The Daily Audio Bible
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10 Dead flies cause the perfumer’s shemen to send forth a foul odor; so doth a little sichlut outweigh chochmah and kavod.
2 A chacham’s lev is at his yamin (right hand); but a kesil’s lev is at his semol (left hand).
3 Yea also, when he that is a kesil even walketh along the derech, his sense faileth him, and he saith to every one that he is a kesil.
4 If the ruach of the moshel rise up against thee, leave not thy mekom; for calmness pacifieth chata’im gedolim.
5 There is a ra’ah which I have seen under the shemesh, the sort of error which proceedeth from a shalit (ruler);
6 Sekhel (folly) is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in low place.
7 I have seen avadim (servants) upon susim, and sarim (princes) walking as avadim upon ha’aretz.
8 He that diggeth a gumatz (pit) shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh through a wall, a nachash shall bite him.
9 Whoso pulleth out avanim (stones) may be hurt therewith; and he that cleaveth wood may be endangered thereby.
10 If the barzel (iron [of the axe]) be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must more strength be marshalled; but chochmah brings success.
11 If the nachash will bite before it is charmed, there is no use in a charmer.
12 The words of a chacham’s mouth are chen (gracious); but the lips of a kesil will swallow up himself.
13 The beginning of the words of his mouth is sichlut; and the end of his talk is holelot ra’ah.
14 A kesil also is full of devarim; haAdam has no da’as of what shall be, and what shall be after him, who can tell him?
15 The amal of the kesilim wearieth him, because he has no da’as of how to go to town.
16 Woe to thee, O eretz, when thy melech is a na’ar, and thy sarim (princes) feast in the boker!
17 Blessed art thou, O eretz, when thy melech is a nobleman, and thy sarim (princes) eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness!
18 By much atzlut (slothfulness) the rafters falleth; and through idleness of the hands the bais leaketh.
19 Lechem is made for laughter, and yayin maketh merry; but kesef answereth everything.
20 Curse not the Melech, no not in thy thought; and curse not the oisher in thy bedchamber; for an Oph haShomayim may carry the voice, and that which hath wings may report what you say.
11 Cast thy lechem upon the waters, for thou shalt find it after many yamim.
2 Give chelek (portions) to shivah, and also to shmonah; for thou knowest not what ra’ah shall be upon ha’aretz.
3 If the clouds be full of geshem, they empty themselves upon ha’aretz; and if the etz fall toward the darom (south), or toward the tzafon (north), in the makom (place) where the etz falleth, there it lieth.
4 He that observeth the ruach (wind) shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.
5 As thou knowest not what is the derech haruach [see Yn 3:3-8], nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child; even so thou knowest not the ma’asei HaElohim who maketh all.
6 In the boker sow thy zera, and in the erev do not let thine hand be idle; for thou knowest not which shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike tovim.
7 Truly the ohr is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eynayim to behold the shemesh;
8 But if haAdam live many shanim, and rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the yamim of choshech; for they shall be many. All that cometh is hevel.
9 Rejoice, O bochur, in thy yaldut (youth); and let thy lev cheer thee in the yamim of thy bechurim (youth), and walk in the ways of thine lev, and in the sight of thine eynayim; but have da’as of this; that for all these things HaElohim will bring thee into mishpat.
10 Therefore banish ka’as (sorrow) from thy lev, and put away ra’ah from thy basar; for yaldut and shacharut (prime of life) are hevel.
12 Remember now thy Bo’re (Creator) in the yamim of thy bechurot, while the yamei hara’ah come not, nor the shanim draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no chefetz (pleasure) in them;
2 While the shemesh, or the ohr, or the yarei’ach, or the kokhavim, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain;
3 In the yom when the shomrei habayit shall tremble, and the strong men shall stoop, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows grow dim,
4 And the delatayim (doors) shall be shut in the street, when the sound of the grinding fades, and he shall arise at the sound of a tzipor (bird), and all their banot hashir (daughters of song) are brought low;
5 Also when they shall be afraid of height, and fears shall be in the derech, and the almond tree shall blossom, and the grasshopper drags himself along, and desire shall fail; because haAdam goeth to his bais olam (eternal home), and the mourners go about the streets;
6 Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the bor (cistern).
7 Then shall the aphar return to ha’aretz as it was; and the ruach shall return unto HaElohim who gave it.
8 Hevel havalim, saith Kohelet; all is hevel.
9 And moreover, because Kohelet was chacham, he taught the people da’as; yea, he applied, and searched out, and set in order many meshalim (proverbs).
10 Kohelet searched to find out divrei chefetz; and that which was written was yosher, even divrei emes.
11 Divrei chachamim are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings that are given by Ro’eh Echad (One Shepherd).
12 And further, by these, beni, be admonished; of making many sefarim there is no ketz; and much study is a weariness of the basar.
13 Let us hear the sof (conclusion) of the whole matter; Fear HaElohim, and of His commandments be shomer mitzvot; for this is the whole duty of haAdam.
14 For HaElohim shall bring kol ma’aseh (every work) into mishpat (judgment), with every ne’lam (secret thing, concealed thing), whether it be tov (good), or whether it be rah (evil).
