קהלת ג׳:י״ג
Ecclesiastes 3:13
Hebrew
לַכֹּ֖ל זְמָ֑ן וְעֵ֥ת לְכׇל־חֵ֖פֶץ תַּ֥חַת הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃ {ס} עֵ֥ת לָלֶ֖דֶת וְעֵ֣ת לָמ֑וּת עֵ֣ת לָטַ֔עַת וְעֵ֖ת לַעֲק֥וֹר נָטֽוּעַ׃ עֵ֤ת לַהֲרוֹג֙ וְעֵ֣ת לִרְפּ֔וֹא עֵ֥ת לִפְר֖וֹץ וְעֵ֥ת לִבְנֽוֹת׃ עֵ֤ת לִבְכּוֹת֙ וְעֵ֣ת לִשְׂח֔וֹק עֵ֥ת סְפ֖וֹד וְעֵ֥ת רְקֽוֹד׃ עֵ֚ת לְהַשְׁלִ֣יךְ אֲבָנִ֔ים וְעֵ֖ת כְּנ֣וֹס אֲבָנִ֑ים עֵ֣ת לַחֲב֔וֹק וְעֵ֖ת לִרְחֹ֥ק מֵחַבֵּֽק׃ עֵ֤ת לְבַקֵּשׁ֙ וְעֵ֣ת לְאַבֵּ֔ד עֵ֥ת לִשְׁמ֖וֹר וְעֵ֥ת לְהַשְׁלִֽיךְ׃ עֵ֤ת לִקְר֙וֹעַ֙ וְעֵ֣ת לִתְפּ֔וֹר עֵ֥ת לַחֲשׁ֖וֹת וְעֵ֥ת לְדַבֵּֽר׃ עֵ֤ת לֶֽאֱהֹב֙ וְעֵ֣ת לִשְׂנֹ֔א עֵ֥ת מִלְחָמָ֖ה וְעֵ֥ת שָׁלֽוֹם׃ {ס} מַה־יִּתְרוֹן֙ הָֽעוֹשֶׂ֔ה בַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר ה֥וּא עָמֵֽל׃ רָאִ֣יתִי אֶת־הָֽעִנְיָ֗ן אֲשֶׁ֨ר נָתַ֧ן אֱלֹהִ֛ים לִבְנֵ֥י הָאָדָ֖ם לַעֲנ֥וֹת בּֽוֹ׃ אֶת־הַכֹּ֥ל עָשָׂ֖ה יָפֶ֣ה בְעִתּ֑וֹ גַּ֤ם אֶת־הָעֹלָם֙ נָתַ֣ן בְּלִבָּ֔ם מִבְּלִ֞י אֲשֶׁ֧ר לֹא־יִמְצָ֣א הָאָדָ֗ם אֶת־הַֽמַּעֲשֶׂ֛ה אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂ֥ה הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים מֵרֹ֥אשׁ וְעַד־סֽוֹף׃ יָדַ֕עְתִּי כִּ֛י אֵ֥ין ט֖וֹב בָּ֑ם כִּ֣י אִם־לִשְׂמ֔וֹחַ וְלַעֲשׂ֥וֹת ט֖וֹב בְּחַיָּֽיו׃ וְגַ֤ם כׇּל־הָאָדָם֙ שֶׁיֹּאכַ֣ל וְשָׁתָ֔ה וְרָאָ֥ה ט֖וֹב בְּכׇל־עֲמָל֑וֹ מַתַּ֥ת אֱלֹהִ֖ים הִֽיא׃ יָדַ֗עְתִּי כִּ֠י כׇּל־אֲשֶׁ֨ר יַעֲשֶׂ֤ה הָאֱלֹהִים֙ ה֚וּא יִהְיֶ֣ה לְעוֹלָ֔ם עָלָיו֙ אֵ֣ין לְהוֹסִ֔יף וּמִמֶּ֖נּוּ אֵ֣ין לִגְרֹ֑עַ וְהָאֱלֹהִ֣ים עָשָׂ֔ה שֶׁיִּֽרְא֖וּ מִלְּפָנָֽיו׃ מַה־שֶּֽׁהָיָה֙ כְּבָ֣ר ה֔וּא וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר