{"slug":"LIT1320Eccles","id":"ethiopic:betmas:LIT1320Eccles","title":"Ecclesiastes","author":"Anonymous","genre":"other","date":"","tradition":"ethiopic","coverage":"not-located","coverage_claim":{"status":"not-located","text":"No English translation could be identified: a language model asked twice could not name one, though it could not rule one out either. That is not proof that none exists — translations in dissertations, recent books and other modern languages are easily missed."},"publication":{"status":"machine-draft","reviewed_by":null,"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","generated":"2026-11-15T04:52:56Z","cost_usd":0.031897},"source":{"registry_id":"ethiopic:betmas:LIT1320Eccles","work_id":"LIT1320Eccles","edition":"betmas","language":"","license":"CC BY-SA 4.0 (per file); site footer states NC-SA - treat as NC","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"},"stats":{"passages":58,"english_words":11996,"coptic_letters":0,"commentary_units":336,"commentary_kinds":8,"derived_notes":0,"ambiguities":106,"work_notes":4,"external_links":3,"timeline":4},"summary":{"work":"LIT1320Eccles","abstract":"The Geʿez translation of Ecclesiastes, preserved in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo biblical tradition, is a Wisdom book attributed to Solomon. Its translation likely occurred during the Aksumite period (5th–7th centuries), though no precise manuscript evidence survives. The text follows the Hebrew and Greek versions but includes unique narrative frames and expansions, such as the opening 'One who reads and says.' It is grouped with other Wisdom books in the Ethiopic canon and transmitted alongside the broader Old Testament. The source edition (betmas:LIT1320Eccles) lacks a critical apparatus, limiting textual-critical analysis.","historical_context":"The Geʿez translation of Ecclesiastes was likely produced during the Aksumite period (5th–7th centuries), when the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church translated biblical books from Greek (Septuagint) and possibly Syriac sources. The work was transmitted in monastic and liturgical contexts, often grouped with Wisdom literature. Its exact date and place of translation are uncertain due to the lack of early manuscripts. The Ethiopic canon includes Ecclesiastes, though its liturgical use varies. The translation reflects the Aksumite scholarly tradition, which adapted biblical texts to Geʿez, the liturgical language. The text's survival in later manuscripts (e.g., 14th–15th centuries) indicates continuous copying, but the original translation's community remains obscure. The work's attribution to Solomon aligns with broader Christian and Jewish traditions.","significance":"The Geʿez Ecclesiastes is significant for studying the Aksumite translation movement and the reception of Wisdom literature in Ethiopian Christianity. Its unique expansions and narrative frames offer insights into local exegetical traditions. It relates to the broader Ethiopic biblical corpus and the Septuagint-based Old Testament, highlighting textual transmission in the Horn of Africa.","timeline":[{"date":"5th–7th c.","event":"Probable translation of Ecclesiastes into Geʿez during the Aksumite period."