Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

49 (For the one directing. A Mizmor for the Bnei Korach). Hear this, kol HaAmim; give ear, all ye inhabitants of the cheled (world, duration):

^2 (3) Bnei Adam and bnei ish, ashir (rich) and evyon (poor) alike,

^3 (4) My mouth shall speak chochmot; and the meditation of my lev tevunot (understanding).

^4 (5) I will incline mine ear to a mashal; I will disclose my dark saying upon the kinnor (harp).

^5 (6) Why should I fear in the days of rah, when the avon (iniquity) of my akev (supplanters, deceivers) surrounds me?

^6 (7) They that trust in their chayil (wealth), and boast themselves in the rov of their oshir (riches);

^7 (8) A brother cannot by any means redeem ish (man), nor give to Elohim a kofer (ransom) for him—

^8 (9) For the pidyon [ransom] of their nefesh is costly, and is forever beyond their power to pay—

^9 (10) That he should live on lanetzach, and not see shachat (corruption, decay, the pit [cf Psa16:10]).

^10 (11) For he seeth that chachamim die, likewise the kesil (foolish) and the ba’ar (brutish, senseless person, dolt) perish, and leave their chayil (wealth) to others.

^11 (12) Their inward thought is, that their batim (houses) shall continue l’olam and their mishkenot (dwelling places) l’odor vador; though they call their lands by their shmot (names).

^12 (13) Nevertheless adam in his pomp endureth not; he is like the behemot (beasts) that perish.

1 Divrei Kohelet, Ben Dovid, Melech in Yerushalayim.

² Hevel havalim, saith Kohelet, hevel havalim; all is hevel.

³ What profit hath a man from all his amal (toil) which he hath toiled under the shemesh?

⁴ Dor v’dor, generations come and go, passing away; but ha’aretz remaineth l’olam.

⁵ The shemesh also ariseth, and the shemesh goeth down, and hasteth to its place, there to arise again.

⁶ The ruach (wind) goeth toward the darom (south), and turneth about unto the tzafon (north); it whirleth about continually, and the ruach returneth again according to its circuits.

⁷ All the neharot (rivers) run into the yam; yet the yam is not full; unto the place from whence the neharot come, thither they return to go again.

⁸ All things are wearisome; no ish can express it; the ayin is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ozen full with hearing.

⁹ The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done; and there is nothing chadash under the shemesh.

¹⁰ Is there anything whereof it may be said, See, this is chadash? L’olamim (ages ago), which were before us, it hath been already.

¹¹ There is no zichron (remembrance) of former things; neither shall there be with those who come after any zikaron (recollection) of things that are to come.

¹⁷ And as Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach was setting out to travel, one running and falling down before him, was asking him, Rabbi haTov, what mitzvah may I do that I might inherit Chayyei Olam?

¹⁸ And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said to him, Why do you call me tov? No one [is] tov except echad, Elohim, nu?

¹⁹ You have daas of the mitzvot, the Aseres HaDibros (The Decalogue), LO TIRTZACH, LO TINAF, LO TIGNOV, LO TAANEH VREIACHA ED SHAKER, KABEID ES AVICHA VES IMMECHAH (Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness (do not defraud), honor your father and mother.) [SHEMOT 20:12-16; DEVARIM 5:16-20]

²⁰ And the man was saying to him, Rabbi, from kinderyoren I have been frum and shomer mitzvot, keeping all these things.

²¹ And looking at him and having ahavah for his neshamah, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said to him, One thing you lack: go and sell all your possessions and give to the aniyim, and you will have otzar (treasure) in Shomayim; and come, follow me.

²² But at the dvar HaMoshiach, his face turned gloomy and he departed with agmat nefesh (grief), for he had many possessions.