And who knows whether that man will be wise or foolish? Yet he will take over all the labor at which I have worked skillfully under the sun. This too is futile.Ecclesiastes 2:19
Original language and places
Reference data from open datasets, shown as published by their sources. Word-by-word English is a literal guide, not a translation.
Original language (Hebrew)
וּמִ֣י יוֹדֵ֗עַ הֶֽחָכָ֤ם יִהְיֶה֙ א֣וֹ סָכָ֔ל וְיִשְׁלַט֙ בְּכָל־עֲמָלִ֔י שֶֽׁעָמַ֥לְתִּי וְשֶׁחָכַ֖מְתִּי תַּ֣חַת הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ גַּם־זֶ֖ה הָֽבֶל׃
- וּמִ֣יu.Mi“and who?”Conjunction + Pronoun, interrogative · from מִי · “who?” · Strong's H4310
- יוֹדֵ֗עַyo.De.a'“[is] knowing”Verb, qal, participle (active), masculine, singular, absolute · from יָדַע · “to know” · Strong's H3045
- הֶֽחָכָ֤םhe.cha.Kham“¿ a wise [person]”Particle, interrogative + Adjective, masculine, singular, absolute · from חָכָם · “wise” · Strong's H2450
- יִהְיֶה֙yih.Yeh“will he be”Verb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular · from הָיָה · “to be” · Strong's H1961
- א֣וֹ'o“or?”Conjunction · from אוֹ · “or” · Strong's H0176A
- סָכָ֔לsa.Khal“a fool”Adjective, masculine, singular, absolute · from סָכָל · “fool” · Strong's H5530
- וְיִשְׁלַט֙ve.yish.Lat“so he may have power”Conjunction + Verb, qal, 3rd person, masculine, singular · from שָׁלַט · “to domineer” · Strong's H7980
- בְּכָל־be.khol“over all”Preposition + Noun, masculine, singular, construct · from כֹּל · “all” · Strong's H3605
- עֲמָלִ֔י'a.ma.Li“toil my”Noun, both genders, singular, construct + Suffix, pronominal, 1st person, both genders, singular · from עָמָל · “trouble” · Strong's H5999
- שֶֽׁעָמַ֥לְתִּיshe.'a.Mal.ti“that I have toiled”Particle, relative + Verb, qal, perfect, 1st person, common, singular · from עָמַל · “to toil” · Strong's H5998
- וְשֶׁחָכַ֖מְתִּיve.she.cha.Kham.ti“and that I worked skillfully”Conjunction + Particle, relative + Verb, qal, perfect, 1st person, common, singular · from חָכַם · “be wise” · Strong's H2449
- תַּ֣חַתTa.chat“under”Noun, masculine, singular, construct · from תַּחַת · “under” · Strong's H8478G
- הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁha.Sha.mesh“the sun”Definite article + Noun, both genders, singular, absolute · from שֶׁ֫מֶשׁ · “sun” · Strong's H8121
- גַּם־gam-“also”Adverb · from גַּם · “also” · Strong's H1571
- זֶ֖הzeh“this”Particle, demonstrative · from זֶה · “this” · Strong's H2088
- הָֽבֶל׃Ha.vel“[is] futility”Noun, masculine, singular, absolute · from הֶ֫בֶל · “vanity” · Strong's H1892
- Hebrew and Aramaic words: STEP Bible (STEPBible.org), based on work at Tyndale House, Cambridge. CC BY 4.0. Source (version ed476a8)