead ,
        
        šek·kə·ḇār
who had already
who had already
        
        mê·ṯū
died ,
died ,
        
        min-
above
above
        
        ha·ḥay·yîm
the living ,
the living ,
        
        ’ă·šer
who
who
        
        hêm·māh
. . .
. . .
        
        ‘ă·ḏe·nāh
are still
are still
        
        ḥay·yîm
alive .
                            alive .
                                                            But better than both is he who has not yet existed, who has not seen the evil that is done under the sun.
                                                    
                        
                    
        
        wə·ṭō·wḇ
But better
But better
        
        miš·šə·nê·hem
than both
than both
        
        ’êṯ
-
-
        
        ’ă·šer-
is he who
is he who
        
        lō
has not
has not
        
        ‘ă·ḏen
yet
yet
        
        hā·yāh
existed ,
existed ,
        
        ’ă·šer
who
who
        
        lō-
has not
has not
        
        rā·’āh
seen
seen
        
        ’eṯ-
-
-
        
        hā·rā‘
the evil
the evil
        
        ham·ma·‘ă·śeh
. . .
. . .
        
        ’ă·šer
that
that
        
        na·‘ă·śāh
is done
is done
        
        ta·ḥaṯ
under
under
        
        haš·šā·meš
the sun .
                            the sun .
                                                            I saw that all labor and success spring from a man’s envy of his neighbor. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.
                                                    
                        
                    
        
        ’ă·nî
I
I
        
        ’eṯ-
-
-
        
        wə·rā·’î·ṯî
saw
saw
        
        kāl-
that all
that all
        
        ‘ā·māl
labor
labor
        
        wə·’êṯ
and
and
        
        kāl-
-
-
        
        kiš·rō·wn
success
success
        
        ham·ma·‘ă·śeh
. . .
. . .
        
        kî
spring from
spring from
        
        hî
. . .
. . .
        
        ’îš
a man’s
a man’s
        
        qin·’aṯ-
envy
envy
        
        mê·rê·‘ê·hū
of his neighbor .
of his neighbor .
        
        zeh
This
This
        
        gam-
too
too
        
        he·ḇel
is futile
is futile
        
        ū·rə·‘ūṯ
and a pursuit
and a pursuit
        
        rū·aḥ
of the wind .
                            of the wind .
                                                            The fool folds his hands and consumes his own flesh.
                                                    
                        
                    
        
        hak·kə·sîl
The fool
The fool
        
        ḥō·ḇêq
folds
folds
        
        ’eṯ-
-
-
        
        yā·ḏāw
his hands
his hands
        
        wə·’ō·ḵêl
and consumes
and consumes
        
        ’eṯ-
-
-
        
        bə·śā·rōw
his own flesh .
                            his own flesh .
                                                            Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and pursuit of the wind.
                                                    
                        
                    
                                                            Again, I saw futility under the sun.
                                                    
                        
                    
        
        wə·šaḇ·tî
Again ,
Again ,
        
        ’ă·nî
I
I
        
        wā·’er·’eh
saw
saw
        
        he·ḇel
futility
futility
        
        ta·ḥaṯ
under
under
        
        haš·šā·meš
the sun .
                            the sun .
                                                            There is a man all alone, without even a son or brother. And though there is no end to his labor, his eyes are still not content with his wealth: “For whom do I toil and bereave my soul of enjoyment?” This too is futile—a miserable task.
                                                    
                        
                    
        
        yêš
There is
There is
        
        ’e·ḥāḏ
a
a
        
        wə·’ên
man all alone
man all alone
        
        šê·nî
. . . ,
. . . ,
        
        ’ên-
without
without
        
        lōw
         
    
        
        gam
even
even
        
        bên
a son
a son
        
        wā·’āḥ
or brother .
or brother .
        
        wə·’ên
And though there is no
And though there is no
        
        qêṣ
end
end
        
        lə·ḵāl
-
-
        
        ‘ă·mā·lōw
to his labor ,
to his labor ,
        
        ʿē·nå̄w
his eyes
his eyes
        
        gam-
are still
are still
        
        lō-
not
not
        
        ṯiś·ba‘
content
content
        
        ‘ō·šer
with his wealth :
with his wealth :
        
        ū·lə·mî
“ For whom
“ For whom
        
        ’ă·nî
do I
do I
        
        ‘ā·mêl
toil
toil
        
        ū·mə·ḥas·sêr
and bereave
and bereave
        
        ’eṯ-
-
-
        
        nap̄·šî
my soul
my soul
        
        miṭ·ṭō·w·ḇāh
of enjoyment ? ”
of enjoyment ? ”
        
        zeh
This
This
        
        gam-
too
too
        
        he·ḇel
is futile —
is futile —
        
        rā‘
a miserable
a miserable
        
        hū
. . .
. . .
        
        wə·‘in·yan
task .
                            task .
                                                            Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor.
                                                    
                        
                    
        
        haš·šə·na·yim
Two
Two
        
        ṭō·w·ḇîm
are better
are better
        
        min-
than
than
        
        hā·’e·ḥāḏ
one ,
one ,
        
        ’ă·šer
because
because
        
        yêš-
they have
they have
        
        lā·hem
. . .
. . .
        
