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4 So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the shemesh, and, hinei, the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no menachem (comforter); and on the side of their oppressors there was ko’ach (power); but they had no menachem (comforter).
2 Wherefore I praised the mesim which are already dead more than the living ones which are yet alive.
3 Yea, better is he than both they, which hath not yet been, who hath not seen the ma’aseh harah that is done under the shemesh.
4 Again, I considered all amal, and every kishron hama’aseh (skillful achievement), that such is a simple derivative of kinat ish meirei’eihu (the envy of man of his neighbor). This also is hevel, a chasing after ruach.
5 The kesil foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own basar.
6 Better is a handful with tranquility than both the hands full with amal and chasing after ruach.
7 Then I returned, and I saw under the shemesh this hevel:
8 There was a man all alone, and there was with him neither ben nor ach (brother); yet there was no ketz (end) to all his amal; neither was his ayin satisfied with osher (riches); neither saith he, For whom do I toil, and deprive my nefesh of tovah? This also is hevel, yea, it is an evil matter.
9 Two are better than one because they have a sachar tov for their amal.
10 For if they fall, the echad will lift up his partner, but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.
11 Also, if two lie down, then they have chom (heat), but how can one be warm alone?
12 Though echad may be overpowered, shnayim shall withstand him; and a khoot hameshulash (threefold cord) is not quickly broken.
13 Better is a poor and a wise yeled than an old and foolish melech, who will no more be admonished.
14 For out of the bais hasohar he cometh to reign, although he was born a poor man in his malchut (kingdom).
15 I considered all the living ones which walk under the shemesh in the throng of the yeled, that is, the second one that shall enter into the place of the former [melech].
16 There is no ketz of kol haAm, all those at whose head he stands; and yet they who come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is hevel and striving for ruach.
5 (4:17) Keep thy footing when thou goest to the Bais HaElohim, and be more ready to listen than to give the zevach of kesilim, for they have no da’as that they do rah.
2 (5:1) Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine lev be hasty to utter any thing before HaElohim; for HaElohim is in Shomayim, and thou upon ha’aretz; therefore let thy dvarim be few.
3 (5:2) As by a multitude of cares cometh a chalom, so by a multitude of dvarim cometh the kol kesil (the voice of the fool).
4 (5:3) When thou vowest a neder unto Elohim, defer not to pay it; for Hashem hath no pleasure in kesilim; pay that which thou hast vowed.
5 (5:4) Better it is that thou shouldest not make a neder, than that thou shouldest vow and not fulfill the neder.
6 (5:5) Suffer not thy mouth to lead thy basar into chet (sin); neither say thou before the Malach [of G-d], that it was a mistake. Wherefore should HaElohim be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?
7 (5:6) For in the multitude of chalomot and many dvarim there are also divers havalim [see 1:2]; but fear thou HaElohim.
8 (5:7) If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of mishpat and tzedek in a province, marvel not at the matter; for he that is higher watches over him that is high; and there be higher than they.
9 (5:8) Moreover the profit of eretz is for all; Melech himself is served by the sadeh.
10 (5:9) He that loveth kesef shall never have enough kesef; nor shall he that loveth abundance have enough increase; this also is hevel.
11 (5:10) When hatovah (good things) increase, they are increased that consume them; and what kishron (useful result) is there to the ba’al (owner) thereof, except as an onlooker?
12 (5:11) The sleep of the oved (working man) is sweet, whether he eat little or much; but the abundance of the oisher (rich man) will not permit him to sleep.
13 (5:12) There is a grievous ra’ah which I have seen under the shemesh; osher (riches) hoarded by the ba’al thereof to his hurt;
14 (5:13) The same osher (riches) perish by an evil event and he begetteth a ben; thus this one hath nothing in his hand.
15 (5:14) As he came forth of the womb of his Em (mother), arom (naked) shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his amal (labor), which he may carry away in his hand.
16 (5:15) And this also is a grievous evil, that in every respect as he came, just so shall he go; and what profit hath he that hath toiled for the ruach (wind)?
17 (5:16) All his yamim also he eateth in choshech, and he hath much ka’as (grief, vexation) and sickness and anger.
18 (5:17) Hinei I have seen it is tov and yafeh for one to eat and to drink, and to find tovah in all his amal (labor) that he toils under the shemesh all the few days of his life, which HaElohim giveth him; for it is his chelek.
19 (5:18) Also kol ha’adam to whom HaElohim hath given osher and possessions, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his chelek, and to rejoice in his amal; this is the gift of Elohim.
20 (5:19) For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because HaElohim keeps him occupied with simchat libbo (gladness of his heart).
6 There is a ra’ah which I have seen under the shemesh, and it is a great weight upon the adam;
2 An ish to whom HaElohim hath given osher (riches), nekhasim (possessions), and kavod (honor), so that he wanteth nothing for his nefesh of all that he desireth, yet HaElohim giveth him not shlitah (empowerment) to have enjoyment thereof, but an ish nochri (stranger) hath the enjoyment thereof; this is hevel, and it is a grievous ill.