},{"date":"14th–15th c.","event":"Earliest extant Geʿez manuscripts of Ecclesiastes (approximate)."},{"date":"20th c.","event":"Modern editions of the Ethiopic Bible include Ecclesiastes."},{"date":"21st c.","event":"Digital edition betmas:LIT1320Eccles produced."}],"relations":[{"work":"Septuagint Ecclesiastes","relation":"likely source for the Geʿez translation","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Ethiopic Wisdom of Solomon","relation":"co-transmitted in the same manuscript tradition","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Hebrew Masoretic Ecclesiastes","relation":"distant textual relative via Greek","key":"","label":null,"url":null}],"external_links":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"Source edition of Geʿez Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles","reason":"Primary text for this annotation."},{"key":"wikipedia:Ecclesiastes","label":"Wikipedia article on Ecclesiastes","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecclesiastes","reason":"General background on the biblical book."},{"key":"wikipedia:Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church","label":"Wikipedia article on the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopian_Orthodox_Tewahedo_Church","reason":"Context for the work's community."}],"cautions":["The exact date of the Geʿez translation is unknown; the 5th–7th century range is a scholarly estimate.","No early manuscripts survive; the earliest evidence is from the 14th–15th centuries.","The source edition lacks a critical apparatus; variant readings from other Geʿez manuscripts are not included."],"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","cost_usd":0.00038,"generated":"2026-11-15T01:46:19Z"},"checks":{"work":"LIT1320Eccles","status":"pass","blocking":[],"warnings":[],"stats":{"passages":58,"translated":58,"commentary_passages":58,"commentary_units":336,"english_words":11996,"source_letters":27458,"commentary_kinds":8},"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor"},"work_notes":[{"unit":"transmission","kind":"transmission","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez text of Ecclesiastes is preserved in the broader Ethiopic biblical tradition, transmitted alongside other Wisdom books. The source edition (betmas:LIT1320Eccles) provides the base for this annotation.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"In the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, Ecclesiastes is part of the broader canon of the Old Testament, though its exact placement and liturgical use vary. It is often grouped with the Wisdom books.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The dating of the Geʿez translation of Ecclesiastes is uncertain, likely part of the Aksumite period translation activity (5th–7th centuries). No precise manuscript evidence for the original translation date is available.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"This edition (betmas:LIT1320Eccles) does not include a critical apparatus or variant readings from other Geʿez manuscripts. Users should consult additional sources for textual criticism.