Ketuvim
Qohelet3
Ecclesiastes · Chapter 3
To every
thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the shamayim:
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up
that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?
I have seen the travail, which Elohim hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.
He hath made every
thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that Elohim maketh from the beginning to the end.
I know that
there is no good in them, but for
a man
to rejoice, and to do good in his life.
And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it
is the gift of Elohim.
I know that, whatsoever Elohim doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and Elohim doeth
it, that
men should fear before him.
That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and Elohim requireth that which is past.
And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment,
that
wickedness
was there; and the place of righteousness,
that iniquity
was there.
I said in mine heart, Elohim shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for
there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.
I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that Elohim might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are 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 a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all
is vanity.
All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.
Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?
Wherefore I perceive that
there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that
is his portion: for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?
Ketuvim
Qohelet4
Ecclesiastes · Chapter 4
So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of
such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors
there was power; but they had no comforter.
Wherefore I praised the dead which are already dead more than the living which are yet alive.
Yea, better
is he than both they, which hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.
Again, I considered all travail, and every right work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbour. This
is also vanity and vexation of spirit.
The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh.
Better
is an handful
with quietness, than both the hands full
with travail and vexation of spirit.
Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun.
There is one
alone, and
there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet
is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither
saith he,
For whom do I labour, and bereave my nephesh of good? This
is
also vanity, yea, it
is a sore travail.
Two
are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.
For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him
that is alone when he falleth; for
he hath not another to help him up.
Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm
alone?
And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
Better
is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished.
For out of prison he cometh to reign; whereas also
he that is
born in his kingdom becometh poor.
I considered all the living which walk under the sun, with the second child that shall stand up in his stead.
There is no end of all the people,
even of all that have been before them: they also that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also
is vanity and vexation of spirit.
Ketuvim
Qohelet5
Ecclesiastes · Chapter 5
Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of Elohim, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil.
Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter
any thing before Elohim: for Elohim
is in shamayim, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.
For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool’s voice
is known by multitude of words.
When thou vowest a vow unto Elohim, defer not to pay it; for
he hath
no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.
Better
is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.
Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the mal'akh, that it
was an error: wherefore should Elohim be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?
For in the multitude of dreams and many words
there are also
divers vanities: but fear thou Elohim.
If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for
he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and
there be higher than they.
Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king
himself
is served by the field.
He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this
is also vanity.
When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good
is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding
of them
with their eyes?
The sleep of a labouring man
is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.
There is a sore evil
which I have seen under the sun,
namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt.
But those riches perish by evil travail: and he begetteth a son, and
there is nothing in his hand.
As he came forth of his mother’s womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.
And this also
is a sore evil,
that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind?
All his days also he eateth in darkness, and
he hath much sorrow and wrath with his sickness.
Behold
that which I have seen:
it is good and comely
for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which Elohim giveth him: for it
is his portion.
Every man also to whom Elohim hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this
is the gift of Elohim.
For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because Elohim answereth
him in the joy of his heart.