Ecclesiastes 4:13

The Holy Scriptures: A New Translation (JPS 1917)

በዚህ ቋንቋ ገና ትርጉም የለም፤ English እየታየ ነው።

4

1 וְשַׁ֣בְתִּֽי אֲנִ֗י וָאֶרְאֶה֙ אֶת־כׇּל־הָ֣עֲשֻׁקִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר נַעֲשִׂ֖ים תַּ֣חַת הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ וְהִנֵּ֣ה ׀ דִּמְעַ֣ת הָעֲשֻׁקִ֗ים וְאֵ֤ין לָהֶם֙ מְנַחֵ֔ם וּמִיַּ֤ד עֹֽשְׁקֵיהֶם֙ כֹּ֔חַ וְאֵ֥ין לָהֶ֖ם מְנַחֵֽם׃ But I returned and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun; and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power, but they had no comforter.

2 וְשַׁבֵּ֧חַ אֲנִ֛י אֶת־הַמֵּתִ֖ים שֶׁכְּבָ֣ר מֵ֑תוּ מִן־הַ֣חַיִּ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֛ר הֵ֥מָּה חַיִּ֖ים עֲדֶֽנָה׃ Wherefore I praised the dead that are already dead more than the living that are yet alive;

3 וְטוֹב֙ מִשְּׁנֵיהֶ֔ם אֵ֥ת אֲשֶׁר־עֲדֶ֖ן לֹ֣א הָיָ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹֽא־רָאָה֙ אֶת־הַמַּעֲשֶׂ֣ה הָרָ֔ע אֲשֶׁ֥ר נַעֲשָׂ֖ה תַּ֥חַת הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ but better than they both is he that hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.

4 וְרָאִ֨יתִֽי אֲנִ֜י אֶת־כׇּל־עָמָ֗ל וְאֵת֙ כׇּל־כִּשְׁר֣וֹן הַֽמַּעֲשֶׂ֔ה כִּ֛י הִ֥יא קִנְאַת־אִ֖ישׁ מֵרֵעֵ֑הוּ גַּם־זֶ֥ה הֶ֖בֶל וּרְע֥וּת רֽוּחַ׃ Again, I considered all labour and all excelling in work, that it is a man’s rivalry with his neighbour. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.

5 הַכְּסִיל֙ חֹבֵ֣ק אֶת־יָדָ֔יו וְאֹכֵ֖ל אֶת־בְּשָׂרֽוֹ׃ The fool foldeth his hands together, And eateth his own flesh.

6 ט֕וֹב מְלֹ֥א כַ֖ף נָ֑חַת מִמְּלֹ֥א חׇפְנַ֛יִם עָמָ֖ל וּרְע֥וּת רֽוּחַ׃ Better is a handful of quietness, Than both the hands full of labour and striving after wind.

7 וְשַׁ֧בְתִּי אֲנִ֛י וָאֶרְאֶ֥ה הֶ֖בֶל תַּ֥חַת הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ Then I returned and saw vanity under the sun.

8 יֵ֣שׁ אֶחָד֩ וְאֵ֨ין שֵׁנִ֜י גַּ֣ם בֵּ֧ן וָאָ֣ח אֵֽין־ל֗וֹ וְאֵ֥ין קֵץ֙ לְכׇל־עֲמָל֔וֹ גַּם־[עֵינ֖וֹ] (עיניו) לֹא־תִשְׂבַּ֣ע עֹ֑שֶׁר וּלְמִ֣י ׀ אֲנִ֣י עָמֵ֗ל וּמְחַסֵּ֤ר אֶת־נַפְשִׁי֙ מִטּוֹבָ֔ה גַּם־זֶ֥ה הֶ֛בֶל וְעִנְיַ֥ן רָ֖ע הֽוּא׃ There is one that is alone, and he hath not a second; yea, he hath neither son nor brother; yet is there no end of all his labour, neither is his eye satisfied with riches: ‘for whom then do I labour, and bereave my soul of pleasure?’ This also is vanity, yea, it is a grievous business.

9 טוֹבִ֥ים הַשְּׁנַ֖יִם מִן־הָאֶחָ֑ד אֲשֶׁ֧ר יֵשׁ־לָהֶ֛ם שָׂכָ֥ר ט֖וֹב בַּעֲמָלָֽם׃ Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.

10 כִּ֣י אִם־יִפֹּ֔לוּ הָאֶחָ֖ד יָקִ֣ים אֶת־חֲבֵר֑וֹ וְאִ֣יל֗וֹ הָֽאֶחָד֙ שֶׁיִּפּ֔וֹל וְאֵ֥ין שֵׁנִ֖י לַהֲקִימֽוֹ׃ For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him that is alone when he falleth, and hath not another to lift him up.

