King James Version

Ecclesiastes 8:2

I counsel thee to keep the king’s commandment, and that in regard of the oath of God.

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Hebrew

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אֲנִי֙animineאֲנִיpronoun, personal, 1st person, common, singular — “mine”H589II, (as for) me, mine, myself, we, [idiom] which, [idiom] who.פִּיpiedgeפֶּהnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “edge”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6310the mouth (as the means of blowing), whether literal or figurative (particularly speech); specifically edge, portion or side; adverbially (with preposition) according toaccord(-ing as, -ing to), after, appointment, assent, collar, command(-ment), [idiom] eat, edge, end, entry, [phrase] file, hole, [idiom] in, mind, mouth, part, portion, [idiom] (should) say(-ing), sentence, skirt, sound, speech, [idiom] s…מֶ֣לֶךְmelekhkingמֶלֶךְnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “king”, the ordinary formH4428a kingking, royal.שְׁמ֔וֹרshemorbewardשָׁמַרverb, qal, imperative, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “beward”, a commandH8104properly, to hedge about (as with thorns), i.e. guard; generally, to protect, attend to, etc.beward, be circumspect, take heed (to self), keep(-er, self), mark, look narrowly, observe, preserve, regard, reserve, save (self), sure, (that lay) wait (for), watch(-man).וְעַ֕לvealand aboveעַלconjunction, preposition — “and above”H5921above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsabove, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of,…דִּבְרַ֖תdivratcauseדִּבְרָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct — “cause”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1700a reason, suit or stylecause, end, estate, order, regard.שְׁבוּעַ֥תshevuatoathשְׁבוּעָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct — “oath”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH7621properly, something sworn, i.e. an oathcurse, oath, [idiom] sworn.אֱלֹהִֽיםelohimGodאֱלֹהִיםnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “God”, the ordinary formH430gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlativeangels, [idiom] exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), [idiom] (very) great, judges, [idiom] mighty.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

I counsel thee: keep the king's command, and that in regard of the oath of God.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

I counsel thee , Keep the king’s command, and that in regard of the oath of God.

Young’s Literal Translation

I pray thee, the commandment of a king keep, even for the sake of the oath of God.

World English Bible

I say, “Keep the king’s command!” because of the oath to God.

Darby Translation

I [say], Keep the king's commandment, and [that] on account of the oath of God.

Douay-Rheims

I observe the mouth of the king, and the commandments of the oath of God.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

I counsel thee: keep the king's command, and that in regard of the oath of God.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

Observe the commandment of the king, and that because of the word of the oath of God.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Στόμα βασιλέως φύλαξον, καὶ περὶ λόγου ὅρκου Θεοῦ.