1 I amar (said) in my lab (heart), “yalak (come) now, I will test you with shamachah (mirth): therefore raah (see / saw) tawab (good / proper function);” and behold, this also was habal (vanity).
2 I amar (said) of shachawaq (laughter/joking matter), “It is foolishness;” and of shamachah (mirth), “What ishah (make) it accomplish?”
3 I thawar (searched) in my lab (heart) how to cheer my flesh with yayan (wine), my lab (heart) yet nahag (guiding) me with chakamah (wisdom), and how to achaz (lay) hold of sakalawath (folly), until I might raah (see / saw) what it was tawab (good / proper function) for the banay (my son) of adam (men) that they should ishah (make) under shamayam (Shamayam / Heavens) masapar (all) the yamay (days) of their chay (life).
4 I gadal (made) myself great maishah (works). I banah (build) myself bathayam (houses). I natai (planted) myself karamayam (vineyards).
5 I ishah (make) myself ganawath (gardens) and parks, and I natai (planted) itz (trees) in them of all kinds of paray (fruit).
6 I ishah (make) myself barakawath (pools) of mayam (Waters), to shaqah (water) from it the yair (forest) where trees were reared.
7 I bought male ibadayam (servants) and female shapachawath (servants), and had banay (my son) born in my bayath (house). I also rabah (had) great maqanah (possessions) of tzaan (herds) and flocks, above all who were panayam (face) me in Yarawashalam (Yarawashalam / Jerusalem);
8 I also kanas (gathered) kasap (silver) and zahab (gold) for myself, and the treasure of malakayam (kings) and of the madayanawath (provinces). I ishah (make) myself male and female singers, and the thainawagath (delights) of the banay (my son) of men—musical shadawath (instruments), and that of all sorts.
9 So I was gadal (great), and yasap (increased) more panayam (face) all who were before me in Yarawashalam (Yarawashalam / Jerusalem). My chakamah (wisdom) also imad (remained) with me.
10 Whatever my iyan (eye) shaal (desired), I didn't atzal (keep) from them. I didn't manai (withhold) my lab (heart) from any shamachah (joy), for my lab (heart) shamach (rejoiced) because of all my imal (labor), and this was my chalaq (portion) from all my imal (labor).
11 Then I panah (turn) at all the maishah (works) that my yad (hand) ishah (make) worked, and at the imal (labor) that I had imal (labored) to ishah (make); and behold, all was habal (vanity) and a chasing after rawach (spirit / wind), and there was no yatharawan (profit) under the shamash (sun).
12 I panah (turn) myself to raah (see / saw) chakamah (wisdom), hawalalah (madness), and sakalawath (folly): for what can the malak (king) successor ishah (make)? Just that which has been done long ago.
13 Then I raah (see / saw) that chakamah (wisdom) excels sakalawath (folly), as far as awar (light) excels chashak (darkness).
14 The wise chakam (man's) iyan (eye) are in his raash (head), and the kasayal (fool) halak (move) in darkness—and yet I yadai (perceived) that achad (one) maqarah (event) qarah (happens) to them all.
15 Then I amar (said) in my lab (heart), “As it happens to the kasayal (fool), so will it qarah (happen) even to me; and why was I then more chakam (wise)?” Then I dabar (word / matter) in my lab (heart) that this also is habal (vanity).
16 For of the chakam (wise) im (nation / people), even as of the kasayal (fool), there is no memory for iwalam (eternity), since in the yamayam (days) to bawaa (bring) shakach (all) will have been long forgotten. Indeed, the chakam (wise) mawath (death) must die just like the kasayal (fool)!
17 So I shanaa (hate) chay (life), because the maishah (work) that is ishah (make) under the shamash (sun) was rai (grievous) to me; for all is habal (vanity) and a chasing after rawach (spirit / wind).
18 I shanaa (hate) all my imal (labor) in which I imal (labored) under the shamash (sun), because I must yanach (leave) it to the adam (man) who comes achar (other) me.
19 Who yadai (knows) whether he will be a chakam (wise) man or a sakal (fool)? Yet he will shalat (have) rule over all of my imal (labor) in which I have imal (labored), and in which I have shown myself chakam (wise) under the shamash (sun). This also is habal (vanity).
20 Therefore I began to cause my lab (heart) to yaash (despair) concerning all the imal (labor) in which I had imal (labored) under the shamash (sun).
21 For there is a adam (man) whose imal (labor) is with chakamah (wisdom), with daith (knowledge), and with skillfulness; yet he shall nathan (give) it for his chalaq (portion) to a adam (man) who has not labored for it. This also is habal (vanity) and a rab (great) rai (evil).
22 For what hawaa (which/who/that is) a adam (man) of all his imal (labor), and of the striving of his lab (heart), in which he imal (labors) under the shamash (sun)?
23 For all his yawam (day) are makaabayam (sorrows), and his inayan (travail) is kais (grief); yes, even in the layal (night) his lab (heart) takes no shakab (rest). This also is habal (vanity).
24 There is nothing tawab (good / proper function) for a adam (man) than that he should akal (eat) and shathah (drinks), and make his napash (soul) raah (see) tawab (good / proper function) in his imal (labor). Zah (this / that / these) also I raah (see), that it is from the yad (hand) of Alahayam ().
25 For who can akal (eat), or who can have enjoyment, more than I?
26 For to the adam (man) who pleases him, Alahayam () gives chakamah (wisdom), daith (knowledge), and shamachah (joy); but to the chataa (sinner) he nathan (give) inayan (travail), to asap (gather) and to kanas (heap) up, that he may nathan (give) to him who pleases Alahayam (). This also is habal (vanity) and a chasing after rawach (spirit / wind).