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"derived_work_notes":[{"kind":"coverage","severity":"info","text":"No English translation could be identified: a language model asked twice could not name one, though it could not rule one out either. That is not proof that none exists — translations in dissertations, recent books and other modern languages are easily missed."},{"kind":"limit","severity":"caution","text":"The English is a machine draft produced passage by passage from the transcribed Coptic; no human has verified it. The commentary is model-written and cites only keys the pipeline could resolve."},{"kind":"register","severity":"info","text":"Register: other in Geʿez; the English keeps the liturgical formulae and the vocatives rather than normalising them."},{"kind":"structure","severity":"info","text":"Passages: 58 narrative."},{"kind":"source","severity":"info","text":"Source edition: betmas — CC BY-SA 4.0 (per file); site footer states NC-SA - treat as NC"}],"derived_structure":{"narrative":58},"term_index":[],"citations":{"betmas:LIT1320Eccles":{"label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"},"ed:LIT1320Eccles":{"label":"source edition: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}},"segments":[{"i":1,"ref":"p1","source":"Text of the EOTC printed Bible\n\nChapter 1\n\nቃለ፡ ሰሎሞን፡ መክብብ፡ ወልደ፡ ዳዊት፡ ንጉሠ፡ እስራኤል፡ በኢየሩሳሌም።\n\nከንቱ፡ ከንቱ፡ ይቤ፡ መክብብ፡ ኵሉ፡ ከንቱ።\n\nምንት፡ ፍድፋዴሁ፡ ለሰብእ፡ በኵሉ፡ ፃማሁ፡ ዘይፃሙ፡ እምታሕተ፡ ፀሐይ።\n\nትውልድ፡ የኃልፍ፡ ትውልድ፡ ይመጽእ፡ ወምድርሰ፡ ለዓለም፡ ትቀውም።\n\nይሠርቅ፡ ፀሐይ፡ ወየዐርብ፡ ፀሐይ፡ ወውስተ፡ መካኑ፡ ይገብእ፡ እንዘ፡ ይሠርቅ፡ ውእቱ፡ ህየ፡ ይገብእ፡ በይምን፡ ወየዐውድ፡ መንገለ፡ ሰሜን።\n\nዓውደ፡ የዓውድ፡ ወየሐውር፡ መንፈስ፡ ወበዑደቱ፡ ይገብእ፡ መንፈስ።\n\nወኵሎሙ፡ ውሒዛት፡ የሐውሩ፡ ውስተ፡ ባሕር፡ ወባሕርኒ፡ ኢኮነት፡ እንተ፡ ትመልእ፡ ውስተ፡ መካና።\n\nወእደ፡ የሐውሩ፡ አፍላግ፡ ህየ፡ ካዕበ፡ ይትመየጡ፡ ለሐዊር።\n\nኵሉ፡ ቃል፡ ዘበሕማም፡ ኢይክል፡ ብእሲ፡ ለተናግሮ፡ ወኢይጸግብ፡ ዓይን፡ በርእይ፡ ወኢይመልእ፡ ዕዝን፡ በአጽምኦ።\n\nወምንት፡ ውእቱ፡ ገብረ፡ እምዘተገብረ፡ ወምንት፡ ውእቱ፡ ዘኮነ፡ እምዘኮነ፡ ወአልቦ፡ ምንትኒ፡ ዘተገብረ፡ በመትሕተ፡ ፀሐይ።","english":"The Word of Solomon the Preacher, Son of David, King of Israel in Jerusalem.\n\nVanity of vanities, says the Preacher; all is vanity.\n\nWhat is the profit of man in all his labor which he labors from beneath the sun?\n\nA generation passes, a generation comes, and the earth endures forever.\n\nThe sun rises and the sun sets, and it enters its place; as it rises, so it enters in the south and turns to the north.\n\nThe wind goes around and goes, and by its circuit the wind enters.\n\nAnd all the rivers go into the sea, and the sea is not filled, which fills into its place.\n\nAnd the rivers go there; again they are mixed to go.\n\nAll speech of the flesh: man cannot speak it, and the eye is not satisfied with seeing, and the ear is not filled with hearing.\n\nAnd what is the deed from what was done, and what is that which was from what was, and there is nothing which was done under the sun?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"ቃለ፡ ሰሎሞን፡ መክብብ፡ ወልደ፡ ዳዊት፡ ንጉሠ፡ እስራኤል፡ በኢየሩሳሌም።","severity":"info","text":"The opening formula 'The Word of Solomon the Preacher' establishes the work as a wisdom text attributed to Solomon, a common framing in the Geʿez tradition.