Chapter 1

1The words of Kohelet son of David, king in Yerushalayim.

div-RAY ko-HE-let ben da-VID ME-lekh bee-ru-sha-LA-im

אדִּבְרֵי֙ קֹהֶ֣לֶת בֶּן־דָּוִ֔ד מֶ֖לֶךְ בִּירוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃

2Utter futility!—said Kohelet— Utter futility! All is futile!

ha-VEL ha-va-LEEM a-MAR ko-HE-let ha-VEL ha-va-LEEM ha-KOL ha-VEL

בהֲבֵ֤ל הֲבָלִים֙ אָמַ֣ר קֹהֶ֔לֶת הֲבֵ֥ל הֲבָלִ֖ים הַכֹּ֥ל הָֽבֶל׃

3What real value is there for a man In all the gains he makes beneath the sun?

mah yit-ROHN la-a-DAM b'-kol a-MA-lo, she-ya-a-MOL TA-khat ha-SHA-mesh

גמַה־יִּתְר֖וֹן לָֽאָדָ֑ם בְּכׇ֨ל־עֲמָל֔וֹ שֶֽׁיַּעֲמֹ֖ל תַּ֥חַת הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃

4One generation goes, another comes, But the earth remains the same forever.

DOR ho-LEKH v'-DOR BA v'-ha-A-retz l'-o-LAM o-MA-det

דדּ֤וֹר הֹלֵךְ֙ וְד֣וֹר בָּ֔א וְהָאָ֖רֶץ לְעוֹלָ֥ם עֹמָֽדֶת׃

5The sun rises, and the sun sets— And glides back to where it rises.

v'-za-RACH ha-SHE-mesh u-VA ha-SHA-mesh v'-el m'-KHO-mo sho-AYF zo-RAY-akh HU sham

הוְזָרַ֥ח הַשֶּׁ֖מֶשׁ וּבָ֣א הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ וְאֶ֨ל־מְקוֹמ֔וֹ שׁוֹאֵ֛ף זוֹרֵ֥חַֽ ה֖וּא שָֽׁם׃

6Southward blowing, Turning northward, Ever turning blows the wind; On its rounds the wind returns.

ho-LEKH el-da-ROM v'-so-VEV el-tsa-FON so-VEV so-VEV ho-LEKH ha-RO-akh v'-al-s'-vee-vo-TAV shav ha-RO-akh

והוֹלֵךְ֙ אֶל־דָּר֔וֹם וְסוֹבֵ֖ב אֶל־צָפ֑וֹן סוֹבֵ֤ב ׀ סֹבֵב֙ הוֹלֵ֣ךְ הָר֔וּחַ וְעַל־סְבִיבֹתָ֖יו שָׁ֥ב הָרֽוּחַ׃

7All streams flow into the sea, Yet the sea is never full; To the place [from] which they flow The streams flow back again.

kol-ha-ne-kha-LEEM ho-le-KHEEM el ha-YAM v'-ha-YAM EY-ne-nu ma-LE el-m'-KOM she-ha-ne-kha-LEEM ho-le-KHEEM SHAM HEM sha-VEEM la-la-KHET

זכׇּל־הַנְּחָלִים֙ הֹלְכִ֣ים אֶל־הַיָּ֔ם וְהַיָּ֖ם אֵינֶ֣נּוּ מָלֵ֑א אֶל־מְק֗וֹם שֶׁ֤הַנְּחָלִים֙ הֹֽלְכִ֔ים שָׁ֛ם הֵ֥ם שָׁבִ֖ים לָלָֽכֶת׃

8All such things are wearisome: No man can ever state them; The eye never has enough of seeing, Nor the ear enough of hearing.

KOL-ha-d'-va-REEM ye-GE-eem, lo yu-KHAL eesh l'-da-BAYR, lo tis-BA a-YIN li-RO-OT, v'-lo ti-MA-leh o-ZEN mi-sh'-MO-a

חכׇּל־הַדְּבָרִ֣ים יְגֵעִ֔ים לֹא־יוּכַ֥ל אִ֖ישׁ לְדַבֵּ֑ר לֹא־תִשְׂבַּ֥ע עַ֙יִן֙ לִרְא֔וֹת וְלֹא־תִמָּלֵ֥א אֹ֖זֶן מִשְּׁמֹֽעַ׃

9Only that shall happen Which has happened, Only that occur Which has occurred; There is nothing new Beneath the sun!

mah-she-ha-YAH hu she-yi-HE-yah u-mah-she-na-a-SEH hu she-y'-a-SEH v'-AYN kol-cha-DASH ta-KHAT ha-SHA-mesh

טמַה־שֶּֽׁהָיָה֙ ה֣וּא שֶׁיִּהְיֶ֔ה וּמַה־שֶּׁנַּֽעֲשָׂ֔ה ה֖וּא שֶׁיֵּעָשֶׂ֑ה וְאֵ֥ין כׇּל־חָדָ֖שׁ תַּ֥חַת הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃

10Sometimes there is a phenomenon of which they say, “Look, this one is new!”—it occurred long since, in ages that went by before us.

YESH DA-var SHE-yo-MAR reh-ZEH cha-DASH HU ke-VAR ha-YAH l'-o-LA-meem a-SHER ha-YAH mi-le-FA-ne-nu.