לִהְי֖וֹת כְּבָ֣ר הָיָ֑ה וְהָאֱלֹהִ֖ים יְבַקֵּ֥שׁ אֶת־נִרְדָּֽף׃ וְע֥וֹד רָאִ֖יתִי תַּ֣חַת הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ מְק֤וֹם הַמִּשְׁפָּט֙ שָׁ֣מָּה הָרֶ֔שַׁע וּמְק֥וֹם הַצֶּ֖דֶק שָׁ֥מָּה הָרָֽשַׁע׃ אָמַ֤רְתִּֽי אֲנִי֙ בְּלִבִּ֔י אֶת־הַצַּדִּיק֙ וְאֶת־הָ֣רָשָׁ֔ע יִשְׁפֹּ֖ט הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים כִּי־עֵ֣ת לְכׇל־חֵ֔פֶץ וְעַ֥ל כׇּל־הַֽמַּעֲשֶׂ֖ה שָֽׁם׃ אָמַ֤רְתִּֽי אֲנִי֙ בְּלִבִּ֔י עַל־דִּבְרַת֙ בְּנֵ֣י הָאָדָ֔ם לְבָרָ֖ם הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים וְלִרְא֕וֹת שְׁהֶם־בְּהֵמָ֥ה הֵ֖מָּה לָהֶֽם׃ כִּי֩ מִקְרֶ֨ה בְֽנֵי־הָאָדָ֜ם וּמִקְרֶ֣ה הַבְּהֵמָ֗ה וּמִקְרֶ֤ה אֶחָד֙ לָהֶ֔ם כְּמ֥וֹת זֶה֙ כֵּ֣ן מ֣וֹת זֶ֔ה וְר֥וּחַ אֶחָ֖ד לַכֹּ֑ל וּמוֹתַ֨ר הָאָדָ֤ם מִן־הַבְּהֵמָה֙ אָ֔יִן כִּ֥י הַכֹּ֖ל הָֽבֶל׃ הַכֹּ֥ל הוֹלֵ֖ךְ אֶל־מָק֣וֹם אֶחָ֑ד הַכֹּל֙ הָיָ֣ה מִן־הֶֽעָפָ֔ר וְהַכֹּ֖ל שָׁ֥ב אֶל־הֶעָפָֽר׃ מִ֣י יוֹדֵ֗עַ ר֚וּחַ בְּנֵ֣י הָאָדָ֔ם הָעֹלָ֥ה הִ֖יא לְמָ֑עְלָה וְר֙וּחַ֙ הַבְּהֵמָ֔ה הַיֹּרֶ֥דֶת הִ֖יא לְמַ֥טָּה לָאָֽרֶץ׃ וְרָאִ֗יתִי כִּ֣י אֵ֥ין טוֹב֙ מֵאֲשֶׁ֨ר יִשְׂמַ֤ח הָאָדָם֙ בְּֽמַעֲשָׂ֔יו כִּי־ה֖וּא חֶלְק֑וֹ כִּ֣י מִ֤י יְבִיאֶ֙נּוּ֙ לִרְא֔וֹת בְּמֶ֖ה שֶׁיִּהְיֶ֥ה אַחֲרָֽיו׃
English Translation
A season is set for everything, a time for every experience under heaven:aI.e., all human experiences are preordained by God; see v. 11. A time for birthing and a time for dying,
A time for planting and a time for uprooting the planted; A time for slaying and a time for healing,bslaying…healing Emendation yields “wrecking…repairing”; cf. 1 Kings 18.30.
