Chapter 12

1So appreciate your vigor in the days of your youth, before those days of sorrow come and those years arrive of which you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”;

u-ze-KHOR et-bo-re-KHA bi-MEY b'-khu-RO-te-KHA, ad a-SHER lo ya-VO-u y'-MEY ha-ra-AH, v'-hi-gi-U sha-NEEM a-SHER to-MAR, AYN-li ba-HEM khe-FETZ

אוּזְכֹר֙ אֶת־בּ֣וֹרְאֶ֔יךָ בִּימֵ֖י בְּחוּרֹתֶ֑יךָ עַ֣ד אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹא־יָבֹ֙אוּ֙ יְמֵ֣י הָֽרָעָ֔ה וְהִגִּ֣יעוּ שָׁנִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר תֹּאמַ֔ר אֵֽין־לִ֥י בָהֶ֖ם חֵֽפֶץ׃

2before sun and light and moon and stars grow dark, and the clouds come back again after the rain:

AD a-SHER lo t'-KH'-shakh ha-SHE-mesh v'-ha-OR v'-ha-ya-RAY-akh v'-ha-ko-KHA-veem v'-sha-VU he-a-VIM a-KHAR ha-GA-shem

בעַ֠ד אֲשֶׁ֨ר לֹֽא־תֶחְשַׁ֤ךְ הַשֶּׁ֙מֶשׁ֙ וְהָא֔וֹר וְהַיָּרֵ֖חַ וְהַכּוֹכָבִ֑ים וְשָׁ֥בוּ הֶעָבִ֖ים אַחַ֥ר הַגָּֽשֶׁם׃

3When the guards of the house become shaky, And the men of valor are bent, And the maids that grind, grown few, are idle, And the ladies that peer through the windows grow dim,

ba-YOM she-ya-ZU shom-RAY ha-BA-yit v'-hi-ta-v'-TU an-SHAY he-cha-YIL u-va-t'-LU ha-to-cha-NOT ki mi-E-tu v'-cha-sh'-KU ha-ro-OT ba-a-ru-BOT

גבַּיּ֗וֹם שֶׁיָּזֻ֙עוּ֙ שֹׁמְרֵ֣י הַבַּ֔יִת וְהִֽתְעַוְּת֖וּ אַנְשֵׁ֣י הֶחָ֑יִל וּבָטְל֤וּ הַטֹּֽחֲנוֹת֙ כִּ֣י מִעֵ֔טוּ וְחָשְׁכ֥וּ הָרֹא֖וֹת בָּאֲרֻבּֽוֹת׃

4And the doors to the street are shut— With the noise of the hand mill growing fainter, And the song of the bird growing feebler, And all the strains of music dying down;

v'-su-GE-ru d'-la-TA-yim ba-SHUQ bish-FAL KOL ha-ta-cha-NAH v'-ya-KUM l'-KOL ha-tzi-POHR v'-yi-SHA-khu kol b'-NOT ha-shir

דוְסֻגְּר֤וּ דְלָתַ֙יִם֙ בַּשּׁ֔וּק בִּשְׁפַ֖ל ק֣וֹל הַֽטַּחֲנָ֑ה וְיָקוּם֙ לְק֣וֹל הַצִּפּ֔וֹר וְיִשַּׁ֖חוּ כׇּל־בְּנ֥וֹת הַשִּֽׁיר׃

5When one is afraid of heights And there is terror on the road.— For the almond tree may blossom, The grasshopper be burdened, And the caper bush may bud again; But man sets out for his eternal abode, With mourners all around in the street.—

gam mi-ga-VO-ha yi-RA-u v'-chat-ha-TEEM ba-DE-rekh v'-ya-NEtz ha-sha-KED v'-yis-ta-BEL he-cha-GAV v'-ta-FER ha-a-vi-YO-na ki-ho-LEKH ha-a-DAM el-bayt o-LA-mo v'-sa-VE-vu va-shuk ha-sof-deem

הגַּ֣ם מִגָּבֹ֤הַּ יִרָ֙אוּ֙ וְחַתְחַתִּ֣ים בַּדֶּ֔רֶךְ וְיָנֵ֤אץ הַשָּׁקֵד֙ וְיִסְתַּבֵּ֣ל הֶֽחָגָ֔ב וְתָפֵ֖ר הָֽאֲבִיּוֹנָ֑ה כִּֽי־הֹלֵ֤ךְ הָאָדָם֙ אֶל־בֵּ֣ית עוֹלָמ֔וֹ וְסָבְב֥וּ בַשּׁ֖וּק הַסּוֹפְדִֽים׃

6Before the silver cord snaps And the golden bowl crashes, The jar is shattered at the spring, And the jug is smashed at the cistern.

