King James Version

Ecclesiastes 5:12

The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.

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Hebrew

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In the Hebrew text this line is Ecclesiastes 5:11.

מְתוּקָה֙metuqahsweetמָתוֹקadjective, adjective, feminine, singular, absolute — “sweet”, the ordinary formH4966sweetsweet(-er, -ness).שְׁנַ֣תshenatsleepשֵׁנָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct — “sleep”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH8142sleepsleep.הָעֹבֵ֔דhaovedthe keep in bondageעָבַדdefinite article, verb, qal, participle, absolute — “the keep in bondage”, a verb used as a describing wordH5647to work (in any sense); by implication, to serve, till, (causatively) enslave, etc.[idiom] be, keep in bondage, be bondmen, bond-service, compel, do, dress, ear, execute, [phrase] husbandman, keep, labour(-ing man, bring to pass, (cause to, make to) serve(-ing, self), (be, become) servant(-s), do (use) service, till(-er)…אִםimoh thatאִםconjunction — “oh that”H518used very widely as demonstrative, lo!; interrogative, whether?; or conditional, if, although; also Oh that!, when; hence, as a negative, not(and, can-, doubtless, if, that) (not), [phrase] but, either, [phrase] except, [phrase] more(-over if, than), neither, nevertheless, nor, oh that, or, [phrase] save (only, -ing), seeing, since, sith, [phrase] surely (no more, none, not), t…מְעַ֥טmeatlittleמְעַטnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “little”, the ordinary formH4592a little or few (often adverbial or compar.)almost (some, very) few(-er, -est), lightly, little (while), (very) small (matter, thing), some, soon, [idiom] very.וְאִםveimand oh thatאִםconjunction, conjunction — “and oh that”H518used very widely as demonstrative, lo!; interrogative, whether?; or conditional, if, although; also Oh that!, when; hence, as a negative, not(and, can-, doubtless, if, that) (not), [phrase] but, either, [phrase] except, [phrase] more(-over if, than), neither, nevertheless, nor, oh that, or, [phrase] save (only, -ing), seeing, since, sith, [phrase] surely (no more, none, not), t…הַרְבֵּ֖הharbehincreaseרָבָהverb, hiphil, infinitive absolute — “increase”, the verb used for emphasisH7235to 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…יֹאכֵ֑לyokheleatאָכַלverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “eat”, an unfinished actionH398to eat (literally or figuratively)[idiom] at all, burn up, consume, devour(-er, up), dine, eat(-er, up), feed (with), food, [idiom] freely, [idiom] in...wise(-deed, plenty), (lay) meat, [idiom] quite.וְהַשָּׂבָע֙vehasavaand the abundanceשָׂבָעconjunction, definite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “and the abundance”, the ordinary formH7647copiousnessabundance, plenteous(-ness, -ly).לֶֽעָשִׁ֔ירleashirto richעָשִׁירpreposition, with the article, adjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “to rich”, the ordinary formH6223rich, whether literal or figurative (noble)rich (man).אֵינֶ֛נּוּeynenvelseאַיִןparticle, negative, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “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).מַנִּ֥יחַֽmanichabestowיָנַחverb, hiphil, participle, absolute — “bestow”, a verb used as a describing wordH3240to deposit; by implication, to allow to staybestow, cast down, lay (down, up), leave (off), let alone (remain), pacify, place, put, set (down), suffer, withdraw, withhold. (The Hiphil forms with the dagesh are here referred to, in accordance with the older grammarians; but if any di…ל֖וֹlvotoל֖וֹpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “to”toלִישֽׁוֹןlishonto oldיָשֵׁןpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “to old”, the to-form of the verbH3462properly, to be slack or languid, i.e. (by implication) sleep (figuratively, to die); also to grow old, stale or inveterateold (store), remain long, (make to) sleep.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

(5-11) Sweet is the sleep of a labouring man, whether he eat little or much; but the satiety of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much; but the fulness of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.

Young’s Literal Translation

Sweet [is] the sleep of the labourer whether he eat little or much; and the sufficiency of the wealthy is not suffering him to sleep.

World English Bible

The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eats little or much; but the abundance of the rich will not allow him to sleep.

Darby Translation

The sleep of the labourer is sweet, whether he have eaten little or much; but the fulness of the rich doth not suffer him to sleep.

Douay-Rheims

There is also another grievous evil, which I have seen under the sun: riches kept to the hurt of the owner.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

(5-11) Sweet is the sleep of a labouring man, whether he eat little or much; but the satiety of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

The sleep of a servant is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but to one who is satiated with wealth, there is none that suffers him to sleep.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Γλυκὺς ὕπνος τοῦ δούλου εἰ ὀλίγον καὶ εἰ πολὺ φάγεται, καὶ τῷ ἐμπλησθέντι τοῦ πλουτῆσαι, οὐκ ἔστιν ἀφίων αὐτὸν τοῦ ὑπνῶσαι.