Old/New Testament
4 So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the shemesh, and, hinei, the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no menachem (comforter); and on the side of their oppressors there was ko’ach (power); but they had no menachem (comforter).
2 Wherefore I praised the mesim which are already dead more than the living ones which are yet alive.
3 Yea, better is he than both they, which hath not yet been, who hath not seen the ma’aseh harah that is done under the shemesh.
4 Again, I considered all amal, and every kishron hama’aseh (skillful achievement), that such is a simple derivative of kinat ish meirei’eihu (the envy of man of his neighbor). This also is hevel, a chasing after ruach.
5 The kesil foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own basar.
6 Better is a handful with tranquility than both the hands full with amal and chasing after ruach.
7 Then I returned, and I saw under the shemesh this hevel:
8 There was a man all alone, and there was with him neither ben nor ach (brother); yet there was no ketz (end) to all his amal; neither was his ayin satisfied with osher (riches); neither saith he, For whom do I toil, and deprive my nefesh of tovah? This also is hevel, yea, it is an evil matter.
9 Two are better than one because they have a sachar tov for their amal.
10 For if they fall, the echad will lift up his partner, but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.
11 Also, if two lie down, then they have chom (heat), but how can one be warm alone?
12 Though echad may be overpowered, shnayim shall withstand him; and a khoot hameshulash (threefold cord) is not quickly broken.
13 Better is a poor and a wise yeled than an old and foolish melech, who will no more be admonished.
14 For out of the bais hasohar he cometh to reign, although he was born a poor man in his malchut (kingdom).
15 I considered all the living ones which walk under the shemesh in the throng of the yeled, that is, the second one that shall enter into the place of the former [melech].
16 There is no ketz of kol haAm, all those at whose head he stands; and yet they who come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is hevel and striving for ruach.
5 (4:17) Keep thy footing when thou goest to the Bais HaElohim, and be more ready to listen than to give the zevach of kesilim, for they have no da’as that they do rah.
2 (5:1) Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine lev be hasty to utter any thing before HaElohim; for HaElohim is in Shomayim, and thou upon ha’aretz; therefore let thy dvarim be few.
3 (5:2) As by a multitude of cares cometh a chalom, so by a multitude of dvarim cometh the kol kesil (the voice of the fool).
4 (5:3) When thou vowest a neder unto Elohim, defer not to pay it; for Hashem hath no pleasure in kesilim; pay that which thou hast vowed.
5 (5:4) Better it is that thou shouldest not make a neder, than that thou shouldest vow and not fulfill the neder.
6 (5:5) Suffer not thy mouth to lead thy basar into chet (sin); neither say thou before the Malach [of G-d], that it was a mistake. Wherefore should HaElohim be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?
7 (5:6) For in the multitude of chalomot and many dvarim there are also divers havalim [see 1:2]; but fear thou HaElohim.
8 (5:7) If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of mishpat and tzedek in a province, marvel not at the matter; for he that is higher watches over him that is high; and there be higher than they.
9 (5:8) Moreover the profit of eretz is for all; Melech himself is served by the sadeh.
10 (5:9) He that loveth kesef shall never have enough kesef; nor shall he that loveth abundance have enough increase; this also is hevel.
11 (5:10) When hatovah (good things) increase, they are increased that consume them; and what kishron (useful result) is there to the ba’al (owner) thereof, except as an onlooker?
12 (5:11) The sleep of the oved (working man) is sweet, whether he eat little or much; but the abundance of the oisher (rich man) will not permit him to sleep.
13 (5:12) There is a grievous ra’ah which I have seen under the shemesh; osher (riches) hoarded by the ba’al thereof to his hurt;
14 (5:13) The same osher (riches) perish by an evil event and he begetteth a ben; thus this one hath nothing in his hand.
15 (5:14) As he came forth of the womb of his Em (mother), arom (naked) shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his amal (labor), which he may carry away in his hand.
16 (5:15) And this also is a grievous evil, that in every respect as he came, just so shall he go; and what profit hath he that hath toiled for the ruach (wind)?
17 (5:16) All his yamim also he eateth in choshech, and he hath much ka’as (grief, vexation) and sickness and anger.
18 (5:17) Hinei I have seen it is tov and yafeh for one to eat and to drink, and to find tovah in all his amal (labor) that he toils under the shemesh all the few days of his life, which HaElohim giveth him; for it is his chelek.
19 (5:18) Also kol ha’adam to whom HaElohim hath given osher and possessions, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his chelek, and to rejoice in his amal; this is the gift of Elohim.
20 (5:19) For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because HaElohim keeps him occupied with simchat libbo (gladness of his heart).
6 There is a ra’ah which I have seen under the shemesh, and it is a great weight upon the adam;
2 An ish to whom HaElohim hath given osher (riches), nekhasim (possessions), and kavod (honor), so that he wanteth nothing for his nefesh of all that he desireth, yet HaElohim giveth him not shlitah (empowerment) to have enjoyment thereof, but an ish nochri (stranger) hath the enjoyment thereof; this is hevel, and it is a grievous ill.