3 If an ish beget a hundredfold, and live shanim rabbot, so that rav be the yamim of his shanim, and his nefesh be not filled with hatovah, and also that he have no kevurah (grave); I say, that a nefel (stillborn) is better than he.
4 For he cometh in with hevel, and departeth in choshech, and shmo shall be shrouded with choshech.
5 Moreover though he hath not seen the shemesh, nor known any thing, this hath more nakhat (rest, quietness) than the other.
6 Yea, though he live an elef shanim twice over, yet hath he seen no tovah. Do not all go to mekom echad?
7 All the amal (labor) of haAdam is for his mouth, and yet the nefesh is not satisfied.
8 For what hath the chacham more than the kesil? What hath the poor man, who has da’as of how to conduct himself before the living?
9 Better what the eynayim see than the roving of the nefesh; this also is hevel and chasing after ruach.
10 That which is, its shem hath already been named, and it is known what adam shall be; neither may he contend with what is stronger than he.
11 Seeing there be many things that increase hevel, what profit is there for adam?
12 For who has da’as what is tov for adam in this life, all the few days of his chayyei hevel which he spendeth as a shadow? For who can tell adam what shall be after him under the shemesh?
14 Do not become unequally yoked with koferim (unbelievers) [Ep 5:7,11] for what shuttafut (partnership) has Tzedek with Lawlessness? Or where is the Brit (Covenant) between Ohr (light) and Choshech (darkness)? [BERESHIS 24:3; DEVARIM 22:10]
15 And what harmony does Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach have with B’liya’al? Or what chelek (allotment, inheritance) has a ma’amin with an Apikoros?
16 And what agreement has the Heikhal of Hashem with elilim? For we are a Heikhal of the Elohim Chayyim [1C 3:16; 6:19] as G-d said, "V’HITHALLACHTI B’TOCHCHEM ("And I will walk in the midst of you" [VAYIKRA 26:12] I WILL BE MISHKANI ALEHEM ("dwelling place of me with them" [YECHEZKEL 37:27]) V’HAYU LI L’AM VAANI EHEYEH LAHEM LELOHIM [YIRMEYAH 32:38] ("And they will be to me as people and I will be to them as G-d." [YIRMEYAH 32:38]
17 Therefore, SURU (Depart!), come out from the midst of them and be separated, says Adoneinu, and a TAMEH AL TIGAU "unclean thing do not touch;" [YESHAYAH 52:11] ERTZEH ETCHEM "and I will receive you”, [YECHEZKEL 20:34,41; Rv 18:4]
18 And I will be to you an AV and you will be to me BANIM and BANOT ("my daughters" [SHMUEL BAIS 7:8,14; YESHAYAH 43:6; YIRMEYAH 31:9] says Adonoi Tzva’ot. [SHEMOT 4:22; DIVREY HAYAMIM ALEF 17:13; AMOS 3:13; 4:13 TARGUM HASHIVIM Rv 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 21:22]
7 Therefore, having these havtachot (promises), Chaverim, let us submit to his tahorah, cleansing ourselves from every defilement of basar and ruach, perfecting kedushah (holiness) in yirat Shomayim.
2 In your levavot make a cheder for us; we wronged no one, we ruined no one, we exploited no one. [2C 12:17]
3 I do not say this to bring you under harsha’ah, for I have said before that you are in our levavot [2C 6:11-12; Pp 1:7] whether to die with you or to live with you. [SHMUEL BEIS 15:21]
4 I have much ometz lev (boldness) and confidence toward you. I glory much on your behalf. I have been filled with chozek (strength). I am filled to overflowing with simcha at all of our tzoros.
5 For indeed when we had come into Macedonia [Ac 20:1-2; 2C 2:13] we had no physical mano’ach (rest) but we had tzoros everywhere: battles on the outside, fears inside. [DEVARIM 32:25]
6 But Hashem who encourages the lowly, encouraged us [YESHAYAH 49:13; 2C 1:3-4] by the coming of Titos;
7 And not only by the coming of him, but also by the encouragement by which he was encouraged over you, reporting to us your longing, your mourning, your kanous (zeal) for me, so that it caused me to have even more simcha.
47 (For the one directing. Of the Bnei Korach. A Mizmor.) O clap your hands, all ye nations; shout unto Elohim with the voice of joy.
2 (3) For Hashem Elyon is awesome; He is Melech Gadol over kol ha’aretz.
3 (4) He shall subdue the peoples under us, and the nations under our raglayim.
4 (5) He shall choose nachalateinu for us, the ga’on Ya’akov (pride, glory of Jacob) whom He loves. Selah.
5 (6) Elohim is ascended with a shout of joy, Hashem with the sound of a shofar.
6 (7) Sing praises to Elohim, sing praises; sing praises unto Malkeinu, sing praises.
7 (8) For Melech kol ha’aretz is He; sing ye praises with understanding.
8 (9) Elohim reigneth over the Goyim; Elohim sitteth upon the Kisse Kadsho.
9 (10) The princes of the nations are gathered together, even the Am Elohei Avraham; for the moginei Eretz (shields of the Earth) belong unto Elohim; He is greatly exalted.
16 He that oppresseth the dal (poor) in order to increase, and he that giveth to the oisher, shall surely come to machsor (poverty, want).
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