King James Version

Ecclesiastes 2:16

For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise man? as the fool.

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Hebrew

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כִּי֩kiassuredכִּיconjunction — “assured”H3588(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexedand, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + til…אֵ֨יןeynelseאַיִןparticle, negative — “else”H369a non-entity; generally used as a negative particleelse, except, fail, (father-) less, be gone, in(-curable), neither, never, no (where), none, nor, (any, thing), not, nothing, to nought, past, un(-searchable), well-nigh, without. Compare H370 (אַיִן).זִכְר֧וֹןzikhronmemorialזִכְרוֹןnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “memorial”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH2146a memento (or memorable thing, day or writing)memorial, record.לֶחָכָ֛םlechakhamto wise , manחָכָםpreposition, with the article, adjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “to wise , man”, the ordinary formH2450wise, (i.e. intelligent, skilful or artful)cunning (man), subtil, (un-), wise((hearted), man).עִֽםimwithעִםpreposition — “with”H5973adverb or preposition, with (i.e. in conjunction with), in varied applications; specifically, equally with; often with prepositional prefix (and then usually unrepresented in English)accompanying, against, and, as ([idiom] long as), before, beside, by (reason of), for all, from (among, between), in, like, more than, of, (un-) to, with(-al).הַכְּסִ֖ילhaksilthe foolכְּסִילdefinite article, adjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “the fool”, the ordinary formH3684properly, fat, i.e. (figuratively) stupid or sillyfool(-ish).לְעוֹלָ֑םleolamto alwayעוֹלָםpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “to alway”, the ordinary formH5769properly, concealed, i.e. the vanishing point; generally, time out of mind (past or future), i.e. (practically) eternity; frequentatively, adverbial (especially with prepositional prefix) alwaysalway(-s), ancient (time), any more, continuance, eternal, (for, (n-)) ever(-lasting, -more, of old), lasting, long (time), (of) old (time), perpetual, at any time, (beginning of the) world ([phrase] without end). Compare H5331 (נֶצַח), H5…בְּשֶׁכְּבָ֞רbeshekvarin who alreadyכְּבָרpreposition, particle, relative, adverb — “in who already”H3528properly, extent of time, i.e. a great while; hence, long ago, formerly, hithertoalready, (seeing that which), now.הַיָּמִ֤יםhayamimthe as long asיוֹםdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “the as long as”, the ordinary formH3117a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb)age, [phrase] always, [phrase] chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to) day, (now a, two) days (agone), [phrase] elder, [idiom] end, [phrase] evening, [phrase] (for) ever(-lasting, -more), [idiom] full, life, as (so) lon…הַבָּאִים֙habaimthe to comeבּוֹאdefinite article, verb, qal, participle, absolute — “the to come”, a verb used as a describing wordH935to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)abide, apply, attain, [idiom] be, befall, [phrase] besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, [idiom] certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, [idiom] doubtless again, [phrase] eat,…הַכֹּ֣לhakolthe allכֹּלdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the all”, the ordinary formH3605properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-) thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever).נִשְׁכָּ֔חnishkachforgetשָׁכַחverb, niphal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “forget”, a completed actionH7911to mislay, i.e. to be oblivious of, from want of memory or attention[idiom] at all, (cause to) forget.וְאֵ֛יךְveeykhand howאֵיךְconjunction, particle, interrogative — “and how”H349how? or how!; also wherehow, what.יָמ֥וּתyamutdieמוּתverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “die”, an unfinished actionH4191to die (literally or figuratively); causatively, to kill[idiom] at all, [idiom] crying, (be) dead (body, man, one), (put to, worthy of) death, destroy(-er), (cause to, be like to, must) die, kill, necro(-mancer), [idiom] must needs, slay, [idiom] surely, [idiom] very suddenly, [idiom] in (no) w…הֶחָכָ֖םhechakhamthe wise , manחָכָםdefinite article, adjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “the wise , man”, the ordinary formH2450wise, (i.e. intelligent, skilful or artful)cunning (man), subtil, (un-), wise((hearted), man).עִֽםimwithעִםpreposition — “with”H5973adverb or preposition, with (i.e. in conjunction with), in varied applications; specifically, equally with; often with prepositional prefix (and then usually unrepresented in English)accompanying, against, and, as ([idiom] long as), before, beside, by (reason of), for all, from (among, between), in, like, more than, of, (un-) to, with(-al).הַכְּסִֽילhaksilthe foolכְּסִילdefinite article, adjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “the fool”, the ordinary formH3684properly, fat, i.e. (figuratively) stupid or sillyfool(-ish).

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

For of the wise man, even as of the fool, there is no remembrance for ever; seeing that in the days to come all will long ago have been forgotten. And how must the wise man die even as the fool!

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

For of the wise man, even as of the fool, there is no remembrance for ever; seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. And how doth the wise man die even as the fool!

Young’s Literal Translation

That there is no remembrance to the wise — with the fool — to the age, for that which [is] already, [in] the days that are coming is all forgotten, and how dieth the wise? with the fool!

World English Bible

For of the wise man, even as of the fool, there is no memory forever, since in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. Indeed, the wise man must die just like the fool!

Darby Translation

For there shall be no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; because everything is already forgotten in the days which come. And how dieth the wise even as the fool?

Douay-Rheims

For there shall be no remembrance of the wise no more than of the fool for ever, and the times to come shall cover all things together with oblivion: the learned dieth in like manner as the unlearned.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

For of the wise man, even as of the fool, there is no remembrance for ever; seeing that in the days to come all will long ago have been forgotten. And how must the wise man die even as the fool!

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

For there is no remembrance of the wise man with the fool for ever; forasmuch as now in the coming days all things are forgotten: and how shall the wise man die with the fool?

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἡ μνήμη τοῦ σοφοῦ μετὰ τοῦ ἄφρονος εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, καθότι ἤδη αἱ ἡμέραι ἐρχόμεναι τὰ πάντα ἐπελήσθη· καὶ πῶς ἀποθανεῖται ὁ σοφὸς μετὰ τοῦ ἄφρονος;