AD a-SHER lo (ye-ra-TEK) ye-RA-khak KHE-vel ha-KE-sef v'-ta-RUTZ gu-LAT ha-za-HAV v'-ti-SHA-ver KAD al ha-ma-BU-a v'-na-ROTZ ha-gal-GAL el ha-BOR

ועַ֣ד אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹֽא־[יֵרָתֵק֙] (ירחק) חֶ֣בֶל הַכֶּ֔סֶף וְתָר֖וּץ גֻּלַּ֣ת הַזָּהָ֑ב וְתִשָּׁ֤בֶר כַּד֙ עַל־הַמַּבּ֔וּעַ וְנָרֹ֥ץ הַגַּלְגַּ֖ל אֶל־הַבּֽוֹר׃

7And the dust returns to the ground As it was, And the lifebreath returns to Hashem Who bestowed it.

v'-ya-SHOV he-a-FAR al ha-A-retz k'-she-ha-YAH, v'-ha-ROO-akh ta-SHUv el ha-e-lo-HEEM a-SHER ne-ta-NAH

זוְיָשֹׁ֧ב הֶעָפָ֛ר עַל־הָאָ֖רֶץ כְּשֶׁהָיָ֑ה וְהָר֣וּחַ תָּשׁ֔וּב אֶל־הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר נְתָנָֽהּ׃

8Utter futility—said Kohelet— All is futile!

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

חהֲבֵ֧ל הֲבָלִ֛ים אָמַ֥ר הַקּוֹהֶ֖לֶת הַכֹּ֥ל הָֽבֶל׃

9A further word: Because Kohelet was a sage, he continued to instruct the people. He listened to and tested the soundness of many maxims.

v'-yo-TAYR she-ha-YAH ko-HE-let kha-KHAM OD li-mad DA-at et ha-AM v'-i-ZAYN v'-khi-KAYR ti-KAYN m'-sha-LEEM har-BAY

טוְיֹתֵ֕ר שֶׁהָיָ֥ה קֹהֶ֖לֶת חָכָ֑ם ע֗וֹד לִמַּד־דַּ֙עַת֙ אֶת־הָעָ֔ם וְאִזֵּ֣ן וְחִקֵּ֔ר תִּקֵּ֖ן מְשָׁלִ֥ים הַרְבֵּֽה׃

10Kohelet sought to discover useful sayings and recorded genuinely truthful sayings.

bi-KE-sh ko-HE-let lim-TZOH div-rei-CHE-fetz v'-ka-TOOV yo-SHER div-rei e-MET

יבִּקֵּ֣שׁ קֹהֶ֔לֶת לִמְצֹ֖א דִּבְרֵי־חֵ֑פֶץ וְכָת֥וּב יֹ֖שֶׁר דִּבְרֵ֥י אֱמֶֽת׃

11The sayings of the wise are like goads, like nails fixed in prodding sticks. They were given by one Shepherd.

di-v'-RAY kha-KHA-meem ka-dar-vo-NOT u-kh'-ma-s'-mo-ROT n'-tu-EEM ba-a-LEI a-su-POT ni-t'-NU may-ro-EH e-KHAD

יאדִּבְרֵ֤י חֲכָמִים֙ כַּדָּ֣רְבֹנ֔וֹת וּֽכְמַשְׂמְר֥וֹת נְטוּעִ֖ים בַּעֲלֵ֣י אֲסֻפּ֑וֹת נִתְּנ֖וּ מֵרֹעֶ֥ה אֶחָֽד׃

12A further word: Against them, my son, be warned! The making of many books is without limit And much study is a wearying of the flesh.

v'-yo-TAYR may-HE-mah b'-NEE hi-ZA-her, a-SOT s'-fa-REEM har-BAYN, AYN KAYTS, v'-LA-hag har-BAYN ye-gi-AT ba-SAR

יבוְיֹתֵ֥ר מֵהֵ֖מָּה בְּנִ֣י הִזָּהֵ֑ר עֲשׂ֨וֹת סְפָרִ֤ים הַרְבֵּה֙ אֵ֣ין קֵ֔ץ וְלַ֥הַג הַרְבֵּ֖ה יְגִעַ֥ת בָּשָֽׂר׃

13The sum of the matter, when all is said and done: Revere Hashem and observe His commandments! For this applies to all mankind:

SOF da-VAR ha-KOL nish-MA, et ha-E-lo-HEEM ye-RA v'-et mitz-VO-tav she-MOR, KI-ZEH kol ha-A-dam.

יגס֥וֹף דָּבָ֖ר הַכֹּ֣ל נִשְׁמָ֑ע אֶת־הָאֱלֹהִ֤ים יְרָא֙ וְאֶת־מִצְוֺתָ֣יו שְׁמ֔וֹר כִּי־זֶ֖ה כׇּל־הָאָדָֽם׃

14that Hashem will call every creature to account for everything unknown, be it good or bad. The sum of the matter, when all is said and done: Revere Hashem and observe His commandments! For this applies to all mankind.

ki et-KOL-ma-a-SEH ha-e-lo-HEEM ya-VE b'-mish-PAT al KOL-ne-AL-am, im-TOV v'-im-RA sof d'-VAR ha-KOL nish-MA et ha-e-lo-HEEM ya-RA v'-et mitz-VO-tav sh'-MOR, ki ZEH kol ha-A-DAM

ידכִּ֚י אֶת־כׇּל־מַֽעֲשֶׂ֔ה הָאֱלֹהִ֛ים יָבִ֥א בְמִשְׁפָּ֖ט עַ֣ל כׇּל־נֶעְלָ֑ם אִם־ט֖וֹב וְאִם־רָֽע׃סוף דבר הכל נשמע את האלהים ירא ואת מצותיו שמור כי זה כל האדם