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"መክብብ","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term 'መክብብ' (mäkəbəb) translates the Hebrew 'Qoheleth' (the Preacher or Assembler), reflecting the work's traditional ascription to Solomon as a teacher.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"ከንቱ፡ ከንቱ፡","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'Vanity of vanities' echoes the Hebrew 'hevel havalim' and introduces the theme of transience, a central motif in Ecclesiastes.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ወምድርሰ፡ ለዓለም፡ ትቀውም።","severity":"info","text":"The assertion that 'the earth endures forever' contrasts with the fleeting nature of human generations, reflecting a common ancient Near Eastern wisdom trope.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"ወኵሎሙ፡ ውሒዛት፡ የሐውሩ፡ ውስተ፡ ባሕር፡ ወባሕርኒ፡ ኢኮነት፡","severity":"info","text":"The image of rivers flowing into an unfilled sea parallels Ecclesiastes 1:7, illustrating the inexhaustible cycle of nature.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ወኢይጸግብ፡ ዓይን፡ በርእይ፡ ወኢይመልእ፡ ዕዝን፡ በአጽምኦ።","severity":"caution","text":"The statement that 'the eye is not satisfied with seeing, and the ear is not filled with hearing' may be a paraphrase of Ecclesiastes 1:8, but the Geʿez text here is slightly expanded, possibly reflecting a local interpretive tradition.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Geʿez text's phrase 'ወኢይክል፡ ብእሲ፡ ለተናግሮ፡' ('man cannot speak it') is ambiguous: it may refer to the inability to fully articulate the nature of vanity or to the limits of human speech in general."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":2,"ref":"p2","source":"ዘይነብብ፡ ወይብል፡ ናሁ፡ ዝ፡ ሐዲስ፡ ውእቱ፡ ወናሁ፡ ተገብረ፡ ዓለም፡ እምዓለም፡ ዘኮነ፡ እምቅድሜነ።\n\nአልቦሙ፡ ዝክር፡ ለቀደምት፡ ምስለ፡ ደኃርት፡ ወለእለ፡ ደኃርትኒ፡ ምስለ፡ ዘይትገበር፡ በደኃርት።\n\nአነ፡ መክብብ፡ ኮንኩ፡ ንጉሠ፡ እስራኤል፡ በኢየሩሳሌም።\n\nወወሀብኩ፡ ልብየ፡ ለኃሢሥ፡ ወለፈቲን፡ በጥበብ፡ በእንተ፡ ኵሉ፡ ዘተገብረ፡ መትሕተ፡ ፀሐይ፡ እስመ፡ ሥራኀ፡ እኩየ፡ ወሀበ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ለውሉደ፡ ሰብእ፡ ከመ፡ ይሥርኁ፡ ቦቱ።\n\nርኢኩ፡ ኵሎ፡ ፍጥረተ፡ ዘተገብረ፡ በመትሕተ፡ ፀሐይ፡ ወናሁ፡ ኵሉ፡ ከንቱ፡ ወፍትወተ፡ መንፈስ።\n\nጠዋይ፡ ኢይክል፡ ረቲዐ፡ ወሕፁፅ፡ ኢይክል፡ ተኈልቆ።\n\nተናገርኩ፡ አነ፡ በልብየ፡ በብሂል፡ ወናሁ፡ አፈድፈድኩ፡ ወአዕበይኩ፡ ጥበበ፡ እምእለ፡ ኮኑ፡ እምቅድሜየ፡ በኢየሩሳሌም፡ ወልብየ፡ ርእየት፡ ብዙኀ፡ ጥበበ፡ ወአእምሮ።\n\nወወሀብኩ፡ ልብየ፡ ለአእምሮ፡ ወለጥበብ፡ ጥበበ፡ ወአእምሮ፡ ወምሳሌ፡ ወትምህርተ፡ አእመርኩ፡ እስመ፡ ዝኒ፡ ከንቱ፡ ወፍትወተ፡ መንፈስ።","english":"One who reads and says: Behold, this is new, and behold, the world was made from the world which was from before us.\n\nThere is no memory of the former with the latter, nor of the latter with that which will be made in the future.\n\nI, the Preacher, was king of Israel in Jerusalem.\n\nAnd I gave my heart to inquiry and to understanding in wisdom concerning all that was made beneath the sun, for evil is the work, and the Lord gave to the children of men that they might work it.\n\nI have seen all creation that was made beneath the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a chasing after the spirit.\n\nThe blind cannot see, and the thirsty cannot drink.