King James Version

Ecclesiastes 2:23

For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.

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Hebrew

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כִּ֧יkiassuredכִּיconjunction — “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…כָלkhalallכֹּלnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “all”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3605properly, 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).יָמָ֣יוyamayvas long asיוֹםnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “as long as”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3117a 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…מַכְאֹבִ֗יםmakhovimgriefמַכְאֹבnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “grief”, the ordinary formH4341anguish or (figuratively) afflictiongrief, pain, sorrow.וָכַ֨עַס֙vakhaasand angerכַּעַסconjunction, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “and anger”, the ordinary formH3708vexationanger, angry, grief, indignation, provocation, provoking, [idiom] sore, sorrow, spite, wrath.עִנְיָנ֔וֹinyanvobusinessעִנְיָןnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “business”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6045ado, i.e. (generally) employment or (specifically) an affairbusiness, travail.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.בַּלַּ֖יְלָהbalaylahin nightלַיִלpreposition, with the article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “in night”, the ordinary formH3915properly, a twist (away of the light), i.e. night; figuratively, adversity(mid-)night (season).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…שָׁכַ֣בshakhavlieשָׁכַבverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “lie”, a completed actionH7901to lie down (for rest, sexual connection, decease or any other purpose)[idiom] at all, cast down, (lover-)lay (self) (down), (make to) lie (down, down to sleep, still with), lodge, ravish, take rest, sleep, stay.לִבּ֑וֹlibvocomfortablyלֵבnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “comfortably”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3820the heart; also used (figuratively) very widely for the feelings, the will and even the intellect; likewise for the centre of anything[phrase] care for, comfortably, consent, [idiom] considered, courag(-eous), friend(-ly), ((broken-), (hard-), (merry-), (stiff-), (stout-), double) heart(-ed), [idiom] heed, [idiom] I, kindly, midst, mind(-ed), [idiom] regard(-ed), [idiom]…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.זֶ֖הzehthe 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,…הֶ֥בֶלhevelvanityהֶבֶלnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “vanity”, the ordinary formH1892emptiness or vanity; figuratively, something transitory and unsatisfactory; often used as an adverb[idiom] altogether, vain, vanity.הֽוּאhuas for herהוּאpronoun, personal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “as for her”H1931he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally (instead of copula) as or arehe, as for her, him(-self), it, the same, she (herself), such, that (...it), these, they, this, those, which (is), who.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

For all his days are pains, and his occupation vexation; yea, even in the night his heart taketh not rest. This also is vanity.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

For all his days are but sorrows, and his travail is grief; yea, even in the night his heart taketh no rest. This also is vanity.

Young’s Literal Translation

For all his days are sorrows, and his travail sadness; even at night his heart hath not lain down; this also [is] vanity.

World English Bible

For all his days are sorrows, and his travail is grief; yes, even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity.

Darby Translation

For all his days are sorrows, and his travail vexation: even in the night his heart taketh no rest. This also is vanity.

Douay-Rheims

All his days axe full of sorrows and miseries, even in the night he doth not rest in mind: and is not this vanity?

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

For all his days are pains, and his occupation vexation; yea, even in the night his heart taketh not rest. This also is vanity.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

For all his days are days of sorrows, and vexation of spirit is his; in the night also his heart rests not. This is also vanity.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Ὅτι πᾶσαι αἱ ἡμέραι αὐτοῦ ἀλγημάτων καὶ θυμοῦ περισπασμὸς αὐτοῦ, καί γε ἐν νυκτὶ οὐ κοιμᾶται ἡ καρδία αὐτοῦ· καί γε τοῦτο ματαιότης ἐστίν.