but since I have not yet reached the end
I can't be sure that it will be a good plateful
But I hope it will continue to help me amend
I have to admit I am enjoying the research on Dr. Seuss almost as much as the translation. I am beginning chapter 9 as I review chapter 5 and I haven't too many conclusions yet. At SBL, I indicated my slight distaste for Judges and Chronicles. In both cases, it was intimated that I have something to learn. Judges is supposed to be funny according to one. Perhaps I have misjudged them both. The Bible's a big book on which many tomes have been written. My prejudice is rightly dismissed.
If the verse is hard to understand in English - it is hard to read in Hebrew too. (It's a bit of a relief that Seow, ABC 1964, against whom I review my draft, often agrees when I have trouble parsing the sentences.)
| אַל תְּבַהֵל עַל פִּיךָ וְלִבְּךָ אַל יְמַהֵר לְהוֹצִיא דָבָר לִפְנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים כִּי הָאֱלֹהִים בַּשָּׁמַיִם וְאַתָּה עַל הָאָרֶץ עַל כֵּן יִהְיוּ דְבָרֶיךָ מְעַטִּים | 5.1 )àl tbàhél `àl pyka vlibka )àl ymàhér lhvocy) dabar lipnéy ha)elohym ky ha)elohym bàshamàyim v)àtah `àl ha)arec `àl kén yihyvu dbareyka m`à+ym | Do not be brash with your mouth or of your heart rush to let a thing emerge before the face of God For this God is in the heavens but you are on the earth therefore let your things be muted | =5:2 AV Things דְּבָרִים is a theme in these verses. Could be words too. |
| כִּי בָּא הַחֲלוֹם בְּרֹב עִנְיָן וְקוֹל כְּסִיל בְּרֹב דְּבָרִים | 5.2 ky ba) hàxalvom brob `inyan vqvol ksyl brob dbarym | for the dreams come in much business and the foolish voice in many things | .. |
| כַּאֲשֶׁר תִּדֹּר נֶדֶר לֵאלֹהִים אַל תְּאַחֵר לְשַׁלְּמוֹ כִּי אֵין חֵפֶץ בַּכְּסִילִים אֵת אֲשֶׁר תִּדֹּר שַׁלֵּם | 5.3 kà)asher tidor neder lé)lohym )àl t)àxér lshàlmvo ky )éyn xépec bàksylym )ét )asher tidor shàlém | In that you vow a vow to God do not delay to fulfill it for there is no delight in fools. What you have vowed, fulfill. | Qohelet never breaks into prayer, and God is only spoken of in the third person. |
| טוֹב אֲשֶׁר לֹא תִדֹּר מִשֶּׁתִּדּוֹר וְלֹא תְשַׁלֵּם | 5.4 +vob )asher lo) tidor mishetidvor vlo) tshàlém | Good that you do not vow than that your vow not be fulfilled | My love, I haven't promised you anything - only everything. What have I got besides you? |
| אַל תִּתֵּן אֶת פִּיךָ לַחֲטִיא אֶת בְּשָׂרֶךָ וְאַל תֹּאמַר לִפְנֵי הַמַּלְאָךְ כִּי שְׁגָגָה הִיא לָמָּה יִקְצֹף הָאֱלֹהִים עַל קוֹלֶךָ וְחִבֵּל אֶת מַעֲשֵׂה יָדֶיךָ | 5.5 )àl titén )et pyka làxa+y) )et bsareka v)àl to)màr lipnéy hàmàl)ak ky shgagah hy) lamah yiqcoph ha)elohym `àl qvoleka vxibél )et mà`aséh yadeyka | Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin and do not say in the presence of the angel that it was an inadvertent error. Why would this God be furious at your voice or bind the deed of your hands? | No, my love, it was not an accident. You were just in your anger as the prophet David says. (See Psalms 6:1, 51:4, 51:6 Hebrew) |