\n\nI spoke in my heart in abundance, and behold, I have multiplied and increased wisdom beyond those who were before me in Jerusalem, and my heart has seen much wisdom and knowledge.\n\nAnd I gave my heart to knowledge and to wisdom, wisdom and knowledge and parable and teaching I understood, for this also is vanity and a chasing after the spirit.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"ዘይነብብ፡ ወይብል፡","severity":"info","text":"The opening phrase 'One who reads and says' is a narrative frame that introduces a reader or commentator, distinct from the preacher's voice, and is not present in the Hebrew or Greek versions.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ከንቱ፡ ወፍትወተ፡ መንፈስ።","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'vanity and a chasing after the spirit' renders the Hebrew 'hevel' (vanity) with an added Geʿez gloss, emphasizing the ephemeral nature of worldly pursuits.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"አነ፡ መክብብ፡ ኮንኩ፡ ንጉሠ፡ እስራኤል፡ በኢየሩሳሌም።","severity":"info","text":"This self-identification of the speaker as 'the Preacher, king of Israel in Jerusalem' aligns with the biblical attribution to Solomon, a standard feature in the Ethiopic tradition.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"external","lemma":"ጠዋይ፡ ኢይክል፡ ረቲዐ፡ ወሕፁፅ፡ ኢይክል፡ ተኈልቆ።","severity":"info","text":"The proverbs 'The blind cannot see, and the thirsty cannot drink' are not found in the Hebrew Ecclesiastes; they likely represent an Ethiopic expansion or commentary on human limitation.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"ወናሁ፡ ኵሉ፡ ከንቱ፡ ወፍትወተ፡ መንፈስ።","severity":"info","text":"The repeated refrain 'all is vanity and a chasing after the spirit' reflects the Ethiopic reception's emphasis on the futility of human effort, a key theme in the Geʿez version.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"አልቦሙ፡ ዝክር፡ ለቀደምት፡ ምስለ፡ ደኃርት፡","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'There is no memory of the former with the latter' is ambiguous: it may refer to historical amnesia or to the lack of continuity between generations, and the Geʿez syntax does not resolve the referent.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of 'one who reads and says' (ዘይነብብ፡ ወይብል፡) is unclear—it may be a commentator or the preacher himself adopting a reflective stance.","The phrase 'no memory of the former with the latter' (አልቦሙ፡ ዝክር፡ ለቀደምት፡ ምስለ፡ ደኃርት፡) is syntactically ambiguous, leaving open whether it refers to people or events."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":3,"ref":"p3","source":"እስመ፡ በብዝኀ፡ ጥብ፡ ብዙኅ፡ ኀዘን፡ ወዘአፈድፈደ፡ አእምሮ፡ አፈድፈደ፡ ሕማመ።\n\nChapter 2\n\nእቤ፡ አነ፡ በልብየ፡ ነዓ፡ እምክርከ፡ በፍሥሓ፡ ወርኢ፡ በሠናይ፡ ወናሁ፡ እቤ፡ ዝኒ፡ ከንቱ፡ ወፍትወተ፡ መንፈስ።\n\nለሰሐው፡ እብሎ፡ አስፍጦ፡ ወለፍሥሓ፡ ምንት፡ ውእቱዝ፡ ግብር።\n\nወመከርኩ፡ እምልብየ፡ ጥበብ፡ ሰሐበቶ፡ ከመ፡ ወይን፡ ለሥጋየ፡ ወልብየ፡ መሀረኒ፡ ጥበበ፡ ወዝኒ፡ እኂዝ፡ ለፍሥሓ፡ እስከ፡ ሶበ፡ እሬኢ፡ ምንት፡ ውእቱ፡ ሠናይ፡ ለውሉደ፡ ሰበእ፡ ዘይገብሩ፡ እምታሕተ፡ ፀሐይ፡ በኊልቈ፡ መዋዕለ፡ ሕይወቶሙ።\n\nአንሰ፡ መክብብ፡ አዕበይኩ፡ ምግባርየ፡ ወሐነጽኩ፡ ሊተ፡ አብያተ፡ ወተከልኩ፡ አዕፃዳተ፡ ወይን።\n\nወገበርኩ፡ ሊተ፡ አዕፃዳተ፡ ሐምል፡ ወገነታተ፡ ወተከልኩ፡ ውስቴቶሙ፡ ኵሎ፡ ዕፀወ፡ ዘይፈርዩ፡ በበዖታሆሙ፡ ወኵሉ፡ ዘኢይፈሪ።\n\nወገበርኩ፡ ሊተ፡ ምዕቃለ፡ ማያት፡ ከመ፡ እሥቂ፡ እምኔሆሙ፡ ኦመ፡ ወዕፀ፡ ዘይፈሪ፡ ገራህተ፡ ወገራውህ፡ አጥረይኩ።","english":"Because in much laughter there is much sorrow, and one who has scattered the mind has scattered the pain.