Berean Interlinear
Ecclesiastes
Chapter 1
                                                            These are the words of the Teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem:
                                                    
                        
                    
                                                            “Futility of futilities,” says the Teacher, “futility of futilities! Everything is futile!”
                                                    
                        
                    
                                                            What does a man gain from all his labor, at which he toils under the sun?
                                                    
                        
                    
        
        mah-
What
What
        
        lā·’ā·ḏām
does a man
does a man
        
        yiṯ·rō·wn
gain
gain
        
        bə·ḵāl
from all
from all
        
        ‘ă·mā·lōw
his labor ,
his labor ,
        
        še·ya·‘ă·mōl
at which he toils
at which he toils
        
        ta·ḥaṯ
under
under
        
        haš·šā·meš
the sun ?
                            the sun ?
                                                            Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever.
                                                    
                        
                    
                                                            The sun rises and the sun sets; it hurries back to where it rises.
                                                    
                        
                    
        
        haš·še·meš
The sun
The sun
        
        wə·zā·raḥ
rises
rises
        
        haš·šā·meš
and the sun
and the sun
        
        ū·ḇā
sets ;
sets ;
        
        šō·w·’êp̄
it hurries back
it hurries back
        
        wə·’el-
. . .
. . .
        
        mə·qō·w·mōw
to
to
        
        šām
where
where
        
        hū
it
it
        
        zō·w·rê·aḥ
rises .
                            rises .
                                                            The wind blows southward, then turns northward; round and round it swirls, ever returning on its course.
                                                    
                        
                    
        
        hā·rū·aḥ
The wind
The wind
        
        hō·w·lêḵ
blows
blows
        
        ’el-
vvv
vvv
        
        dā·rō·wm
southward ,
southward ,
        
        wə·sō·w·ḇêḇ
then turns
then turns
        
        ’el-
vvv
vvv
        
        ṣā·p̄ō·wn
northward ;
northward ;
        
        sō·w·ḇêḇ
round
round
        
        sō·ḇêḇ
[and] round
[and] round
        
        hō·w·lêḵ
it swirls ,
it swirls ,
        
        šāḇ
ever returning
ever returning
        
        wə·‘al-
on
on
        
        hā·rū·aḥ
[its]
[its]
        
        sə·ḇî·ḇō·ṯāw
course .
                            course .
                                                            All the rivers flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full; to the place from which the streams come, there again they flow.
                                                    
                        
                    
        
        kāl-
All
All
        
        han·nə·ḥā·lîm
the rivers
the rivers
        
        hō·lə·ḵîm
flow
flow
        
        ’el-
into
into
        
        hay·yām
the sea ,
the sea ,
        
        wə·hay·yām
yet the sea
yet the sea
        
        ’ê·nen·nū
is never
is never
        
        mā·lê
full ;
full ;
        
        ’el-
to
to
        
        mə·qō·wm
the place
the place
        
        še·han·nə·ḥā·lîm
from which the streams
from which the streams
        
        hō·lə·ḵîm
come ,
come ,
        
        šām
there
there
        
        šā·ḇîm
again
again
        
        hêm
they
they
        
        lā·lā·ḵeṯ
flow .
                            flow .
                                                            All things are wearisome, more than one can describe; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear content with hearing.
                                                    
                        
                    
        
        kāl-
All
All
        
        had·də·ḇā·rîm
things
things
        
        yə·ḡê·‘îm
are wearisome ,
are wearisome ,
        
        lō-
more
more
        
        yū·ḵal
. . .
. . .
        