11 גַּ֛ם אִם־יִשְׁכְּב֥וּ שְׁנַ֖יִם וְחַ֣ם לָהֶ֑ם וּלְאֶחָ֖ד אֵ֥יךְ יֵחָֽם׃ Again, if two lie together, then they have warmth; but how can one be warm alone?

12 וְאִֽם־יִתְקְפוֹ֙ הָאֶחָ֔ד הַשְּׁנַ֖יִם יַעַמְד֣וּ נֶגְדּ֑וֹ וְהַחוּט֙ הַֽמְשֻׁלָּ֔שׁ לֹ֥א בִמְהֵרָ֖ה יִנָּתֵֽק׃ And if a man prevail against him that is alone, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

13 ט֛וֹב יֶ֥לֶד מִסְכֵּ֖ן וְחָכָ֑ם מִמֶּ֤לֶךְ זָקֵן֙ וּכְסִ֔יל אֲשֶׁ֛ר לֹא־יָדַ֥ע לְהִזָּהֵ֖ר עֽוֹד׃ Better is a poor and wise child than an old and foolish king, who knoweth not how to receive admonition any more.

14 כִּֽי־מִבֵּ֥ית הָסוּרִ֖ים יָצָ֣א לִמְלֹ֑ךְ כִּ֛י גַּ֥ם בְּמַלְכוּת֖וֹ נוֹלַ֥ד רָֽשׁ׃ For out of prison he came forth to be king; although in his kingdom he was born poor.

15 רָאִ֙יתִי֙ אֶת־כׇּל־הַ֣חַיִּ֔ים הַֽמְהַלְּכִ֖ים תַּ֣חַת הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ עִ֚ם הַיֶּ֣לֶד הַשֵּׁנִ֔י אֲשֶׁ֥ר יַעֲמֹ֖ד תַּחְתָּֽיו׃ I saw all the living that walk under the sun, that they were with the child, the second, that was to stand up in his stead.

16 אֵֽין־קֵ֣ץ לְכׇל־הָעָ֗ם לְכֹ֤ל אֲשֶׁר־הָיָה֙ לִפְנֵיהֶ֔ם גַּ֥ם הָאַחֲרוֹנִ֖ים לֹ֣א יִשְׂמְחוּ־ב֑וֹ כִּֽי־גַם־זֶ֥ה הֶ֖בֶל וְרַעְי֥וֹן רֽוּחַ׃ There was no end of all the people, even of all them whom he did lead; yet they that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a striving after wind.

17 שְׁמֹ֣ר (רגליך) [רַגְלְךָ֗] כַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר תֵּלֵךְ֙ אֶל־בֵּ֣ית הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים וְקָר֣וֹב לִשְׁמֹ֔עַ מִתֵּ֥ת הַכְּסִילִ֖ים זָ֑בַח כִּֽי־אֵינָ֥ם יוֹדְעִ֖ים לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת רָֽע׃ Guard thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be ready to hearken: it is better than when fools give sacrifices; for they know not that they do evil.

Miqra according to the Masorah · ፈቃድ: CC BY-SA · ምንጭ
The Holy Scriptures: A New Translation (JPS 1917) · ፈቃድ: Public Domain · ምንጭ

ቃል በቃል (Hebrew → English · Strong’s)

ט֛וֹבṭôwbgood in the widest sense
יֶ֥לֶדyeledsomething born
מִסְכֵּ֖ןmiçkênindigent
וְחָכָ֑םchâkâmwise
מִמֶּ֤לֶךְmeleka king
זָקֵן֙zâqênold
וּכְסִ֔ילkᵉçîylfat
אֲשֶׁ֛רʼăsherwho
לֹאlôʼnot
יָדַ֥עyâdaʻto know
לְהִזָּהֵ֖רzâharto gleam
עֽוֹדʻôwditeration or continuance

Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (CC BY 4.0); Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary (CC BY-SA).

Ecclesiastes 4:13 in every translation

עברית · Miqra according to the Masorah

ט֛וֹב יֶ֥לֶד מִסְכֵּ֖ן וְחָכָ֑ם מִמֶּ֤לֶךְ זָקֵן֙ וּכְסִ֔יל אֲשֶׁ֛ר לֹא־יָדַ֥ע לְהִזָּהֵ֖ר עֽוֹד׃

ፈቃድ: CC BY-SA

עברית · Tanach with Ta'amei Hamikra

ט֛וֹב יֶ֥לֶד מִסְכֵּ֖ן וְחָכָ֑ם מִמֶּ֤לֶךְ זָקֵן֙ וּכְסִ֔יל אֲשֶׁ֛ר לֹא־יָדַ֥ע לְהִזָּהֵ֖ר עֽוֹד׃

ፈቃድ: Public Domain

English · The Holy Scriptures: A New Translation (JPS 1917)

Better is a poor and wise child than an old and foolish king, who knoweth not how to receive admonition any more.

