Ecclesiastes 8

The chapter praises **חָכְמָה** (chokmah, wisdom) for illuminating the face and discerning matters, urges keeping the king's command due to the oath before God, and emphasizes obeying authority while recognizing a time and judgment for every matter despite human uncertainty.[1][2][4] It highlights human powerlessness over **רוּחַ** (ruach, spirit/wind) and the day of death, observes the wicked buried and forgotten with delayed justice leading to evil, yet affirms it will be well with those fearing God while not for the wicked, concluding that God's works under the sun cannot be fully known, commending enjoyment.[1][2][3]

Interlinear Text

Verse 14 יֶשׁ 𐤉𐤔 yesh there exists HTm הֶבֶל֮ 𐤄𐤁𐤋 hevel vapor-breath HNcmsa אֲשֶׁ֣ר 𐤀𐤔𐤓 asher that-which HTr נַעֲשָׂ֣ה 𐤍𐤏𐤔𐤄 naasah was done HVNp3ms עַל 𐤏𐤋 al upon HR הָ/אָרֶץ֒ 𐤄/𐤀𐤓𐤑 haarets the earth HTd/Ncbsa אֲשֶׁ֣ר 𐤀𐤔𐤓 asher-2 that-which HTr יֵ֣שׁ 𐤉𐤔 yesh-2 there exists HTm צַדִּיקִ֗ים 𐤑𐤃𐤉𐤒𐤉𐤌 tsadiqim righteous ones HAampa אֲשֶׁ֨ר 𐤀𐤔𐤓 asher-3 that-which HTr מַגִּ֤יעַ 𐤌𐤂𐤉𐤏 magia causing-to-touch HVhrmsa אֲלֵ/הֶם֙ 𐤀𐤋/𐤄𐤌 alehem toward them HR/Sp3mp כְּ/מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה 𐤊/𐤌𐤏𐤔𐤄 kemaaseh like a deed of HR/Ncmsc הָ/רְשָׁעִ֔ים 𐤄/𐤓𐤔𐤏𐤉𐤌 hareshaim the lawbreaking ones HTd/Aampa וְ/יֵ֣שׁ 𐤅/𐤉𐤔 veyesh and there is HC/Tm רְשָׁעִ֔ים 𐤓𐤔𐤏𐤉𐤌 reshaim wicked men HAampa שֶׁ/מַּגִּ֥יעַ 𐤔/𐤌𐤂𐤉𐤏 shemagia one inflicting HTr/Vhrmsa אֲלֵ/הֶ֖ם 𐤀𐤋/𐤄𐤌 alehem-2 toward them HR/Sp3mp כְּ/מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה 𐤊/𐤌𐤏𐤔𐤄 kemaaseh-2 like a deed of HR/Ncmsc הַ/צַּדִּיקִ֑ים 𐤄/𐤑𐤃𐤉𐤒𐤉𐤌 hatsadiqim the righteous ones HTd/Aampa אָמַ֕רְתִּי 𐤀𐤌𐤓𐤕𐤉 amareti I said HVqp1cs שֶׁ/גַּם 𐤔/𐤂𐤌 shegam that also HTr/D זֶ֖ה 𐤆𐤄 zeh this one HPdxms הָֽבֶל 𐤄𐤁𐤋 havel fleeting vapor HNcmsa
