King James Version

Ecclesiastes 9:5

For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.

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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…הַֽחַיִּ֛יםhachayimthe lifeחַיdefinite article, adjective, adjective, masculine, plural, absolute — “the life”, the ordinary formH2416alive; hence, raw (flesh); fresh (plant, water, year), strong; also (as noun, especially in the feminine singular and masculine plural) life (or living thing), whether literally or figuratively[phrase] age, alive, appetite, (wild) beast, company, congregation, life(-time), live(-ly), living (creature, thing), maintenance, [phrase] merry, multitude, [phrase] (be) old, quick, raw, running, springing, troop.יוֹדְעִ֖יםyodeimknowיָדַעverb, qal, participle, absolute — “know”, a verb used as a describing wordH3045to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically and inferentially (including observation, care, recognition; and causatively, instruction, designation, punishment, etc.)acknowledge, acquaintance(-ted with), advise, answer, appoint, assuredly, be aware, (un-) awares, can(-not), certainly, comprehend, consider, [idiom] could they, cunning, declare, be diligent, (can, cause to) discern, discover, endued with…שֶׁיָּמֻ֑תוּsheyamutvwho dieמוּתparticle, relative, verb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “who die”, an unfinished actionH4191to die (literally or figuratively); causatively, to kill[idiom] at all, [idiom] crying, (be) dead (body, man, one), (put to, worthy of) death, destroy(-er), (cause to, be like to, must) die, kill, necro(-mancer), [idiom] must needs, slay, [idiom] surely, [idiom] very suddenly, [idiom] in (no) w…וְהַמֵּתִ֞יםvehametimand the dieמוּתconjunction, definite article, verb, qal, participle, absolute — “and the die”, a verb used as a describing wordH4191to die (literally or figuratively); causatively, to kill[idiom] at all, [idiom] crying, (be) dead (body, man, one), (put to, worthy of) death, destroy(-er), (cause to, be like to, must) die, kill, necro(-mancer), [idiom] must needs, slay, [idiom] surely, [idiom] very suddenly, [idiom] in (no) w…אֵינָ֧םeynamelseאַיִןparticle, negative, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “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).יוֹדְעִ֣יםyodeimknowיָדַעverb, qal, participle, absolute — “know”, a verb used as a describing wordH3045to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically and inferentially (including observation, care, recognition; and causatively, instruction, designation, punishment, etc.)acknowledge, acquaintance(-ted with), advise, answer, appoint, assuredly, be aware, (un-) awares, can(-not), certainly, comprehend, consider, [idiom] could they, cunning, declare, be diligent, (can, cause to) discern, discover, endued with…מְא֗וּמָהmeumahfaultמְאוּמָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “fault”, the ordinary formH3972properly, a speck or point, i.e. (by implication) something; with negative, nothingfault, [phrase] no(-ught), ought, somewhat, any (no-)thing.וְאֵֽיןveeynand elseאַיִןconjunction, particle, negative — “and 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).ע֤וֹדodagainעוֹדadverb — “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).לָהֶם֙lahemtoלָהֶם֙preposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “to”toשָׂכָ֔רsakharhireשָׂכָרnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “hire”, the ordinary formH7939payment of contract; concretely, salary, fare, maintenance; by implication, compensation, benefithire, price, reward(-ed), wages, worth.כִּ֥יkiassuredכִּיconjunction — “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…נִשְׁכַּ֖חnishkachforgetשָׁכַחverb, niphal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “forget”, a completed actionH7911to mislay, i.e. to be oblivious of, from want of memory or attention[idiom] at all, (cause to) forget.זִכְרָֽםzikhrammemorialזֵכֶרnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “memorial”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH2143a memento, abstractly recollection (rarely if ever); by implication, commemorationmemorial, memory, remembrance, scent.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

For the living know that they shall die; but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.

Young’s Literal Translation

For the living know that they die, and the dead know not anything, and there is no more to them a reward, for their remembrance hath been forgotten.

World English Bible

For the living know that they will die, but the dead don’t know anything, neither do they have any more a reward; for their memory is forgotten.

Darby Translation

For the living know that they shall die; but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward, for the memory of them is forgotten.

Douay-Rheims

For the living know that they shall die, but the dead know nothing more, neither have they a reward any more: for the memory of them is forgotten.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

For the living know that they shall die; but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

For the living will know that they shall die: but the dead know nothing, and there is no longer any reward to them; for their memory is lost.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Ὅτι οἱ ζῶντες γνώσονται ὅτι ἀποθανοῦνται, καὶ οἱ νεκροὶ οὐκ εἰσὶ γινώσκοντες οὐδέν· καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν αὐτοῖς ἔτι μισθὸς, ὅτι ἐπελήσθη ἡ μνήμη αὐτῶν.