King James Version

Ecclesiastes 5:15

As he came forth of his mother’s womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.

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Hebrew

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In the Hebrew text this line is Ecclesiastes 5:14.

כַּאֲשֶׁ֤רkaasheras becauseאֲשֶׁרpreposition, particle, relative — “as 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,…יָצָא֙yatsabring forthיָצָאverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “bring forth”, a completed actionH3318to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim.[idiom] after, appear, [idiom] assuredly, bear out, [idiom] begotten, break out, bring forth (out, up), carry out, come (abroad, out, thereat, without), [phrase] be condemned, depart(-ing, -ure), draw forth, in the end, escape, exact, fail…מִבֶּ֣טֶןmibetenfrom bodyבֶּטֶןpreposition, noun, common, feminine, singular, construct — “from body”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH990the belly, especially the womb; also the bosom or body of anythingbelly, body, [phrase] as they be born, [phrase] within, womb.אִמּ֔וֹimvomotherאֵםnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “mother”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH517a mother (as the bond of the family); in a wide sense (both literally and figuratively (like father))dam, mother, [idiom] parting.עָר֛וֹםaromnakedעָרוֹםadjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “naked”, the ordinary formH6174nude, either partially or totallynaked.יָשׁ֥וּבyashuvagainשׁוּבverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “again”, an unfinished actionH7725to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to retreat; often adverbial, again((break, build, circumcise, dig, do anything, do evil, feed, lay down, lie down, lodge, make, rejoice, send, take, weep)) [idiom] again, (cause to) answer ([phrase] again), [idiom] in any case (wise), [idiom] at all, averse, bring (again,…לָלֶ֖כֶתlalekhetto carryיָלַךְpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “to carry”, the to-form of the verbH3212to walk (literally or figuratively); causatively, to carry (in various senses)[idiom] again, away, bear, bring, carry (away), come (away), depart, flow, [phrase] follow(-ing), get (away, hence, him), (cause to, made) go (away, -ing, -ne, one's way, out), grow, lead (forth), let down, march, prosper, [phrase] pursue,…כְּשֶׁבָּ֑אkeshebaas who to comeבּוֹאpreposition, particle, relative, verb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “as who to come”, a completed actionH935to 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,…וּמְא֨וּמָה֙umeumahand faultמְאוּמָהconjunction, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “and fault”, the ordinary formH3972properly, a speck or point, i.e. (by implication) something; with negative, nothingfault, [phrase] no(-ught), ought, somewhat, any (no-)thing.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…יִשָּׂ֣אyisalift upנָשָׂאverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “lift up”, an unfinished actionH5375to lift, in a great variety of applications, literal and figurative, absolute and relativeaccept, advance, arise, (able to, (armor), suffer to) bear(-er, up), bring (forth), burn, carry (away), cast, contain, desire, ease, exact, exalt (self), extol, fetch, forgive, furnish, further, give, go on, help, high, hold up, honorable…בַעֲמָל֔וֹvaamalvoin toilעָמָלpreposition, noun, common, both genders, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “in 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.שֶׁיֹּלֵ֖ךְsheyolekhewho carryיָלַךְparticle, relative, verb, hiphil, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “who carry”, an unfinished actionH3212to walk (literally or figuratively); causatively, to carry (in various senses)[idiom] again, away, bear, bring, carry (away), come (away), depart, flow, [phrase] follow(-ing), get (away, hence, him), (cause to, made) go (away, -ing, -ne, one's way, out), grow, lead (forth), let down, march, prosper, [phrase] pursue,…בְּיָדֽוֹbeyadvoin handיָדpreposition, noun, common, both genders, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “in hand”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3027a hand (the open one (indicating power, means, direction, etc.),([phrase] be) able, [idiom] about, [phrase] armholes, at, axletree, because of, beside, border, [idiom] bounty, [phrase] broad, (broken-) handed, [idiom] by, charge, coast, [phrase] consecrate, [phrase] creditor, custody, debt, dominion, […

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

(5-14) As he came forth of his mother's womb, naked shall he go back as he came, and shall take nothing for his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

As he came forth from his mother’s womb, naked shall he go again as he came, and shall take nothing for his labor, which he may carry away in his hand.

Young’s Literal Translation

As he came out from the belly of his mother, naked he turneth back to go as he came, and he taketh not away anything of his labour, that doth go in his hand.

World English Bible

As he came out of his mother’s womb, naked shall he go again as he came, and shall take nothing for his labor, which he may carry away in his hand.

Darby Translation

As he came forth from his mother's womb, naked shall he go away again as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.

Douay-Rheims

A most deplorable evil: as he came, so shall he return. What then doth it profit him that he hath laboured for the wind?

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

(5-14) As he came forth of his mother's womb, naked shall he go back as he came, and shall take nothing for his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

As he came forth naked from his mother's womb, he shall return back as he came, and he shall receive nothing for his labour, that it should go with him in his hand.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καθὼς ἐξῆλθεν ἀπὸ γαστρὸς μητρὸς αὐτοῦ γυμνὸς, ἐπιστρέψει τοῦ πορευθῆναι ὡς ἥκει, καὶ οὐδὲν οὐ λήψεται ἐν μόχθῳ αὐτοῦ, ἵνα πορευθῇ ἐν χειρὶ αὐτοῦ.