3 If an ish beget a hundredfold, and live shanim rabbot, so that rav be the yamim of his shanim, and his nefesh be not filled with hatovah, and also that he have no kevurah (grave); I say, that a nefel (stillborn) is better than he.
4 For he cometh in with hevel, and departeth in choshech, and shmo shall be shrouded with choshech.
5 Moreover though he hath not seen the shemesh, nor known any thing, this hath more nakhat (rest, quietness) than the other.
6 Yea, though he live an elef shanim twice over, yet hath he seen no tovah. Do not all go to mekom echad?
7 All the amal (labor) of haAdam is for his mouth, and yet the nefesh is not satisfied.
8 For what hath the chacham more than the kesil? What hath the poor man, who has da’as of how to conduct himself before the living?
9 Better what the eynayim see than the roving of the nefesh; this also is hevel and chasing after ruach.
10 That which is, its shem hath already been named, and it is known what adam shall be; neither may he contend with what is stronger than he.
11 Seeing there be many things that increase hevel, what profit is there for adam?
12 For who has da’as what is tov for adam in this life, all the few days of his chayyei hevel which he spendeth as a shadow? For who can tell adam what shall be after him under the shemesh?
12 It is necessary for me to boast, nothing gained by it, yet I now come to marot (visions) and chazonot (revelations) of Adoneinu.
2 I have da’as of a man in Moshiach arba esreh shanah (fourteen years) before, whether in or out of the basar I do not have da’as, Hashem knows—such a man was snatched up and raptured to the raki’a haShlishi of Shomayim.
3 And I have da’as that such a man, whether in or out of the basar I do not have da’as, Hashem knows,
4 That he was caught away into Gan-Eden and heard inexpressible dvarim which to utter such words Bnei Adam have no heter (permit).
5 On behalf of such a one I will boast, but on behalf of myself I will not boast, except in my weaknesses. [2C 11:30]
6 But if I desire to boast, I will not be a yold (fool) [2C 10:8; 11:16] for I will speak HaEmes; but I spare you, lest anyone gives me credit beyond what he sees in me or hears in me.
7 Therefore, lest I should be too exalted especially by the excess of my chazonot, there was given to me a kotz (thorn, splinter) in my basar, a malach of Hasatan, for the purpose of using his fists on me [IYOV 2:6], lest I should be too exalted. [Num 33:55]
8 I davened shalosh p’amim, calling upon Adoneinu that it might depart from me.
9 And HaAdon said to me, "My Chesed is ad kahn (sufficient for the purpose, enough) for you, for My ko’ach (power) is perfected in weakness." With lev samei’ach therefore will I boast in my weaknesses that the gevurah of Moshiach might be a shelter over me. [1Kgs 19:12]
10 Therefore, I take pleasure in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in tzoros on behalf of Moshiach; for whenever I am weak, then the gibbor (strong man) am I! [Pp 4:11,13]
11 I have been a yold! You forced me. For I ought to be commended by you, for in nothing I was behind the most groise (eminent) Shlichim [2C 11:5], even if I am nothing.
12 Indeed the otot (signs) of the Shliach of Moshiach were brought about among you in all savlanut (patience), both by otot and moftim and gevurot. [Ro 15:19]
13 For in what have you been short-changed compared to the rest of Moshiach’s Kehillot, except that I myself was not a burden on you? [2C 11:9] Do pardon me this slight!
14 Hinei, this is the pa’am shlishit I am ready to come to you [2C 13:1], and I will not be a burden; for I seek not yours but you, for yeladim ought not to lay up for their horim (parents), but horim for their yeladim. [MISHLE 19:14]
15 But with simcha I will expend and be utterly expended for the nefashot (souls) of you [Pp 2:17]. If more abundantly I have ahavah for you, are you to have less ahavah for me?
16 But let the matter of my being a burden on you be as it may, some say, "Crafty jack that I am, I took you by ormah (cunning)" [BERESHIS 3:1]
17 Now I didn’t take advantage of any of you through anyone I sent to you, did I?
18 I urged Titos to go, and I sent with him the Ach b’Moshiach; [2C 8:6, 16-18] Titos didn’t take advantage of you, did he? Did we not walk our derech by the same Ruach Hakodesh? We did not march out of step, did Titos and I?
19 All along have you been thinking that we are making a hitstaddekut (defense, apology) before you? No, before Hashem in Moshiach we speak! Everything we do, Chaverim, is for the sake of your chozek (strength) and edification!
20 For I fear lest efsher (perhaps) when I come I may not find you as I wish [2C 2:1-4] and that you may not find me as you wish; I fear lest efsher there be merivah (strife), kinah (jealousy), ka’as (anger), machalokot (divisions), lashon hora (evil speech), ga’avah (conceit), commotions;
21 Lest when I come again Hashem Elohai may make me anav (humble) before you, and I should have agmat nefesh over many of the ones who committed averos before [2C 13:2], and have not made teshuva from the tumah (uncleanness) and zenut (fornication) and debauchery which they practiced.
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