Obey the King

1 מִ֚י (Who is) כְּהֶ֣חָכָ֔ם (like the wise one), וּמִ֥י (and who) יוֹדֵ֖עַ (knows) פֵּ֣שֶׁר (the interpretation) דָּבָ֑ר (of a thing)? חָכְמַ֤ת (The wisdom) אָדָם֙ (of a man) תָּאִ֣יר (makes shine) פָּנָ֔יו (his face), וְעֹ֥ז (and the hardness) פָּנָ֖יו (of his face) יְשֻׁנֶּֽא׃ (is changed).

2 אֲנִי֙ (I say), פִּי־ (the mouth) מֶ֣לֶךְ (of a king) שְׁמ֔וֹר (you must keep) וְעַ֕ל (even for) דִּבְרַ֖ת (the sake) שְׁבוּעַ֥ת (of the oath) אֱלֹהִֽים׃ (of God). 3 אַל־ (Not) תִּבָּהֵ֤ל (hurry) מִפָּנָיו֙ (and from his face), תֵּלֵ֔ךְ (depart), אַֽל־ (not) תַּעֲמֹ֖ד (do stand) בְּדָבָ֣ר (in a matter) רָ֑ע (evil), כִּ֛י (for) כָּל־ (all) אֲשֶׁ֥ר (that) יַחְפֹּ֖ץ (he delights in), יַעֲשֶֽׂה׃ (he will do). 4 בַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר (Where) דְּבַר־ (the word) מֶ֖לֶךְ (of a king is), שִׁלְט֑וֹן (power is), וּמִ֥י (and who) יֹֽאמַר־ (can say) ל֖וֹ (to him), מַֽה־ (What) תַּעֲשֶֽׂה׃ (are you doing).

5 שׁוֹמֵ֣ר (The one guarding) מִצְוָ֔ה (a command) לֹ֥א (not) יֵדַ֖ע (will not know) דָּבָ֣ר (a thing) רָ֑ע (evil), וְעֵ֣ת (and a time) וּמִשְׁפָּ֔ט (and a judgment) יֵדַ֖ע (knows) לֵ֥ב (the heart) חָכָֽם׃ (of a wise one). 6 כִּ֣י (For) לְכָל־ (to every) חֵ֔פֶץ (delight) יֵ֖שׁ (there is) עֵ֣ת (a time) וּמִשְׁפָּ֑ט (and a judgment), כִּֽי־ (though) רָעַ֥ת (the misery) הָאָדָ֖ם (of man) רַבָּ֥ה (is great) עָלָֽיו׃ (upon him). 7 כִּֽי־ (For) אֵינֶ֥נּוּ (not) יֹדֵ֖עַ (is he knowing) מַה־ (what) שֶּׁיִּֽהְיֶ֑ה (will happen), כִּ֚י (for) כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר (when) יִֽהְיֶ֔ה (it will be), מִ֖י (who) יַגִּ֥יד (can declare it) לֽוֹ׃ (to him)?

8 אֵ֣ין (There is no) אָדָ֞ם (man) שַׁלִּ֤יט (is masterful) בָּר֙וּחַ֙ (over the wind) לִכְל֣וֹא (to restrain) אֶת־ (-) הָר֔וּחַ (the wind), וְאֵ֤ין (and no one) שִׁלְטוֹן֙ (has mastery) בְּי֣וֹם (over the day) הַמָּ֔וֶת (of his death). וְאֵ֥ין (And there is no) מִשְׁלַ֖חַת (discharge) בַּמִּלְחָמָ֑ה (in the battle), וְלֹֽא־ (not) יְמַלֵּ֥ט (will deliver) רֶ֖שַׁע (and wickedness) אֶת־ (-) בְּעָלָֽיו׃ (its possessors). 9 אֶת־ (-) כָּל־ (all) זֶ֤ה (this) רָאִ֙יתִי֙ (I have seen) וְנָת֣וֹן (so as to give) אֶת־ (-) לִבִּ֔י (my heart) לְכָֽל־ (to every) מַעֲשֶׂ֔ה (work) אֲשֶׁ֥ר (that) נַעֲשָׂ֖ה (is done) תַּ֣חַת (under) הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ (the sun); עֵ֗ת (a time) אֲשֶׁ֨ר (that) שָׁלַ֧ט (has ruled) הָאָדָ֛ם (man) בְּאָדָ֖ם (over man) לְרַ֥ע (for evil) לֽוֹ׃ (unto himself).

Fear God
(Isaiah 8:11–15)

10 וּבְכֵ֡ן (And in this) רָאִיתִי֩ (I have seen) רְשָׁעִ֨ים (the wicked ones) קְבֻרִ֜ים (being buried), וָבָ֗אוּ (and they went in) וּמִמְּק֤וֹם (and from the place) קָדוֹשׁ֙ (of holiness); יְהַלֵּ֔כוּ (they walked) וְיִֽשְׁתַּכְּח֥וּ (and they were forgotten) בָעִ֖יר (in the city) אֲשֶׁ֣ר (where) כֵּן־ (thus) עָשׂ֑וּ (they had done); גַּם־ (also) זֶ֖ה (this) הָֽבֶל׃ (is vapor). 11 אֲשֶׁר֙ (Because) אֵין־ (not) נַעֲשָׂ֣ה (is made) פִתְגָ֔ם (the edict against) מַעֲשֵׂ֥ה (on a work) הָרָעָ֖ה (evil) מְהֵרָ֑ה (swiftly), עַל־ (upon) כֵּ֡ן (thus) מָלֵ֞א (is fully set) לֵ֧ב (the heart) בְּֽנֵי־ (of the sons) הָאָדָ֛ם (of man) בָּהֶ֖ם (in them) לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת (to do) רָֽע׃ (evil).

