King James Version

Ecclesiastes 7:28

Which yet my soul seeketh, but I find not: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found.

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Hebrew

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אֲשֶׁ֛רasherbecauseאֲשֶׁרparticle, relative — “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,…עוֹדodagainעוֹדadverb — “again”H5750properly, iteration or continuance; used only adverbially (with or without preposition), again, repeatedly, still, moreagain, [idiom] all life long, at all, besides, but, else, further(-more), henceforth, (any) longer, (any) more(-over), [idiom] once, since, (be) still, when, (good, the) while (having being), (as, because, whether, while) yet (within).בִּקְשָׁ֥הbiqshahbeseechבָּקַשׁverb, piel, perfect, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “beseech”, a completed actionH1245to search out (by any method, specifically in worship or prayer); by implication, to strive afterask, beg, beseech, desire, enquire, get, make inquisition, procure, (make) request, require, seek (for).נַפְשִׁ֖יnafshicreatureנֶפֶשׁnoun, common, both genders, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “creature”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5315properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental)any, appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, [idiom] dead(-ly), desire, [idiom] (dis-) contented, [idiom] fish, ghost, [phrase] greedy, he, heart(-y), (hath, [idiom] jeopardy of) life ([idiom] in jeopardy), lust, man, me, mind, mortally,…וְלֹ֣אveloand no , -r,לֹאconjunction, particle, negative — “and 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…מָצָ֑אתִיmatsaticomeמָצָאverb, qal, perfect, 1st person, common, singular — “come”, a completed actionH4672properly, to come forth to, i.e. appear or exist; transitively, to attain, i.e. find or acquire; figuratively, to occur, meet or be present[phrase] be able, befall, being, catch, [idiom] certainly, (cause to) come (on, to, to hand), deliver, be enough (cause to) find(-ing, occasion, out), get (hold upon), [idiom] have (here), be here, hit, be left, light (up-) on, meet (with)…אָדָ֞םadampersonאָדָםnoun, 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.אֶחָ֤דechadfirstאֶחָדadjective, cardinal, masculine, singular, absolute — “first”, the ordinary formH259properly, united, i.e. one; or (as an ordinal) firsta, alike, alone, altogether, and, any(-thing), apiece, a certain, (dai-) ly, each (one), [phrase] eleven, every, few, first, [phrase] highway, a man, once, one, only, other, some, together,מֵאֶ֨לֶף֙meeleffrom thousandאֶלֶףpreposition, adjective, cardinal, both genders, singular, absolute — “from thousand”, the ordinary formH505hence (the ox's head being the first letter of the alphabet, and this eventually used as a numeral) a thousandthousand.מָצָ֔אתִיmatsaticomeמָצָאverb, qal, perfect, 1st person, common, singular — “come”, a completed actionH4672properly, to come forth to, i.e. appear or exist; transitively, to attain, i.e. find or acquire; figuratively, to occur, meet or be present[phrase] be able, befall, being, catch, [idiom] certainly, (cause to) come (on, to, to hand), deliver, be enough (cause to) find(-ing, occasion, out), get (hold upon), [idiom] have (here), be here, hit, be left, light (up-) on, meet (with)…וְאִשָּׁ֥הveishahand eachאִשָּׁהconjunction, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “and each”, the ordinary formH802a woman(adulter) ess, each, every, female, [idiom] many, [phrase] none, one, [phrase] together, wife, woman. Often unexpressed in English.בְכָלvekhalin allכֹּלpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “in 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).אֵ֖לֶּהelehtheseאֵלֶּהpronoun, demonstrative, common, plural — “these”H428these or thosean-(the) other; one sort, so, some, such, them, these (same), they, this, those, thus, which, who(-m).לֹ֥אlono , -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…מָצָֽאתִיmatsaticomeמָצָאverb, qal, perfect, 1st person, common, singular — “come”, a completed actionH4672properly, to come forth to, i.e. appear or exist; transitively, to attain, i.e. find or acquire; figuratively, to occur, meet or be present[phrase] be able, befall, being, catch, [idiom] certainly, (cause to) come (on, to, to hand), deliver, be enough (cause to) find(-ing, occasion, out), get (hold upon), [idiom] have (here), be here, hit, be left, light (up-) on, meet (with)…

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

which yet my soul sought, but I found not; one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

which my soul still seeketh, but I have not found: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found.

Young’s Literal Translation

(that still my soul had sought, and I had not found), One man, a teacher, I have found, and a woman among all these I have not found.

World English Bible

which my soul still seeks, but I have not found. I have found one man among a thousand, but I have not found a woman among all those.

Darby Translation

which my soul yet seeketh, and I have not found: one man among a thousand have I found, but a woman among all those have I not found.

Douay-Rheims

Lo this have I found, said Ecclesiastes, weighing one thing after another, that I might find out the account,

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

which yet my soul sought, but I found not; one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

which my soul sought after, but I found not: for I have found one man of a thousand; but a woman in all these I have not found.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

ὃν ἐπεζήτησεν ἡ ψυχή μου, καὶ οὐχ εὗρον· καὶ ἄνθρωπον ἕνα ἀπὸ χιλίων εὗρον, καὶ γυναῖκα ἐν πᾶσι τούτοις οὐχ εὗρον.