A time for tearing down and a time for building up; A time for weeping and a time for laughing,
A time for wailing and a time for dancing; A time for throwing stones and a time for gathering stones,
A time for embracing and a time for shunning embraces; A time for seeking and a time for losing,
A time for keeping and a time for discarding; A time for ripping and a time for sewing,
A time for silence and a time for speaking; A time for loving and a time for hating;
A time for war and a time for peace. What value, then, can those who labor get from what they earn? I have observed the business that God gave humankind to be concerned with: [God] brings everything to pass precisely at its time; [God] also puts eternity in their mind,cputs eternity in their mind I.e., God preoccupies humankind with the attempt to discover the times of future events; cf. 8.17. but without people ever guessing, from first to last, all the things that God brings to pass. Thus I realized that the only worthwhile thing there is for them is to enjoy themselves and do what is gooddwhat is good I.e., what the author has already concluded (2.24) is good. in their lifetime; also, that whenever people do eat and drink and get enjoyment out of all their wealth, it is a gift of God. I realized, too, that whatever God has brought to pass will recur evermore:
Nothing can be added to it
And nothing taken from it—
and God has brought to pass that mortals feel reverence. eMeaning of parts of verse uncertain. What is occurring occurred long since,
And what is to occur occurred long since:
and God seeks the pursued. And, indeed, I have observed under the sun:
Alongside justice there is wickedness,
Alongside righteousness there is wickedness. I mused: “God will doom both righteous and wicked, for there isfthere is Shift of a diacritical point yields “[God] has set.” a time for every experience and for every happening.” gMeaning of parts of verse uncertain. So I decided, as regards human beings, to dissociate them [from] the divine beings and to face the fact that they are animals.hContrast Ps. 8.5–6. For in respect of the fate of humans and the fate of animals, they have one and the same fate: as the one dies so dies the other, and both have the same lifebreath; humans have no superiority over animals, since both amount to nothing. Both go to the same place; both came from dust and both return to dust. Who knows if the lifebreath of humans does rise upward and if the breath of animals does sink down into the earth? I saw that there is nothing better for people than to enjoy their possessions, since that is their portion. For who can enable them to see what will happen afterward?
A time for planting and a time for uprooting the planted; A time for slaying and a time for healing,bslaying…healing Emendation yields “wrecking…repairing”; cf. 1 Kings 18.30.
A time for tearing down and a time for building up; A time for weeping and a time for laughing,
A time for wailing and a time for dancing; A time for throwing stones and a time for gathering stones,
A time for embracing and a time for shunning embraces; A time for seeking and a time for losing,
A time for keeping and a time for discarding; A time for ripping and a time for sewing,
A time for silence and a time for speaking; A time for loving and a time for hating;
A time for war and a time for peace. What value, then, can those who labor get from what they earn? I have observed the business that God gave humankind to be concerned with: [God] brings everything to pass precisely at its time; [God] also puts eternity in their mind,cputs eternity in their mind I.e., God preoccupies humankind with the attempt to discover the times of future events; cf. 8.17. but without people ever guessing, from first to last, all the things that God brings to pass. Thus I realized that the only worthwhile thing there is for them is to enjoy themselves and do what is gooddwhat is good I.e., what the author has already concluded (2.24) is good. in their lifetime; also, that whenever people do eat and drink and get enjoyment out of all their wealth, it is a gift of God. I realized, too, that whatever God has brought to pass will recur evermore:
Nothing can be added to it
And nothing taken from it—
and God has brought to pass that mortals feel reverence. eMeaning of parts of verse uncertain. What is occurring occurred long since,
And what is to occur occurred long since:
and God seeks the pursued. And, indeed, I have observed under the sun:
Alongside justice there is wickedness,
Alongside righteousness there is wickedness. I mused: “God will doom both righteous and wicked, for there isfthere is Shift of a diacritical point yields “[God] has set.” a time for every experience and for every happening.” gMeaning of parts of verse uncertain. So I decided, as regards human beings, to dissociate them [from] the divine beings and to face the fact that they are animals.hContrast Ps. 8.5–6. For in respect of the fate of humans and the fate of animals, they have one and the same fate: as the one dies so dies the other, and both have the same lifebreath; humans have no superiority over animals, since both amount to nothing. Both go to the same place; both came from dust and both return to dust. Who knows if the lifebreath of humans does rise upward and if the breath of animals does sink down into the earth? I saw that there is nothing better for people than to enjoy their possessions, since that is their portion. For who can enable them to see what will happen afterward?
About This Text
Source
Ecclesiastes
Category
Tanach
Reference
Ecclesiastes 3:13
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