| כִּי בְרֹב חֲלֹמוֹת וַהֲבָלִים וּדְבָרִים הַרְבֵּה כִּי אֶתהָ אֱלֹהִים יְרָא | 5.6 ky brob xalomvot vàhabalym vudbarym hàrbéh ky )atah )elohym yra) | for in many dreams so futile so many things --- as for you fear God | text incomprehensible but there is an envelope with 5:2 - three repeated words makes a strong envelope. That means that what's in the middle is important. Note - attach the הָ to אֶת and re-point and you get 'you' and lose the unnecessary article for once. |
| אִם עֹשֶׁק רָשׁ וְגֵזֶל מִשְׁפָּט וָצֶדֶק תִּרְאֶה בַמְּדִינָה אַל תִּתְמַהּ עַל הַחֵפֶץ כִּי גָבֹהַּ מֵעַל גָּבֹהַּ שֹׁמֵר וּגְבֹהִים עֲלֵיהֶם | 5.7 )im `osheq rash vgézel mishpa+ vacedeq tir)eh bàmdynah )àl titmàh `àl hàxépec ky gabohà mé`àl gabohà shomér vugbohym `aléyhem | if exploitation of the poor and plunder of judgment and righteousness you see in a province do not be astonished at the delight for the proud keep with the proud and the proud are among them | compare Eccl 4:1 - my first impulse is to see this as closing another envelope |
| וְיִתְרוֹן אֶרֶץ בַּכֹּל היא מֶלֶךְ לְשָׂדֶה נֶעֱבָד | 5.8 vyitrvon )erec bàkol hy) melek lsadeh ne`bad | and of what is left of earth, in all of her, the king in the field is served | .. |
| אֹהֵב כֶּסֶף לֹא יִשְׂבַּע כֶּסֶף וּמִי אֹהֵב בֶּהָמוֹן לֹא תְבוּאָה גַּם זֶה הָבֶל | 5.9 )ohéb keseph lo) yisbà` keseph vumy )ohéb behamvon lo) tbvu)ah gàm zeh habel | One who loves silver is not satisfied with silver and who loves abundance not with revenue This too is futility | .. |
| בִּרְבוֹת הַטּוֹבָה רַבּוּ אוֹכְלֶיהָ וּמַה כִּשְׁרוֹן לִבְעָלֶיהָ כִּי אִם רְאוּת עֵינָיו | 5.10 birbvot hà+vobah ràbvu )vokleyah vumàh kishrvon lib`aleyah ky )im r)yt r)vut `éynayv | In the increase of the good the ones eating her increase so what is success for her owner? in this case to see with his eyes. | .. |
| מְתוּקָה שְׁנַת הָעֹבֵד אִם מְעַט וְאִם הַרְבֵּה יֹאכֵל וְהַשָּׂבָע לֶעָשִׁיר אֵינֶנּוּ מַנִּיחַ לוֹ לִישׁוֹן | 5.11 mtvuqah shnàt ha`obéd )im m`à+ v)im hàrbéh yo)kél vhàsaba` le`ashyr )éynenvu mànyàxlvo lyshvon | Sweet the sleep of a servant whether little or much he eats but the satiation of the rich - for him? it will not let him sleep | .. |
| יֵשׁ רָעָה חוֹלָה רָאִיתִי תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ עֹשֶׁר שָׁמוּר לִבְעָלָיו לְרָעָתוֹ | 5.12 yésh ra`ah xvolah ra)yty tàxàt hàshamesh `osher shamvur lib`alayv lra`atvo | There is a sickly evil I have seen --- under the sun wealth kept for its owners to their evil | .. |