ፈቃድ: Public Domain

עברית · Tanach with Text Only

טוב ילד מסכן וחכם ממלך זקן וכסיל אשר לא־ידע להזהר עוד

ፈቃድ: Public Domain

עברית · Tanach with Nikkud

טוֹב יֶלֶד מִסְכֵּן וְחָכָם מִמֶּלֶךְ זָקֵן וּכְסִיל אֲשֶׁר לֹא־יָדַע לְהִזָּהֵר עוֹד׃

ፈቃድ: Public Domain

English · The Rashi Ketuvim by Rabbi Shraga Silverstein

Better a child [(the good inclination, which asserts itself in a male at the age of thirteen)], poor [(the limbs not obeying it as they do the evil inclination)], and wise [(directing one to the way of good)], than a king [(the evil inclination, which rules over all the limbs)], old [(asserting itself from birth, viz. Genesis 4:7)] and foolish [(directing one to the way of evil)], which can no longer take heed [(having grown rooted in its ways)].

ፈቃድ: CC BY

English · Kohelet by Bruce Heitler

Better a miserable child who is wise than an old and foolish king who no longer knows how to be cautious.

ፈቃድ: CC BY

Français · Bible du Rabbinat 1899 [fr]

Mieux vaut un jeune homme pauvre, mais intelligent, qu’un roi vieux et stupide, incapable même d’accueillir encore des conseils.

ፈቃድ: Public Domain

Deutsch · Die Heilige Schrift, trans. Dr. Simon Bernfeld, Berlin, 1902 - German [de]

Besser ein armer aber weiser Jüngling, als ein alter törichter König, der nicht belehrt werden kann.

ፈቃድ: Public Domain

Polski · Bible in Polish, trans. Izaak Cylkow, 1841 - 1908 [pl]

Lepszy młodzieniec ubogi a mądry, niżeli król stary a głupi, który niezdolny już przestrogi przyjmować.

ፈቃድ: Public Domain

ייִדיש · Yehoyesh's Yiddish Tanakh Translation [yi]

בעסער אַן אָרים ייִנגל און אַ חכם, אײדער אַן אַלטער מלך און אַ נאַר, װאָס װײס ניט מער צו זײַן אָפּגעהיט.

ፈቃድ: Public Domain

English · The Metsudah Five Megillot, Lakewood, N.J., 2001

Better a poor but wise child; than an old and foolish king, who no longer knows how to be vigilant.

ፈቃድ: CC BY

Esperanto · La Malnova Testamento, L.L.Zamenhof [eo]

Pli bona estas knabo malriĉa sed saĝa, ol reĝo maljuna sed malsaĝa, kiu jam ne povas akiri scion.

ፈቃድ: Public Domain

Commentary on Ecclesiastes 4:13

Rashi

English

Better a poor but wise child. This is the good inclination, and why is it called “child”? Because it comes to a person only at the age of thirteen years.

Poor. Because the limbs do not obey it, as [they obey] the evil inclination.

Wise. Which gives a person intelligence to [follow] the right way.

Than an old and foolish king. This is the evil inclination, which rules over all the limbs. “Old,” for when a child is born, it comes to him, as it is stated, “sin rests at the opening.” And foolish. Because it misleads him in the way of evil. It is expounded in the Midrash in this manner.

Who no longer knows how to be vigilant. Because he has aged and no longer accepts reproof.

The Metsudah Five Megillot, Lakewood, N.J., 2001 · ፈቃድ: CC-BY · Full commentary on Sefaria

Ibn Ezra

עברית

טוב. כאשר השלים לבאר כי ענין הכסיל ואפילו שיש לו עושר רב הבל הוא הזכיר כי הטוב הוא החכם ואפילו יהי׳ עני כי מסכן כמו דל כמו אשר לא במסכנות וילד כנגד זקן ומסכן כנגד מלך וחכם כנגד כסיל וענין ילד שכל יום יוסיף חכמה והזקן לא ידע להזהר עוד בעבור שזקן בכסילו׳:

Wikisource · ፈቃድ: Public Domain · Full commentary on Sefaria