ייֵ֥שׁ דָּבָ֛ר שֶׁיֹּאמַ֥ר רְאֵה־זֶ֖ה חָדָ֣שׁ ה֑וּא כְּבָר֙ הָיָ֣ה לְעֹֽלָמִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר הָיָ֖ה מִלְּפָנֵֽנוּ׃

11The earlier ones are not remembered; so too those that will occur later will no more be remembered than those that will occur at the very end.

AYN zikh-RON la-ree-SHO-neem v'-GAM la-a-kha-ro-NEEM she-yi-h'-YU lo yi-HEH la-HEM zikh-KA-ron im she-yi-h'-YU la-a-kha-ro-NAH.

יאאֵ֥ין זִכְר֖וֹן לָרִאשֹׁנִ֑ים וְגַ֨ם לָאַחֲרֹנִ֜ים שֶׁיִּהְי֗וּ לֹֽא־יִהְיֶ֤ה לָהֶם֙ זִכָּר֔וֹן עִ֥ם שֶׁיִּהְי֖וּ לָאַחֲרֹנָֽה׃

12I, Kohelet, was king in Yerushalayim over Yisrael.

a-NEE ko-HE-let ha-YI-tee me-LEKH al yis-ra-AYL bi-ru-sha-LA-im

יבאֲנִ֣י קֹהֶ֗לֶת הָיִ֥יתִי מֶ֛לֶךְ עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בִּירוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃

13I set my mind to study and to probe with wisdom all that happens under the sun.—An unhappy business, that, which Hashem gave men to be concerned with!

v'-na-TA-tee et-li-BEE lid-ROSH v'-la-TUR ba-KHO-kh'-MAH al kol a-SHER na-a-SAH ta-KHAT ha-sha-MA-yim HU in-YAN ra na-TAN e-lo-HEEM liv-NAY ha-a-DAM la-a-NOT BO

יגוְנָתַ֣תִּי אֶת־לִבִּ֗י לִדְר֤וֹשׁ וְלָתוּר֙ בַּֽחׇכְמָ֔ה עַ֛ל כׇּל־אֲשֶׁ֥ר נַעֲשָׂ֖ה תַּ֣חַת הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם ה֣וּא ׀ עִנְיַ֣ן רָ֗ע נָתַ֧ן אֱלֹהִ֛ים לִבְנֵ֥י הָאָדָ֖ם לַעֲנ֥וֹת בּֽוֹ׃

14I observed all the happenings beneath the sun, and I found that all is futile and pursuit of wind:

ra-EE-tee et-KOL ha-ma-a-SEEM she-na-a-SU ta-KHAT ha-SHA-mesh v'-hi-NEH ha-KOL he-VEL u-re-UT ru-ACH

ידרָאִ֙יתִי֙ אֶת־כׇּל־הַֽמַּעֲשִׂ֔ים שֶֽׁנַּעֲשׂ֖וּ תַּ֣חַת הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ וְהִנֵּ֥ה הַכֹּ֛ל הֶ֖בֶל וּרְע֥וּת רֽוּחַ׃

15A twisted thing that cannot be made straight, A lack that cannot be made good.

m'-u-VAT lo-yu-KHAL lit-KON v'-khes-RON lo-yu-KHAL l'-hi-MA-nut

טומְעֻוָּ֖ת לֹא־יוּכַ֣ל לִתְקֹ֑ן וְחֶסְר֖וֹן לֹא־יוּכַ֥ל לְהִמָּנֽוֹת׃

16I said to myself: “Here I have grown richer and wiser than any that ruled before me over Yerushalayim, and my mind has zealously absorbed wisdom and learning.”

di-BAR-ti a-NEE im li-BEE lay-MOR a-NEE hi-NEH hi-G'-dal-TEE v'-ho-saf-TEE kha-KH'-mah al kol a-SHER ha-YAH l'-fa-NAI al y'-ru-sha-LA-im v'-li-BEE ra-AH har-BEH kha-KH'-mah va-da-AT

טזדִּבַּ֨רְתִּי אֲנִ֤י עִם־לִבִּי֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר אֲנִ֗י הִנֵּ֨ה הִגְדַּ֤לְתִּי וְהוֹסַ֙פְתִּי֙ חׇכְמָ֔ה עַ֛ל כׇּל־אֲשֶׁר־הָיָ֥ה לְפָנַ֖י עַל־יְרוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם וְלִבִּ֛י רָאָ֥ה הַרְבֵּ֖ה חׇכְמָ֥ה וָדָֽעַת׃

17And so I set my mind to appraise wisdom and to appraise madness and folly. And I learned—that this too was pursuit of wind:

va-e-t'-NAH li-BEE la-DA-at kha-KH'-mah v'-da-at ho-LE-loht v'-sikh-LOOT ya-DA-ti, she-GAM zeh HU ra-YON ru-akh

יזוָאֶתְּנָ֤ה לִבִּי֙ לָדַ֣עַת חׇכְמָ֔ה וְדַ֥עַת הוֹלֵלֹ֖ת וְשִׂכְל֑וּת יָדַ֕עְתִּי שֶׁגַּם־זֶ֥ה ה֖וּא רַעְי֥וֹן רֽוּחַ׃

18For as wisdom grows, vexation grows; To increase learning is to increase heartache.

ki b'-rov khokh-MAH rov-KA-as, v'-yo-SEEF da-AT yo-SEEF makh-OV

יחכִּ֛י בְּרֹ֥ב חׇכְמָ֖ה רׇב־כָּ֑עַס וְיוֹסִ֥יף דַּ֖עַת יוֹסִ֥יף מַכְאֽוֹב׃