Aramaic Targum to Ecclesiastes

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9.1
Chapter9 line1 For all this I set my heart to investigate all this that the righteous and the wise and their students who serve them on the business of the study of Torah and are given in the hand of god and from him is decreed on all the world all what will be in their days even the mercy they will feel even the hatred they will feel, there is no person who is a prophet in the world who will know what will be in people: All in their mazal[luck or planet] God decrees to be ahead of them.
9.2
2 Everything depends on mazal, from heaven it is decreed what will happen in the future to the entire earth, One to the innocent and the guilty, who fixes his way and makes modest his soul,and one who defiles his soul [makes himself impure] one who sacrifices a holy property and one who does not sacrifice a holy property, like the good like the guilty, like a man whose days are for lying like a man who fears an oath.
9.3
3 This is an evil mazal in all the world that is done under the sun, for one happening is for all, to all the inhabitants of the earth, even if the heart of people is filled with badness about this, and intrigues are in their heart, all the days of their life. and after a man’s end it is saved for him to argue with the dead about the judgement of the guilty.
9.4
4 For who is the man who adheres to all the words of the Torah to purchase the life of the world to come? He has hoper. For a live dog is better than a lion that is dead.
9.5
5 For the righteous know that if they sin, they will be considered as dead in the world to come. Therefore, they guard their ways and do not sin and if they sin, they return in repentance. But the sinners do not know anything good because they do not make their deeds good in their lifetime and they do not know anything good in the world to come and they do not have a good reward after their death for their memory is forgotten from the righteous.
9.6
6 After the death of the wicked they have no needs. Their love, their hatred, and their envy have already perished from the world and they no longer have a good portion with the righteous in the world to come. And they have no pleasure from anything that is done in this world under the sun.
9.7
7 Solomon said by the spirit of prophecy from before the Lord, “The Master of the World will say to all the righteous ones individually, Go eat in joy your bread which was given to you for the bread which you gave to the poor and the needy who were hungry, and drink with a happy heart your wine which is hidden for you in the Garden of Eden in exchange for the wine which you mixed for the poor and needy who were thirsty. For God has already accepted your good deeds.
9.8
8 At all times let your garments be white without all stain of sin and acquire a good name which is compared to anointing oil so that blessing may come upon your head and your goodness will not be lacking.
9.9
9 See a good life with a wife whom you love all the days of your vain life which the Lord gave you by your mazal in this world under the sun. For it is your portion in your life and in your labor wherein you labor in this world under the sun.
9.10
10. Whatever charity your hand finds to do, do for the needy with all your strength, for after death a man has neither work nor reckoning nor knowledge nor wisdom in the grave where you are going and nothing will help you but good deeds and charity alone.
9.11
11. King Solomon said, “While I was sitting on my royal throne, I observed and saw in this world under the sun that not men who are swift as the eagle are helped to run to escape death in battle and heroes are not helped by their might when they instigate a war and also sages are not helped by their wisdom to be sated with bread in a time of famine and the intelligent are not helped by their intelligence to be sated with bread in a time of famine and even those who are wise are not assisted by their wisdom to gather the grain place and the discerning are not helped by their knowledge to find mercy in the eyes of the king. For time and chance happen to all of them according to their mazal.
9.12
12. For even it is not made known to a man his time, whether good or bad what will be in the world and come upon him. Like fish of the sea which are captured in a net and like birds of heaven which are captured in a snare, like them people are snared in an evil time which falls on them in one moment from the sky.
9.13
13. Also this I saw, that she is wisdom in this world under the sun and it is much to me.
9.14
14. The body of a man is compared to a little city and heroes, a few soldiers are in its midst and are slight in its merit in the heart of man helpful to the body [against] the evil inclination which may be compared to a great and powerful king enters the body to conquer and it surrounds the heart in order to make it err and it builds against it a dwelling place because it wishes to cause him to depart from the way which is straight before the Lord to capture him in the great snares of Gehenna in order to burn him seven times for his sins.
9.15
15. And there was found in the body the good inclination humble and wise and it prevailed over it and conquered it by its wisdom and it saved the body from the judgment of Gehenna by its power and its wisdom just as the soldier does battle and saves the inhabitants of the city by the wisdom of his heart and no man remembered afterward the good inclination which saved him but says to himself “I am innocent just as the inhabitants of the city do not remember that poor man who saved them.
9.16
16. And I said ,the good words of the righteous are better than the force of the heroism of the sinner, for the wisdom of the righteous and his merit saves him and the people of his generation. But the strength of the wicked who persists in the stubbornness of his heart without returning in repentance destroys only him. And the wisdom of the righteous poor is despised in the eyes of the wicked of his generation and when he reproves them for their evil deeds the words of reprove are not accepted.
9.17
17. The word of the silent prayer of the sages are accepted by the Master of World more than the acceptance of the wicked man who rules over fools who entreats but is not accepted.
9.18
18. The wisdom of the wise in the time of trouble is better than weapons when war breaks out one sinner in a generation causes much good to be destroyed from the world.