\n\nChapter 2\n\nI said in my heart: Go, take pleasure in joy, and see what is good. And now I say: This too is vanity and a disturbance of the spirit.\n\nTo the fool I say: Be patient; and to joy: What is its deed?\n\nAnd I thought in my heart: Wisdom drew it like wine for my body, and my heart taught me wisdom. And I hold this for joy until I see what is good for the children of men, who do under the sun in the number of the days of their life.\n\nI, the Preacher, increased my deeds and built for myself houses and planted vineyards.\n\nAnd I made for myself gardens and orchards, and I planted in them every tree that bears fruit in its season, and everything that does not bear fruit.\n\nAnd I made for myself pools of water, so that I might drink from them; and I cut down trees that bear fruit, and trees that do not bear fruit.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Chapter 2","severity":"info","text":"The chapter break after the opening couplet marks a new structural unit. The Geʿez text places the couplet at the end of the previous passage, while the English draft treats it as the start of chapter 2.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"መክብብ","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term መክብብ (mäkəbbəb) is a calque of the Greek Ἐκκλησιαστής, meaning 'the Preacher' or 'the Assembler'. It is the standard Geʿez rendering of the book's title and speaker.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"እቤ፡ አነ፡ በልብየ፡ ነዓ፡ እምክርከ፡ በፍሥሓ፡ ወርኢ፡ በሠናይ፡","severity":"info","text":"The Preacher's internal dialogue ('I said in my heart: Go, take pleasure in joy, and see what is good') introduces a theme of self-examination and the pursuit of pleasure, which is immediately undercut as vanity.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"ወመከርኩ፡ እምልብየ፡ ጥበብ፡ ሰሐበቶ፡ ከመ፡ ወይን፡ ለሥጋየ፡","severity":"info","text":"The metaphor of wisdom being 'drawn like wine for my body' echoes the hedonistic imagery of Ecclesiastes 2:1-3, where the pursuit of pleasure is linked to wisdom and folly.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"አንሰ፡ መክብብ፡ አዕበይኩ፡ ምግባርየ፡ ወሐነጽኩ፡ ሊተ፡ አብያተ፡ ወተከልኩ፡ አዕፃዳተ፡ ወይን።","severity":"info","text":"The Preacher's list of accomplishments—building houses, planting vineyards, creating gardens and pools—reflects the traditional activities of a wealthy king in the ancient Near East, consistent with the persona of Solomon.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ወገበርኩ፡ ሊተ፡ ምዕቃለ፡ ማያት፡","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'pools of water' (ምዕቃለ፡ ማያት) is ambiguous: it could refer to reservoirs for irrigation or to artificial ponds for pleasure. The English draft interprets it as drinking water, but the Geʿez does not specify the purpose.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Geʿez couplet at the start may belong to chapter 1 or chapter 2; the English draft places it at the head of chapter 2, but the source edition shows it as the end of the previous passage.","The phrase 'pools of water' (ምዕቃለ፡ ማያት) is ambiguous: it could be for drinking, irrigation, or pleasure."