| וְאָבַד הָעֹשֶׁר הַהוּא בְּעִנְיַן רָע וְהוֹלִיד בֵּן וְאֵין בְּיָדוֹ מְאוּמָה | 5.13 v)abàd ha`osher hàhvu) b`inyàn ra` vhvolyd bén v)éyn byadvo m)vumah | but this wealth disappears in an evil business and a son is born and there is nothing at all in his hand | .. |
| כַּאֲשֶׁר יָצָא מִבֶּטֶן אִמּוֹ עָרוֹם יָשׁוּב לָלֶכֶת כְּשֶׁבָּא וּמְאוּמָה לֹא יִשָּׂא בַעֲמָלוֹ שֶׁיֹּלֵךְ בְּיָדוֹ | 5.14 kà)asher yaca) mibe+en )imvo `arvom yashvub laleket ksheba) vum)vumah lo) yisa) bà`amalvo sheyolék byadvo | as he emerged from his mother's belly naked will he return to go as he came and nothing at all will he lift from his toil that will go in his hand | .. |
| וְגַם זֹה רָעָה חוֹלָה כָּל עֻמַּת שֶׁבָּא כֵּן יֵלֵךְ וּמַה יִּתְרוֹן לוֹ שֶׁיַּעֲמֹל לָרוּחַ | 5.15 vgàm zoh ra`ah xvolah kal `umàt sheba) kén yélék vumàh yitrvon lvo sheyà`amol larvuàx | And even this is a sickly evil totally and exactly as he came so he will go and what is left to him that has toiled for the wind? | .. |
| גַּם כָּל יָמָיו בַּחֹשֶׁךְ יֹאכֵל וְכָעַס הַרְבֵּה וְחָלְיוֹ וָקָצֶף | 5.16 gàm kal yamayv bàxoshek yo)kél vka`às hàrbéh vxalyvo vaqaceph | Even all his days in darkness he eats and he is vexed the more and his sickness and anger | .. |
| הִנֵּה אֲשֶׁר רָאִיתִי אָנִי טוֹב אֲשֶׁר יָפֶה לֶאֱכוֹל וְלִשְׁתּוֹת וְלִרְאוֹת טוֹבָה בְּכָל עֲמָלוֹ שֶׁיַּעֲמֹל תַּחַת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ מִסְפַּר יְמֵי חַיָּו אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לוֹ הָאֱלֹהִים כִּי הוּא חֶלְקוֹ | 5.17 hinéh )asher ra)yty )any +vob )asher yapeh le)ekvol vlishtvot vlir)vot +vobah bkal `amalvo sheyà`amol tàxàt hàshemesh mispàr yméy xàyav )asher natàn lvo ha)elohym ky hvu) xlqvo | Note I have seen, I have, a good that is beautiful, to eat and to drink and to see good in all his toil that he toils --- under the sun in the tale of the days of his life that this God gives him for it is his portion | .. |
| גַּם כָּל הָאָדָם אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לוֹ הָאֱלֹהִים עֹשֶׁר וּנְכָסִים וְהִשְׁלִיטוֹ לֶאֱכֹל מִמֶּנּוּ וְלָשֵׂאת אֶת חֶלְקוֹ וְלִשְׂמֹחַ בַּעֲמָלוֹ זֹה מַתַּת אֱלֹהִים הִיא | 5.18 gàm kal ha)adam )asher natàn lvo ha)elohym `osher vunkasym vhishly+vo le)ekol mimenvu vlasé)t )et xlqvo vlismoàxbà`amalvo zoh màtàt )elohym hy) | Even every earthling to whom this God gives riches and wealth and power to eat from them and to lift up its portion and to be happy in its toil this is the giving of God here and now | .. |
| כִּי לֹא הַרְבֵּה יִזְכֹּר אֶת יְמֵי חַיָּיו כִּי הָאֱלֹהִים מַעֲנֶה בְּשִׂמְחַת לִבּוֹ | 5.19 ky lo) hàrbéh yizkor )et yméy xàyayv ky ha)elohym mà`aneh bsimxàt libvo | For it will not much remember the days of its life for this God answers in the happiness of its heart | This is good - tov, tov, tov |
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