King James Version

Ecclesiastes 2:21

For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.

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Hebrew

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כִּיkiassuredכִּיconjunction — “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…יֵ֣שׁyeshareיֵשׁparticle, demonstrative — “are”H3426there is or are (or any other form of the verb to be, as may suit the connection)(there) are, (he, it, shall, there, there may, there shall, there should) be, thou do, had, hast, (which) hath, (I, shalt, that) have, (he, it, there) is, substance, it (there) was, (there) were, ye will, thou wilt, wouldest.אָדָ֗םadampersonאָדָםnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “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.שֶׁעֲמָל֛וֹsheamalvowho toilעָמָלparticle, relative, noun, common, both genders, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “who toil”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5999toil, i.e. wearing effort; hence, worry, wheth. of body or mindgrievance(-vousness), iniquity, labour, mischief, miserable(-sery), pain(-ful), perverseness, sorrow, toil, travail, trouble, wearisome, wickedness.בְּחָכְמָ֥הbechakhemahin wisdomחׇכְמָהpreposition, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “in wisdom”, the ordinary formH2451wisdom (in a good sense)skilful, wisdom, wisely, wit.וּבְדַ֖עַתuvedaatand in cunningדַּעַתconjunction, preposition, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “and in cunning”, the ordinary formH1847knowledgecunning, (ig-) norantly, know(-ledge), (un-) awares (wittingly).וּבְכִשְׁר֑וֹןuvekhishronand in equityכִּשְׁרוֹןconjunction, preposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “and in equity”, the ordinary formH3788success, advantageequity, good, right.וּלְאָדָ֞םuleadamand to personאָדָםconjunction, preposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “and to 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.שֶׁלֹּ֤אshelowho no , -r,לֹאparticle, relative, particle, negative — “who 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…עָֽמַלamallabourעָמַלverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “labour”, a completed actionH5998to toil, i.e. work severely and with irksomeness(take) labour (in).בּוֹ֙bvoinבּוֹ֙preposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “in”inיִתְּנֶ֣נּוּyitnenvgiveנָתַןverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “give”, an unfinished actionH5414to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)add, apply, appoint, ascribe, assign, [idiom] avenge, [idiom] be (healed), bestow, bring (forth, hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, [phrase] cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, [idiom] doubtless, [idiom] wi…חֶלְק֔וֹchelqvoflatteryחֵלֶקnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “flattery”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH2506properly, smoothness (of the tongue); also an allotmentflattery, inheritance, part, [idiom] partake, portion.גַּםgamalsoגַּםparticle, affirmation — “also”H1571properly, assemblage; used only adverbially also, even, yea, though; often repeated as correl. both...andagain, alike, also, (so much) as (soon), both (so)...and, but, either...or, even, for all, (in) likewise (manner), moreover, nay...neither, one, then(-refore), though, what, with, yea.זֶ֥הzehthe one...the otherזֶהpronoun, demonstrative, masculine, singular — “the one...the other”H2088the masculine demonstrative pronoun, this or thathe, [idiom] hence, [idiom] here, it(-self), [idiom] now, [idiom] of him, the one...the other, [idiom] than the other, ([idiom] out of) the (self) same, such (a one) that, these, this (hath, man), on this side...on that side, [idiom] thus,…הֶ֖בֶלhevelvanityהֶבֶלnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “vanity”, the ordinary formH1892emptiness or vanity; figuratively, something transitory and unsatisfactory; often used as an adverb[idiom] altogether, vain, vanity.וְרָעָ֥הveraahand badרַעconjunction, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “and bad”, the ordinary formH7451bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral)adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, [phrase] displease(-ure), distress, evil((-favouredness), man, thing), [phrase] exceedingly, [idiom] great, grief(-vous), harm, heavy, hurt(-ful), ill (favoured), [phrase] mark, mischief(-vous), misery…רַבָּֽהrabahaboundרַבadjective, adjective, feminine, singular, absolute — “abound”, the ordinary formH7227abundant (in quantity, size, age, number, rank, quality)(in) abound(-undance, -ant, -antly), captain, elder, enough, exceedingly, full, great(-ly, man, one), increase, long (enough, (time)), (do, have) many(-ifold, things, a time), (ship-)master, mighty, more, (too, very) much, multiply(-tude),…

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

For there is a man whose labour is with wisdom, and with knowledge, and with skill; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, and with knowledge, and with skilfulness; yet to a man that hath not labored therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.

Young’s Literal Translation

For there is a man whose labour [is] in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity, and to a man who hath not laboured therein he giveth it — his portion! Even this [is] vanity and a great evil.

World English Bible

For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, with knowledge, and with skillfulness; yet he shall leave it for his portion to a man who has not labored for it. This also is vanity and a great evil.

Darby Translation

For there is a man whose labour hath been with wisdom, and with knowledge, and with skill, and who leaveth it to a man that hath not laboured therein, to be his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.

Douay-Rheims

For when a man laboureth in wisdom, and knowledge, and carefulness, he leaveth what he hath gotten to an idle man: so this also is vanity, and a great evil.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

For there is such a man that his labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in fortitude; yet this man shall give his portion to one who has not laboured therein. This is also vanity and great evil.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Ὅτι ἐστὶν ἄνθρωπος ὅτι μόχθος αὐτοῦ ἐν σοφίᾳ καὶ ἐν γνώσει καὶ ἐν ἀνδρίᾳ· καὶ ἄνθρωπος ᾧ οὐκ ἐμόχθησεν ἐν αὐτῷ, δώσει αὐτῷ μερίδα αὐτοῦ· καί γε τοῦτο ματαιότης καὶ πονηρία μεγάλη.