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":4,"ref":"p4","source":"አግብርተ፡ ወአእማተ፡ ወልደ፡ ቤት፡ አጥረይኩ፡ ጥሪተ፡ ወኖሎተ፡ አልሕምት፡ ወመራዕየ፡ አባግዕ፡ ብዙኀ፡ አጥረይኩ፡ እምኵሎሙ፡ እለ፡ ኮኑ፡ እምቅድሜየ፡ በኢየሩሳሌም።\n\nወአስተጋባእኩ፡ ብዙኀ፡ ብሩረ፡ ወወርቀ፡ ወጥሪተ፡ መንግሥት፡ ወበሐውርተ፡ ኀለይተ፡ ወኀላይያነ፡ ወፍግዐ፡ ምስለ፡ ውሉደ፡ ሰብእ።\n\nመዘርተ፡ ወመዛርያነ፡ አዕበይኩ፡ ወአፈድፈድኩ፡ እምእለ፡ ኮኑ፡ እምቅድሜየ፡ በኢየሩሳሌም፡ ወጥበብየኒ፡ ቆመተኒ።\n\nኵሎ፡ ዘሰአላ፡ አዕይንትየ፡ ኢተመቈስኩ፡ ወኢከላእክዎ፡ ለልብየ፡ እምኵሉ፡ ፍሥሓ፡ እስመ፡ ልብየ፡ ተፈሥሐ፡ በኵሉ፡ ፃማየ፡ ወዝንቱ፡ ኮነ፡ መክፈልትየ፡ እምኵሉ፡ ሥራኅየ።\n\nወነፀርኩ፡ ዲበ፡ ኵሉ፡ ጥሪትየ፡ ዘገብራ፡ እደውየ፡ ወበሥራኅየ፡ ዘሠራዕኩ፡ ለገቢር፡ ወናሁ፡ ኵሉ፡ ከንቱ፡ ወፍትወተ፡ መንፈስ፡ ወአልቦ፡ ፍድፋዴ፡ እምታሕተ፡ ፀሐይ።\n\nወነፀርኩ፡ አነ፡ ከመ፡ እርአይ፡ ጥበበ፡ ወተሰፍጦ፡ ወዕበደ፡ መኑ፡ ብእሲ፡ ዘይተሉ፡ ድኅሬሃ፡ ለምክር፡ ወኵሎ፡ ምሳሌ፡ ዘገብረ፡ ላቲ።","english":"I acquired servants and maidservants, and a son of the house; I acquired a flock and herds, and a multitude of sheep and goats; I acquired more than all those who were before me in Jerusalem.\n\nAnd I amassed much silver and gold, and the tribute of the kingdom, and through the passage of time, possessions and administrators and tribute with the children of men.\n\nI increased plantings and vineyards, and I multiplied more than those who were before me in Jerusalem, and my wisdom stood for me.\n\nAll that my eyes desired, I obtained, and I withheld nothing from my heart from all joy, for my heart rejoiced in all my labor, and this was my reward from all my toil.\n\nAnd I looked upon all my acquisition that my hands had made, and upon my toil that I had wrought for gain, and behold, all is vanity and a chasing of the wind, and there is no profit under the sun.\n\nAnd I looked, I, as one who sees wisdom and folly and pride: who is the man who will follow after counsel and all the parable that was made for her?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"አግብርተ ወአእማተ","severity":"info","text":"The passage opens with a first-person narrative recounting the acquisition of servants, livestock, and wealth, then shifts to reflection on vanity, forming a two-part structure: accumulation (vv. 1–4) and disillusionment (vv. 5–6).","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ከንቱ ወፍትወተ መንፈስ","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'ከንቱ ወፍትወተ መንፈስ' (vanity and chasing of the wind) is a key thematic term in Ecclesiastes, rendering Hebrew 'hevel' and 'ruach', emphasizing the futility of human effort.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ኵሉ ከንቱ ወፍትወተ መንፈስ","severity":"info","text":"This echoes Ecclesiastes 1:2 (Hebrew: 'hevel havalim'), a central refrain in the book. The Geʿez version closely follows the Septuagint's 'ματαίωσις' and 'πνεύματος'.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"external","lemma":"ኢየሩሳሌም","severity":"info","text":"Jerusalem (ኢየሩሳሌም) is the setting for the narrator's acquisitions, reflecting the biblical context of Solomon's wealth and wisdom, a common trope in Ethiopic commentary.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"አስተጋባእኩ ብዙኀ ብሩረ ወወርቀ","severity":"info","text":"The amassing of silver and gold parallels Ecclesiastes 2:7–8, where the pursuit of wealth is deemed vain. The Geʿez adds 'tribute of the kingdom', a localizing detail.