King James Version

Ecclesiastes 10:14

A fool also is full of words: a man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him?

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Hebrew

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וְהַסָּכָ֖לvehasakhaland the foolסָכָלconjunction, definite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “and the fool”, the ordinary formH5530sillyfool(-ish), sottish.יַרְבֶּ֣הyarbehincreaseרָבָהverb, hiphil, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “increase”, an unfinished actionH7235to increase (in whatever respect)(bring in) abundance ([idiom] -antly), [phrase] archer (by mistake for H7232 (רָבַב)), be in authority, bring up, [idiom] continue, enlarge, excel, exceeding(-ly), be full of, (be, make) great(-er, -ly, [idiom] -ness), grow up, heap, incre…דְבָרִ֑יםdevarimcauseדָּבָרnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “cause”, the ordinary formH1697a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a causeact, advice, affair, answer, [idiom] any such (thing), because of, book, business, care, case, cause, certain rate, [phrase] chronicles, commandment, [idiom] commune(-ication), [phrase] concern(-ing), [phrase] confer, counsel, [phrase] dea…לֹאlono , -r,לֹאparticle, negative — “no , -r,”H3808not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles[idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as trul…יֵדַ֤עyedaknowיָדַעverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “know”, an unfinished actionH3045to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically and inferentially (including observation, care, recognition; and causatively, instruction, designation, punishment, etc.)acknowledge, acquaintance(-ted with), advise, answer, appoint, assuredly, be aware, (un-) awares, can(-not), certainly, comprehend, consider, [idiom] could they, cunning, declare, be diligent, (can, cause to) discern, discover, endued with…הָאָדָם֙haadamthe personאָדָםdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the person”, the ordinary formH120ruddy i.e. a human being (an individual or the species, mankind, etc.)[idiom] another, [phrase] hypocrite, [phrase] common sort, [idiom] low, man (mean, of low degree), person.מַהmahhowמָהparticle, interrogative — “how”H4100properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and even relatively, that which); often used with prefixes in various adverbial or conjunctive senseshow (long, oft, (-soever)), (no-) thing, what (end, good, purpose, thing), whereby(-fore, -in, -to, -with), (for) why.שֶׁיִּֽהְיֶ֔הsheyihyehwho beהָיָהparticle, relative, verb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “who be”, an unfinished actionH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.וַאֲשֶׁ֤רvaasherand becauseאֲשֶׁרconjunction, particle, relative — “and because”H834who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.[idiom] after, [idiom] alike, as (soon as), because, [idiom] every, for, [phrase] forasmuch, [phrase] from whence, [phrase] how(-soever), [idiom] if, (so) that ((thing) which, wherein), [idiom] though, [phrase] until, [phrase] whatsoever,…יִֽהְיֶה֙yihyehbeהָיָהverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “be”, an unfinished actionH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.מֵֽאַחֲרָ֔יוmeacharayvfrom afterאַחַרpreposition, preposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “from after”H310properly, the hind part; generally used as an adverb or conjunction, after (in various senses)after (that, -ward), again, at, away from, back (from, -side), behind, beside, by, follow (after, -ing), forasmuch, from, hereafter, hinder end, [phrase] out (over) live, [phrase] persecute, posterity, pursuing, remnant, seeing, since, the…מִ֖יmiwhoמִיparticle, interrogative — “who”H4310who? (occasionally, by a peculiar idiom, of things); also (indefinitely) whoever; often used in oblique construction with prefix or suffixany (man), [idiom] he, [idiom] him, [phrase] O that! what, which, who(-m, -se, -soever), [phrase] would to God.יַגִּ֥ידyagidbewrayנָגַדverb, hiphil, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “bewray”, an unfinished actionH5046properly, to front, i.e. stand boldly out opposite; by implication (causatively), to manifest; figuratively, to announce (always by word of mouth to one present); specifically, to expose, predict, explain, praisebewray, [idiom] certainly, certify, declare(-ing), denounce, expound, [idiom] fully, messenger, plainly, profess, rehearse, report, shew (forth), speak, [idiom] surely, tell, utter.לֽוֹlvotoלֽוֹpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “to”to

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

A fool also multiplieth words; yet man knoweth not what shall be; and that which shall be after him, who can tell him?

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

A fool also multiplieth words: yet man knoweth not what shall be; and that which shall be after him, who can tell him?

Young’s Literal Translation

And the fool multiplieth words: 'Man knoweth not that which is, And that which is after him, who doth declare to him?'

World English Bible

A fool also multiplies words. Man doesn’t know what will be; and that which will be after him, who can tell him?

Darby Translation

And the fool multiplieth words: [yet] man knoweth not what shall be; and what shall be after him, who will tell him?

Douay-Rheims

A fool multiplieth words. A man cannot tell what hath been before him: and what shall be after him, who can tell him?

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

A fool also multiplieth words; yet man knoweth not what shall be; and that which shall be after him, who can tell him?

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

A fool moreover multiplies words: man knows not what has been, nor what will be: who shall tell him what will come after him?

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

καὶ ὁ ἄφρων πληθύνει λόγους· οὐκ ἔγνω ἄνθρωπος τί τὸ γενόμενον, καὶ τί τὸ ἐσόμενον, ὅ, τι ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ τίς ἀναγγελεῖ αὐτῷ;