        ṭō·wḇ
a good
a good
        
        śā·ḵār
return
return
        
        ba·‘ă·mā·lām
for their labor .
                            for their labor .
                                                            For if one falls down, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to help him up!
                                                    
                        
                    
        
        kî
For
For
        
        ’im-
if
if
        
        hā·’e·ḥāḏ
one
one
        
        yip·pō·lū
falls down ,
falls down ,
        
        ḥă·ḇê·rōw
his companion
his companion
        
        yā·qîm
can lift him up ;
can lift him up ;
        
        ’eṯ-
-
-
        
        wə·’î·lōw
but pity
but pity
        
        hā·’e·ḥāḏ
the one
the one
        
        še·yip·pō·wl
who falls
who falls
        
        wə·’ên
without
without
        
        šê·nî
another
another
        
        la·hă·qî·mōw
to help him up !
                            to help him up !
                                                            Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one keep warm alone?
                                                    
                        
                    
        
        gam
Again ,
Again ,
        
        ’im-
if
if
        
        šə·na·yim
two
two
        
        yiš·kə·ḇū
lie down together ,
lie down together ,
        
        wə·ḥam
they will keep warm
they will keep warm
        
        lā·hem
;
;
        
        ’êḵ
but how
but how
        
        ū·lə·’e·ḥāḏ
can one
can one
        
        yê·ḥām
keep warm {alone} ?
                            keep warm {alone} ?
                                                            And though one may be overpowered, two can resist. Moreover, a cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
                                                    
                        
                    
        
        haš·šə·na·yim
two
two
        
        ya·‘am·ḏū
can resist
can resist
        
        neḡ·dōw
- .
- .
        
        wə·ha·ḥūṭ
Moreover, a cord
Moreover, a cord
        
        ham·šul·lāš
of three
of three
        
        lō
strands is not
strands is not
        
        ḇim·hê·rāh
quickly
quickly
        
        yin·nā·ṯêq
broken .
broken .
        
        wə·’im-
And though
And though
        
        hā·’e·ḥāḏ
one
one
        
        yiṯ·qə·p̄ōw
may be overpowered ,
                            may be overpowered ,
                                                            Better is a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to take a warning.
                                                    
                        
                    
        
        ṭō·wḇ
Better
Better
        
        mis·kên
is a poor
is a poor
        
        wə·ḥā·ḵām
but wise
but wise
        
        ye·leḏ
youth
youth
        
        zā·qên
than an old
than an old
        
        ū·ḵə·sîl
but foolish
but foolish
        
        mim·me·leḵ
king
king
        
        ’ă·šer
who
who
        
        lō-
no
no
        
        ‘ō·wḏ
longer
longer
        
        yā·ḏa‘
knows
knows
        
        lə·hiz·zā·hêr
how to take a warning .
                            how to take a warning .
                                                            For the youth has come from the prison to the kingship, though he was born poor in his own kingdom.
                                                    
                        
                    
        
        kî-
For
For
        
        yā·ṣā
[the youth] has come
[the youth] has come
        
        mib·bêṯ
from the prison
from the prison
        
        hā·sū·rîm
. . .
. . .
        
        lim·lōḵ
to the kingship ,
to the kingship ,
        
        kî
though
though
        
        gam
. . .
. . .
        
        nō·w·laḏ
he was born
he was born
        
        rāš
poor
poor
        
        bə·mal·ḵū·ṯōw
in his own kingdom .
                            in his own kingdom .
                                                            I saw that all who lived and walked under the sun followed this second one, the youth who succeeded the king.
                                                    
                        
                    
        
        rā·’î·ṯî
I saw that
I saw that
        
        ’eṯ-
-
-
        
        kāl-
all
all
        
        ha·ḥay·yîm
who lived
who lived
        
        ham·hal·lə·ḵîm
and walked
and walked
        
        ta·ḥaṯ
under
under
        
        haš·šā·meš
the sun
the sun
        
        ‘im
followed
followed
        
        haš·šê·nî
this second one ,
this second one ,
        
        hay·ye·leḏ
the youth
the youth
        
        ’ă·šer
who
who
        
        ya·‘ă·mōḏ
succeeded
succeeded
        
        taḥ·tāw
[the king] .
                            [the king] .
                                                            There is no limit to all the people who were before them. Yet the successor will not be celebrated by those who come even later. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.
                                                    
                        
                    
        
        ’ên-
There is no
There is no
        
        qêṣ
limit
limit
        
        lə·ḵāl
to all
to all
        
        hā·‘ām
the people
the people
        
        lə·ḵōl
. . .
. . .
        
        ’ă·šer-
who
who
        
        hā·yāh
were
were
        
        lip̄·nê·hem
before them .
before them .
        
        gam
Yet
Yet
        
        ḇōw
[the successor]
[the successor]
        
        lō
will not
will not
        
        yiś·mə·ḥū-
be celebrated
be celebrated
        
        hā·’a·ḥă·rō·w·nîm
by those who come even later .
by those who come even later .
        
        zeh
This
This
        
        kî-
too
too
        
        ḡam-
. . .
. . .
        
        he·ḇel
is futile
is futile
        
        wə·ra‘·yō·wn
and a pursuit
and a pursuit
        
        rū·aḥ
of the wind .
                            of the wind .