        ’îš
than one
than one
        
        lə·ḏab·bêr
can describe ;
can describe ;
        
        ‘a·yin
the eye
the eye
        
        lō-
is not
is not
        
        ṯiś·ba‘
satisfied
satisfied
        
        lir·’ō·wṯ
with seeing ,
with seeing ,
        
        wə·lō-
nor
nor
        
        ’ō·zen
the ear
the ear
        
        ṯim·mā·lê
content
content
        
        miš·šə·mō·a‘
with hearing .
                            with hearing .
                                                            What has been will be again, and what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.
                                                    
                        
                    
        
        mah-
What
What
        
        še·hā·yāh
has been
has been
        
        hū
vvv
vvv
        
        še·yih·yeh
will be again ,
will be again ,
        
        ū·mah-
and what
and what
        
        šen·na·‘ă·śāh
has been done
has been done
        
        hū
-
-
        
        še·yê·‘ā·śeh
will be done again ;
will be done again ;
        
        wə·’ên
there is nothing
there is nothing
        
        kāl-
. . .
. . .
        
        ḥā·ḏāš
new
new
        
        ta·ḥaṯ
under
under
        
        haš·šā·meš
the sun .
                            the sun .
                                                            Is there a case where one can say, “Look, this is new”? It has already existed in the ages before us.
                                                    
                        
                    
        
        yêš
Is there [a case]
Is there [a case]
        
        še·yō·mar
where one can say
where one can say
        
        dā·ḇār
. . . ,
. . . ,
        
        rə·’êh-
“ Look ,
“ Look ,
        
        zeh
this
this
        
        ḥā·ḏāš
is new ”?
is new ”?
        
        hū
It
It
        
        kə·ḇār
has already
has already
        
        hā·yāh
existed
existed
        
        lə·‘ō·lā·mîm
in the ages
in the ages
        
        ’ă·šer
-
-
        
        hā·yāh
-
-
        
        mil·lə·p̄ā·nê·nū
before us .
                            before us .
                                                            There is no remembrance of those who came before, and those yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow after.
                                                    
                        
                    
        
        ’ên
There is no
There is no
        
        ziḵ·rō·wn
remembrance
remembrance
        
        lā·ri·šō·nîm
of those who came before
of those who came before
        
        wə·ḡam
. . . ,
. . . ,
        
        lā·’a·ḥă·rō·nîm
and those yet to come
and those yet to come
        
        še·yih·yū
will not be
will not be
        
        lō-
. . .
. . .
        
        zik·kā·rō·wn
remembered
remembered
        
        ‘im
by
by
        
        še·yih·yū
those who
those who
        
        yih·yeh
follow
follow
        
        lā·hem
. . .
. . .
        
        lā·’a·ḥă·rō·nāh
after .
                            after .
                                                            I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
                                                    
                        
                    
        
        ’ă·nî
I ,
I ,
        
        qō·he·leṯ
the Teacher ,
the Teacher ,
        
        hā·yî·ṯî
was
was
        
        me·leḵ
king
king
        
        ‘al-
over
over
        
        yiś·rā·’êl
Israel
Israel
        
        bî·rū·šā·lim
in Jerusalem .
                            in Jerusalem .
                                                            And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a miserable task God has laid upon the sons of men to occupy them!
                                                    
                        
                    
        
        wə·nā·ṯat·tî
And I set
And I set
        
        ’eṯ-
-
-
        
        lib·bî
my mind
my mind
        
        liḏ·rō·wōš
to seek
to seek
        
        wə·lā·ṯūr
and explore
and explore
        
        ba·ḥā·ḵə·māh
by wisdom
by wisdom
        
        ‘al
. . .
. . .
        
        kāl-
all
all
        
        ’ă·šer
that
that
        
        na·‘ă·śāh
is done
is done
        
        ta·ḥaṯ
under
under
        
        haš·šā·mā·yim
heaven .
heaven .
        
        hū
What
What
        
        rā‘
a heavy
a heavy
        
        ‘in·yan
burden
burden
        
        ’ĕ·lō·hîm
God
God
        
        nā·ṯan
has laid
has laid
        
        liḇ·nê
upon the sons
upon the sons
        
        hā·’ā·ḏām
of men
of men
        
        la·‘ă·nō·wṯ
to occupy them
to occupy them
        
        bōw
!
                            !
                                                            I have seen all the things that are done under the sun, and have found them all to be futile, a pursuit of the wind.
                                                    