10.1
Chapter 10 targum 1. And the yetzer hara (evil inclination ) which dwells at the gates of the heart is like a fly and causes death in the world because it betrays the wise when he sins and wounds the good name which had resembled anointing oil scented by perfumes, and how much more beautiful and precious than the wisdom of the wise and the wealth of the wealthy is a man whose folly is little and light.
10.2
2. The heart of the wise is to attain the Torah which is given by the right hand of 'ה and the heart of the fools is to get possession of gold and silver. ...
10.3
3. And even walking in a bad path in the time his heart is foolish, lacking in wisdom, and he does things not kosher to do, and all say that he is a fool. ...
10.4
4. If the spirit of the yetzer hara (evil inclination) rules over you and grows strong to overcome you, do not leave your good place where you used to stay, for the words of the Torah were created as a cure in the world so that great sins may be forgiven and forgotten by
10.5
ה. 5. There is an evil I saw in this world under the sun and it causes damage in the world like a matter of error which proceeds hurriedly against a man from a ruler. 6. He gave the wicked and foolish Edom to enjoy mazal (good fortune) and to enjoy prosperity from the highest heavens and his armies are proud and numerous while the people of the house of Israel are enslaved under him in exile, and from their many sins, those rich in property become poor andin their poverty dwell among the nations. ...
10.7
7. Solomon the prophet said by the spirit of prophecy, “I have seen the people who were enslaved previously to the people of Israel, growing strong and riding on horses like rulers while the people of Israel and their nobles walk like slaves on the earth.” ...
10.8
8. The Attribute of Justice answered and so said: “They caused all this themselves just as a man who digs a pit at the crossroads is liable to fall [in it] so a people who transgressed the decree of the Memra of 'ה and breached the fence of the world falls into the hand of the wicked king who bites them like a snake. ...
10.9
9. King Solomon the prophet said, “It was revealed to me that Manasseh the son of Hezekiah will sin and bow to idols of stone, therefore he will be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria who will bind him with chains because he made light of the words of Torah which were originally written on tablets of stone, therefore, he will suffer for them, And Rabshakeh his brother will worship images of wood and leave the words of the Torah which were put in the ark of acacia wood, therefore he will be burned with fire by the angel of 'ה.” ...
10.10
10. And when the people of Israel sin, and the heavens will become hard as iron and not give rain and that generation does not pray before 'ה so that the rain does not fall therefore, the whole world is wasted by famine, and when they repent and are assembled overcome their Yetzer and appoint leaders to seek mercy from the God of Heaven, they have pleasure due to the abundance of the excellence of their wisdom. ...
10.11
11. When seraphim [snakes] are stirred up to bite and to cause harm in the world, it is on account of the sins of Israel who do not engage in the words of Torah quietly, and also there is no advantage for a slanderer who speaks with a third tongue for he will be burned in the fire of Gehenum. ...
10.12
12. The words of the mouth of a wise person who is found in the generation, when punishment comes upon the world he prays and drives out the punishment and finds mercy before 'ה, the lips of a foolish man are full of anger and therefore all the world is destroyed. ...
10.13
13. The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness and the end of his utterance is fear and evil.
10.14
14. And the fool multiples empty words which no one needs until a man does not know what will in his days and what will be at his end who can tell him? ...
10.15
15. The labor of a fool who labors in his foolishness wearies him so that he does not learn how to go the city in which the that wise live in it to seek from him instruction. ...
10.16
16. Woe to you O Land of Israel when the wicked Jeroboam rules over you and abolishes for you the morning sacrifice and your nobles, before they offer the morning sacrifice eat bread. ...
10.17
17. Happy are you O Land of Israel when rules over you Hezekiah the son Ahaz who is a descendent of the House of David king of Israel , for he is a man strong in Torah who fulfills the commandments of the law and your nobles after offering the daily sacrifice eat bread at the time of the fourth hour from the labor of their hands, by the strength of Torah and not by sloth nor by blindness of the eye. ...
10.18
18. A man is commanded to distance from uncleanness of blood [menstrual blood] and (does not) with laxity engage with Torah and commands this man is in danger of not having children, and in carrying out her duty of watching [her menstrual times] she does not observe them she is (always) in a menstrual state in her house. ...
10.19
19. In joy the righteous make bread to feed the hungry poor and the wine which they mix for the thirsty it will be joy for them in the world to come, and their redemption money will testify in favor of them in the world to come in the presence of all.
10.20
20. Do not curse the king even in your thought in the secret places of your heart. and do not curse the sage in your bedroom, for the angel Raziel proclaims everyday from heaven upon Mt. Horeb and a voice goes through the whole world, and Elijah the High Priest flying through the air of הי heaven like an eagle with wings and declares matters that are done in secret to all the dwellers of the earth.
11.1
CHAPTER 1. Give your sustaining bread to the poor who go in ships on the face of the water, for after many days there you will find a reward [alternative reading בעלמא הדין in this world] and in the world to come.
11.2
2. Put a good part of your seeds into your field in Tishri and do not refrain from sowing also in Kislev [alternative reading Marcheshvan], for you do not know what evil will be on the earth, whether the earlier or the later crops will succeed.