8 Now we make known to you, Achim b’Moshiach, the Chen v’Chesed Hashem that was granted to Moshiach’s Kehillot of Macedonia,
2 That during a great ordeal of tzoros, their abundant simcha and the extreme depth of their oni (poverty) abounded to the osher (riches) of their generosity [SHEMOT 36:5; Pp 1:29-30; 1Th 1:6; 2:14; 3:3 4];
3 That according to their ability, I give solemn edut, and ad kdei kach (so much) even beyond their ability, they gave voluntarily and of their own accord,
4 Begging us, requesting from us the privilege of participating in giving tzedakah to the Messianic Jewish ministry of the Kadoshim [Ro 15:26; Ac 11:29; 2C 9:1]
5 And this not merely according to tikvateinu. They gave themselves first to Adoneinu and to us [Moshiach’s Shlichim] birtzon Hashem (in the will of G-d),
6 So that it was necessary for us to urge Titos that as he began and made a haschala (start) before, so he should complete among you also this mitzvah of avodas kodesh of the Chen v’Chesed Hashem.
7 Now just as you abound in everything‖in emunah, in torah, in da’as [1C 1:5] and in all zerizut (diligence) and in our ahavah (love) for you‖see also that you excel in this Chen v’Chesed Hashem. [1C 16:1 2]
8 I do not lay this out as a mitzvah, but the sincerity of your ahavah I am testing against the zerizut of others,
9 For you have da’as of the Chen v’Chesed of Adoneinu Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua, who, though being rich, for your sakes, he became poor, [Mt 8:20; Pp 2:6-7] that you by Moshiach’s oni (poverty) may become rich.
10 And in this I give my etza (advice): it is tov me’od that last shanah you were the first not only to give tzedakah but also to be willing to do so.
11 Now also complete what you started! Then your readiness in desiring it may be matched by your finishing it from what you have. [SHEMOT 25:2]
12 For if the readiness is already present, it is acceptable according to whatever one may have‖not according to what one does not have. [MISHLE 3:27-28; Mk 12:43]
13 For it is not that there should be relief to others and distress and tzoros to you, but that there should be a balance of equality
14 During the present time of your abundance for those who lack, and also for your lack there may be their abundance, [2C 9:12] so also there may be equality,
15 As it has been written V’LO HE’DIF HAMARBEH V’HAMMAMIT LO HECHSIR. ("The one that gathered the much did not have too much and the one that gathered little did not have too little” SHEMOT 16:18)
49 (For the one directing. A Mizmor for the Bnei Korach). Hear this, kol HaAmim; give ear, all ye inhabitants of the cheled (world, duration):
2 (3) Bnei Adam and bnei ish, ashir (rich) and evyon (poor) alike,
3 (4) My mouth shall speak chochmot; and the meditation of my lev tevunot (understanding).
4 (5) I will incline mine ear to a mashal; I will disclose my dark saying upon the kinnor (harp).
5 (6) Why should I fear in the days of rah, when the avon (iniquity) of my akev (supplanters, deceivers) surrounds me?
6 (7) They that trust in their chayil (wealth), and boast themselves in the rov of their oshir (riches);
7 (8) A brother cannot by any means redeem ish (man), nor give to Elohim a kofer (ransom) for him—
8 (9) For the pidyon [ransom] of their nefesh is costly, and is forever beyond their power to pay—
9 (10) That he should live on lanetzach, and not see shachat (corruption, decay, the pit [cf Psa16:10]).
10 (11) For he seeth that chachamim die, likewise the kesil (foolish) and the ba’ar (brutish, senseless person, dolt) perish, and leave their chayil (wealth) to others.
11 (12) Their inward thought is, that their batim (houses) shall continue l’olam and their mishkenot (dwelling places) l’odor vador; though they call their lands by their shmot (names).
12 (13) Nevertheless adam in his pomp endureth not; he is like the behemot (beasts) that perish.
13 (14) This is their derech, kesel (folly, imprudent confidence) is theirs; and the fate after them of those who approve their words.
14 (15) Like tzon they are destined for She’ol; mavet shall pasture them; and the yesharim (upright ones) shall have dominion over them in the boker; and their tzir (form) shall waste away to Sheol, so there is no dwelling place for it.
15 (16) But Elohim will redeem my nefesh from the yad (hand, power) of Sheol; for He shall receive me. Selah.
16 (17) Be not thou afraid when one is made an ish oishir, when the kavod of his bais is increased;
17 (18) For in his mot (death), he shall carry nothing away; his kavod (glory, wealth) shall not descend after him.
18 (19) Though his nefesh during his life yevarech (he blessed)—for they praise thee when thou doest well for thyself—
19 (20) He shall go to the dor (generation) of his avot; they shall never see ohr (light).
20 (21) Adam that is in his pomp, and understandeth not, is like the behemot (beasts) that perish.
20 Have not I written to thee shloshim (thirty sayings) in mo’etzot (counsels) and da’as,
21 That I might make thee know the certain truth of the words of emes; that thou mightest bring back words of emes to them that send thee?
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