Verse 15 וְ/שִׁבַּ֤חְתִּֽי 𐤅/𐤔𐤁𐤇𐤕𐤉 veshibacheti and I extolled HC/Vpp1cs אֲנִי֙ 𐤀𐤍𐤉 ani Ine (Bemba) I HPp1cs אֶת 𐤀𐤕 et object-marker HTo הַ/שִּׂמְחָ֔ה 𐤄/𐤔𐤌𐤇𐤄 hasimechah the rejoicing HTd/Ncfsa אֲשֶׁ֨ר 𐤀𐤔𐤓 asher that-which HTr אֵֽין 𐤀𐤉𐤍 eyn there is not HTn ט֤וֹב 𐤈𐤅𐤁 tov good HAamsa לָֽ/אָדָם֙ 𐤋/𐤀𐤃𐤌 laadam to the human HRd/Ncmsa תַּ֣חַת 𐤕𐤇𐤕 tachat under; in place of HR הַ/שֶּׁ֔מֶשׁ 𐤄/𐤔𐤌𐤔 hashemesh the sun HTd/Ncbsa כִּ֛י 𐤊𐤉 ki for/because HC אִם 𐤀𐤌 im if / whether HC לֶ/אֱכ֥וֹל 𐤋/𐤀𐤊𐤅𐤋 leekhol to eat HR/Vqc וְ/לִ/שְׁתּ֖וֹת 𐤅/𐤋/𐤔𐤕𐤅𐤕 velishetot and to drink HC/R/Vqc וְ/לִ/שְׂמ֑וֹחַ 𐤅/𐤋/𐤔𐤌𐤅𐤇 velisemocha and to rejoice HC/R/Vqc וְ/ה֞וּא 𐤅/𐤄𐤅𐤀 vehu and he HC/Pp3ms יִלְוֶ֣/נּוּ 𐤉𐤋𐤅/𐤍𐤅 yilevenu he will join him HVqi3ms/Sp3ms בַ/עֲמָל֗/וֹ 𐤁/𐤏𐤌𐤋/𐤅 vaamalo his burdensome toil HR/Ncbsc/Sp3ms יְמֵ֥י 𐤉𐤌𐤉 yemey days of HNcmpc חַיָּ֛י/ו 𐤇𐤉𐤉/𐤅 chayayv his lives HNcmpc/Sp3ms אֲשֶׁר 𐤀𐤔𐤓 asher-2 that-which HTr נָֽתַן 𐤍𐤕𐤍 natan he gave HVqp3ms ל֥/וֹ 𐤋/𐤅 lo HR/Sp3ms הָ/אֱלֹהִ֖ים 𐤄/𐤀𐤋𐤄𐤉𐤌 haelohim Mulimu (Lozi) the Mighty Ones HTd/Ncmpa תַּ֥חַת 𐤕𐤇𐤕 tachat-2 under; in place of HR הַ/שָּֽׁמֶשׁ 𐤄/𐤔𐤌𐤔 hashamesh the sun HTd/Ncbsa
Verse 17 וְ/רָאִיתִי֮ 𐤅/𐤓𐤀𐤉𐤕𐤉 veraiti and I saw HC/Vqq1cs אֶת 𐤀𐤕 et object-marker HTo כָּל 𐤊𐤋 kal entirety of HNcmsc מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה 𐤌𐤏𐤔𐤄 maaseh deed of HNcmsc הָ/אֱלֹהִים֒ 𐤄/𐤀𐤋𐤄𐤉𐤌 haelohim Mulimu (Lozi) the Mighty Ones HTd/Ncmpa כִּי֩ 𐤊𐤉 ki for/because HC לֹ֨א 𐤋𐤀 lo not HTn יוּכַ֜ל 𐤉𐤅𐤊𐤋 yukhal he is able HVqi3ms הָ/אָדָ֗ם 𐤄/𐤀𐤃𐤌 haadam the earthling HTd/Ncmsa לִ/מְצוֹא֙ 𐤋/𐤌𐤑𐤅𐤀 limetso to find HR/Vqc אֶת 𐤀𐤕 et-2 object-marker HTo הַֽ/מַּעֲשֶׂה֙ 𐤄/𐤌𐤏𐤔𐤄 hamaaseh the deed HTd/Ncmsa אֲשֶׁ֣ר 𐤀𐤔𐤓 asher that-which HTr נַעֲשָׂ֣ה 𐤍𐤏𐤔𐤄 naasah was done HVNp3ms תַֽחַת 𐤕𐤇𐤕 tachat under; in place of HR הַ/שֶּׁ֔מֶשׁ 𐤄/𐤔𐤌𐤔 hashemesh the sun HTd/Ncbsa בְּ֠/שֶׁ/ל 𐤁/𐤔/𐤋 beshel in relation to HR/Tr/R אֲשֶׁ֨ר 𐤀𐤔𐤓 asher-2 that-which HTr יַעֲמֹ֧ל 𐤉𐤏𐤌𐤋 yaamol he will toil HVqi3ms הָ/אָדָ֛ם 𐤄/𐤀𐤃𐤌 haadam-2 the earthling HTd/Ncmsa לְ/בַקֵּ֖שׁ 𐤋/𐤁𐤒𐤔 levaqesh to earnestly seek HR/Vpc וְ/לֹ֣א 𐤅/𐤋𐤀 velo and not HC/Tn יִמְצָ֑א 𐤉𐤌𐤑𐤀 yimetsa he finds HVqi3ms וְ/גַ֨ם 𐤅/𐤂𐤌 vegam and also HC/Ta אִם 𐤀𐤌 im if / whether HC יֹאמַ֤ר 𐤉𐤀𐤌𐤓 yomar he will say HVqi3ms הֶֽ/חָכָם֙ 𐤄/𐤇𐤊𐤌 hechakham the wise man HTd/Aamsa לָ/דַ֔עַת 𐤋/𐤃𐤏𐤕 ladaat to know HR/Vqc לֹ֥א 𐤋𐤀 lo-2 not HTn יוּכַ֖ל 𐤉𐤅𐤊𐤋 yukhal-2 he is able HVqi3ms לִ/מְצֹֽא 𐤋/𐤌𐤑𐤀 limetso-2 to find HR/Vqc