                        
                    
        
        rā·’î·ṯî
I have seen
I have seen
        
        ’eṯ-
-
-
        
        kāl-
all
all
        
        ham·ma·‘ă·śîm
the things
the things
        
        šen·na·‘ă·śū
that are done
that are done
        
        ta·ḥaṯ
under
under
        
        haš·šā·meš
the sun ,
the sun ,
        
        wə·hin·nêh
and have found them
and have found them
        
        hak·kōl
all
all
        
        he·ḇel
to be futile ,
to be futile ,
        
        ū·rə·‘ūṯ
a pursuit
a pursuit
        
        rū·aḥ
of the wind .
                            of the wind .
                                                            What is crooked cannot be straightened, and what is lacking cannot be counted.
                                                    
                        
                    
        
        mə·‘uw·wāṯ
What is crooked
What is crooked
        
        lō-
cannot
cannot
        
        yū·ḵal
. . .
. . .
        
        liṯ·qōn
be straightened ,
be straightened ,
        
        wə·ḥes·rō·wn
and what is lacking
and what is lacking
        
        lō-
cannot
cannot
        
        yū·ḵal
. . .
. . .
        
        lə·him·mā·nō·wṯ
be counted .
                            be counted .
                                                            I said to myself, “Behold, I have grown and increased in wisdom beyond all those before me who were over Jerusalem, and my mind has observed a wealth of wisdom and knowledge.”
                                                    
                        
                    
        
        ’ă·nî
I
I
        
        dib·bar·tî
said
said
        
        ‘im-
to
to
        
        lib·bî
myself ,
myself ,
        
        lê·mōr
. . .
. . .
        
        hin·nêh
“ Behold ,
“ Behold ,
        
        ’ă·nî
I
I
        
        hiḡ·dal·tî
have grown
have grown
        
        wə·hō·w·sap̄·tî
and increased
and increased
        
        ḥāḵ·māh
in wisdom
in wisdom
        
        ‘al
beyond
beyond
        
        kāl-
all
all
        
        ’ă·šer-
those
those
        
        lə·p̄ā·nay
before me
before me
        
        hā·yāh
who were
who were
        
        ‘al-
over
over
        
        yə·rū·šā·lim
Jerusalem ,
Jerusalem ,
        
        wə·lib·bî
and my mind
and my mind
        
        rā·’āh
has observed
has observed
        
        har·bêh
a wealth
a wealth
        
        ḥāḵ·māh
of wisdom
of wisdom
        
        wā·ḏā·‘aṯ
and knowledge . ”
                            and knowledge . ”
                                                            So I set my mind to know wisdom and madness and folly; I learned that this, too, is a pursuit of the wind.
                                                    
                        
                    
        
        wā·’et·tə·nāh
So I set
So I set
        
        lib·bî
my mind
my mind
        
        lā·ḏa·‘aṯ
to know
to know
        
        ḥāḵ·māh
wisdom
wisdom
        
        wə·ḏa·‘aṯ
[and]
[and]
        
        hō·w·lê·lō·wṯ
madness
madness
        
        wə·śiḵ·lūṯ
and folly ;
and folly ;
        
        yā·ḏa‘·tî
I learned
I learned
        
        zeh
that
that
        
        hū
this ,
this ,
        
        šeg·gam-
too ,
too ,
        
        ra‘·yō·wn
is a pursuit
is a pursuit
        
        rū·aḥ
of the wind .
                            of the wind .
                                                            For with much wisdom comes much sorrow, and as knowledge grows, grief increases.
                                                    
                        
                    
        
        kî
For
For
        
        bə·rōḇ
with much
with much
        
        ḥāḵ·māh
wisdom
wisdom
        
        rāḇ-
comes much
comes much
        
        kā·‘as
sorrow ,
sorrow ,
        
        da·‘aṯ
and as knowledge
and as knowledge
        
        wə·yō·w·sîp̄
grows ,
grows ,
        
        maḵ·’ō·wḇ
grief
grief
        
        yō·w·sîp̄
increases .
                            increases .