11.3
3. If the clouds will fill with rain, they pour out their water on the earth, because of the merit of the righteous, and if there is no merit in that generation, they descend upon the sea or the desert so that the people will not have benefit from them. And if it is decreed from Heaven that the king and his advisers are to fall from their rule, it is from the Memra of Heaven. And if there is plenty or famine in the south or in the north, the place where that decree exists, there it is sent to be.
11.4
4. A man who cares for sorcery and divination will never do good, and one who looks at the Mazalim [the horoscopes] does not collect a reward. For sorcery and divination are like the wind, which cannot be grasped by human hands, and the Mazalim are like the clouds of heaven which leave and do not return.
11.5
5. Just as you do not know how the breath of the spirit of life enters the body [of an embryo] which is lying in its pregnant mother’s womb, and as you do not know if it will be male or female until the time it is born, so you do not know the work of הי who does everything in His wisdom.
11.6
6. In the days of your youth, marry a wife and get children, and in the time of your old age, do not leave the wife of your portion from stopping birth of children, for you do not know which of them is chosen to be good, the one or the other or if both of them will be equally good.
11.7
7. And sweet is the light of the Torah, and it is good to light up dim eyes that they may see the glory of the face of the Shecina, which will light up the face of the righteous from the splendor of His Shecina so that their beauty may be like the sun.
11.8
8. For if a man lives many days in all of them he should rejoice and occupy himself with the Torah of 'ה. And let him remember the dark days of death and not sin. For many are the days which the deceased lies in the grave and it is appropriate for him to get judgment from Heaven for his life which he loved. All the time punishment will come on him for vanities he has done.
11.9
9. Rejoice, Youth, in the days of your youth, and let your heart be glad in the days of your boyhood, and walk humbly in the ways of your heart, and be careful in what you see not to see evil and know that for all these things 'ה will bring you to judgment.
11.10
10. And remove anger from your heart that you should not cause evil to your flesh for youth and the days of blackness of hair are transient. (A different version: Remove anger from your heart for anger kills people and also, it brings down many to Gehenna, but as for you, it is appropriate to save yourself from the judgment of Gehenna and know that all of this world is considered tansient and nothing remains to a man from all his works except the good deeds which shield him and also benefit him in the world to come.)
12.1
1. Remember your Creator to hold Him dear in the days of your boyhood until there will not come to you evil days and you will reach years that you will say, I have no desire for them.
12.2
2. Before that will not change the brightness of your face, which is like the sun, and before the light of your eyes becomes blind, and until the beauty of your cheeks should become dark, and before the pupils of your eyes, which compare to the stars, become dim, and your eyelids run with tears like clouds after rain.
12.3
3. On the day your knees will tremble and your arms will knock and the teeth of your mouth will be useless so they are unable to chew food and your eyes which look from the opening of your head will dim.
12.4
4. Your foot will be bound from going out in the market, and your appetite for food will leave yo, and you will wake from your sleep by the light sound of a bird as if by the voice of thieves that go around at night, and your lips will tremble so they cannot utter songs. ...
12.5
5. Also, you will be afraid to remember things which happened before, and a small pile will appear to you like a high mountain when you walk the path, and the top of your spinal column will protrude because of weakness like the almond tree and your ankles will be swollen and you will refrain from sex, for man turns to go to the grave, and the angels who demand your judgment go about like scribes [Alternative is mourners] in the markets to write the judgment of your account.
12.6
6. Before your tongue becomes dumb and cannot speak, and your skull will be cracked, and your gall will be broken on your liver, and your body will run to your grave.
12.7
7. And your flesh that was created from dust will return to the earth like it was previously and the spirit of your soul will return to arise in judgment before 'ה who gave it to you.
12.8
8. When Solomon, king of Israel, looked at the transience of this world and the trivia [הבלים] which people do, Kohelet said with his words, "All is transience."
12.9
9. And more than all people, Solomon, who was called Kohelet, was wise and also he taught the people of Israel knowledge, and he listened to the voice of the wise and explored the books of wisdom,and by the spirit of prophecy from 'ה , he prepared wisdom books and independently very many clever proverbs.
12.10
10. King Solomon, who was called Kohelet, tried in his wisdom to judge people according to the thoughts of their hearts (minds) without witnesses. Therefore, it was told to him by the spirit of prophecy from 'ה, this is already written in the Torah by Moses the teacher of Israel-- proper are the words and true: "By the word of witnesses shall the matter be established."
12.11
11. The words of the sages are compared to goads and nails, which are fastened to teach wisdom to those without knowledge, just as a goad teaches the ox, and the rabbis of the Sanhedrin are masters of halacha, and midrash, which was given by Moses the Prophet, who alone fed the people of Israel in the desert with manna and delicacies.
12.12
12. And more than these, my son, be careful to make books of wisdom without end, but occupy yourself much with words of Torah and become wise with weariness of flesh.
12.13
13. Every word which is done in the world in secret will ultimately be publicized and announced to all of mankind. Therefore, fear the word of 'ה and keep His commandment in order not to sin in secret, and if you do sin,be careful to repent, for this should be the path of all men.
12.14
14. For every deed 'ה will bring to the great day of judgment and will make public all the hidden words of people whether good or evil.

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