12 אֲשֶׁ֣ר (Though) חֹטֶ֗א (a sinner) עֹשֶׂ֥ה (does) רָ֛ע (evil) מְאַ֖ת (a hundred times) וּמַאֲרִ֣יךְ (and it is prolonged) ל֑וֹ (to him), כִּ֚י (still) גַּם־ (surely) יוֹדֵ֣עַ (know) אָ֔נִי (I) אֲשֶׁ֤ר (that) יִהְיֶה־ (there is) טּוֹב֙ (good) לְיִרְאֵ֣י (for those fearing) הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים (God), אֲשֶׁ֥ר (who) יִֽירְא֖וּ (fear) מִלְּפָנָֽיו׃ (from before His face). 13 וְטוֹב֙ (And good) לֹֽא־ (not) יִהְיֶ֣ה (it will be) לָֽרָשָׁ֔ע (for the wicked), וְלֹֽא־ (and not) יַאֲרִ֥יךְ (will he prolong) יָמִ֖ים (the days), כַּצֵּ֑ל (like a shadow); אֲשֶׁ֛ר (because) אֵינֶ֥נּוּ (not) יָרֵ֖א (he is fearing) מִלִּפְנֵ֥י (before the face) אֱלֹהִֽים׃ (of God).

God’s Ways Are Mysterious

14 יֶשׁ־ (There is) הֶבֶל֮ (a vapor) אֲשֶׁ֣ר (that) נַעֲשָׂ֣ה (occurs) עַל־ (on) הָאָרֶץ֒ (the earth), אֲשֶׁ֣ר׀ (that) יֵ֣שׁ (there are) צַדִּיקִ֗ים (righteous ones) אֲשֶׁ֨ר (to whom) מַגִּ֤יעַ (it touches) אֲלֵהֶם֙ (them) כְּמַעֲשֵׂ֣ה (according to the work) הָרְשָׁעִ֔ים (of the wicked), וְיֵ֣שׁ (and there are) רְשָׁעִ֔ים (wicked) שֶׁמַּגִּ֥יעַ (for whom it touches) אֲלֵהֶ֖ם (them) כְּמַעֲשֵׂ֣ה (according to the work) הַצַּדִּיקִ֑ים (of the righteous). אָמַ֕רְתִּי (I have said) שֶׁגַּם־ (that also) זֶ֖ה (this) הָֽבֶל׃ (is vapor).

15 וְשִׁבַּ֤חְתִּֽי (And praise) אֲנִי֙ (I) אֶת־ (-) הַשִּׂמְחָ֔ה (the enjoyment), אֲשֶׁ֨ר (because) אֵֽין־ (nothing is) ט֤וֹב (good) לָֽאָדָם֙ (for a man) תַּ֣חַת (under) הַשֶּׁ֔מֶשׁ (the sun), כִּ֛י (except) אִם־ (than) לֶאֱכ֥וֹל (to eat) וְלִשְׁתּ֖וֹת (and to drink) וְלִשְׂמ֑וֹחַ (and to be joyful), וְה֞וּא (and for this) יִלְוֶ֣נּוּ (will accompany him) בַעֲמָל֗וֹ (in his toil) יְמֵ֥י (during the days) חַיָּ֛יו (of his life) אֲשֶׁר־ (that) נָֽתַן־ (has given) ל֥וֹ (to him) הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים (God) תַּ֥חַת (under) הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ (the sun).

16 כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר (When) נָתַ֤תִּי (I gave) אֶת־ (-) לִבִּי֙ (my heart) לָדַ֣עַת (to know) חָכְמָ֔ה (wisdom) וְלִרְאוֹת֙ (and to see) אֶת־ (-) הָ֣עִנְיָ֔ן (the task) אֲשֶׁ֥ר (that) נַעֲשָׂ֖ה (is done) עַל־ (on) הָאָ֑רֶץ (earth)— כִּ֣י (for) גַ֤ם (even) בַּיּוֹם֙ (in the day) וּבַלַּ֔יְלָה (and in the night) שֵׁנָ֕ה (sleep) בְּעֵינָ֖יו (with his eyes) אֵינֶ֥נּוּ (not) רֹאֶֽה׃ (is he seeing)— 17 וְרָאִיתִי֮ (and I saw) אֶת־ (-) כָּל־ (all) מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה (the work) הָאֱלֹהִים֒ (of God), כִּי֩ (that) לֹ֨א (not) יוּכַ֜ל (is able) הָאָדָ֗ם (man) לִמְצוֹא֙ (to find out) אֶת־ (-) הַֽמַּעֲשֶׂה֙ (the work) אֲשֶׁ֣ר (that) נַעֲשָׂ֣ה (is done) תַֽחַת־ (under) הַשֶּׁ֔מֶשׁ (the sun). בְּ֠שֶׁל (In that) אֲשֶׁ֨ר (to which) יַעֲמֹ֧ל (might toil) הָאָדָ֛ם (man) לְבַקֵּ֖שׁ (to seek it), וְלֹ֣א (and not) יִמְצָ֑א (he will find it); וְגַ֨ם (and even) אִם־ (though) יֹאמַ֤ר (claims) הֶֽחָכָם֙ (the wise one) לָדַ֔עַת (to know it), לֹ֥א (not) יוּכַ֖ל (is he able) לִמְצֹֽא׃ (to find it).