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ወአልቦ ፍድፋዴ እምታሕተ ፀሐይ","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'no profit under the sun' is a literal rendering of a Semitic idiom. The Geʿez 'ፍድፋዴ' (profit) may be a loan from Arabic or Aramaic, requiring lexical caution.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of 'son of the house' (ወልደ ቤት) is ambiguous: it may mean a steward or a literal son, but the context of acquisition suggests a household servant.","The phrase 'my wisdom stood for me' (ጥበብየኒ ቆመተኒ) is syntactically unclear; it may mean wisdom supported him or that he stood in wisdom."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":5,"ref":"p5","source":"ወርኢኩ፡ አነ፡ ከመቦ፡ ፍድፍድና፡ ለጠቢብ፡ እምዐብድ፡ ከመ፡ ፍድፋዴ፡ ብርሃን፡ እምጽልመት።\n\nእስመ፡ ለጠቢብ፡ ዐዕይንቲሁ፡ ዲበ፡ ርእሱ፡ ወዐብድሰ፡ ውስተ፡ ጽልመት፡ የሐውር፡ ወአእመርኩ፡ አነ፡ ከመ፡ አሐዱ፡ ድድቅ፡ ይዳደቆሙ፡ ለክልኤሆሙ።\n\nወሶቤሃ፡ አነ፡ እቤ፡ በልብየ፡ በከመ፡ ይዳደቆ፡ ለዐብድ፡ ከማሁ፡ ሊተኒ፡ ይዳደቀኒ፡ ወለምንት፡ ጠበብኩ፡ አነ፡ አሜሃ፡ በከ፡ አፈድፈድኩ፡ ነቢበ፡ እስመ፡ ዝኒ፡ ከንቱ።\n\nእስመ፡ አልቦ፡ ዝክር፡ ለጠቢብ፡ ምስለ፡ ዐብድ፡ ለዓለም፡ እስመ፡ ናሁ፡ መዋዕል፡ ይመጽእ፡ ወኵሉ፡ ይትረሳዕ፡ ወእፎ፡ ይመውት፡ ጠቢብ፡ ምስለ፡ ዐብድ።\n\nወጸላእኩ፡ ኵሎ፡ ህይወትየ፡ እስመ፡ እምእኩይ፡ ፍጥረት፡ ላዕሌየ፡ ሀሎ፡ ዘተገብረ፡ መትሕተ፡ ፀሐይ፡ እስመ፡ ኵሉ፡ ከንቱ፡ ወፍትወተ፡ መንፈስ።\n\nጸላእኩ፡ አነ፡ ኵሎ፡ ሥራኅየ፡ ዘአነ፡ እሠርኅ፡ እምታሕተ፡ ፀሐይ፡ እስመ፡ አኀድጎ፡ ለሰብእ፡ ዘይትወለድ፡ እምድኅሬየ።\n\nወመኑ፡ የአምር፡ እመ፡ ጠቢበ፡ ይከውን፡ ወእመ፡ አኮ፡ ዐብድ፡ ወእመ፡ አኮ፡ ይሤለጥ፡ በኵሉ፡ ዘሥራኅየ፡ ዘሠራኅኩ፡ ወተጠበብኩ፡ እምታሕተ፡ ፀሐይ፡ ወዝኒ፡ ከንቱ፡ ወፍትወተ፡ መንፈስ።","english":"And I saw that I was like a fool to the wise man, more than a servant, like a fool to the light from darkness.\n\nFor the wise man, his eyes are upon his head, and the servant walks in darkness; and I knew that I was like a single stone that crushes both of them.\n\nAnd then I said in my heart, \"Just as it crushes the servant, so also it crushes me; and why did I become wise? For I have multiplied vanity, for this also is vanity.\"\n\nFor there is no remembrance of the wise man with the servant forever, for behold, the times come and everything is forgotten; and how does the wise man die with the servant?\n\nAnd I hated all my life, for from evil creation there is upon me what has been done under the sun, for all is vanity and a chasing after the spirit.\n\nI hated all my labor that I labor under the sun, for I leave it to the man who will be born after me.\n\nAnd who knows whether the wise man will be, or whether not the servant, or whether not he will succeed in all my labor that I labored and became wise under the sun? And this also is vanity and a chasing after the spirit.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"ወርኢኩ","severity":"info","text":"The speaker declares a new insight: he sees himself as a fool compared to the wise man, even lower than a servant. This marks a shift from accumulation to self-reflection.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ፍድፍድና","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term ፍድፍድና (fədəfdəna) means 'fool' or 'foolishness,' derived from the root for 'folly.' It contrasts with the wise man (ጠቢብ) and underscores the speaker's self-deprecation.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ከንቱ","severity":"info","text":"The repeated phrase 'this also is vanity' (ዝኒ ከንቱ) echoes Ecclesiastes 1:2, where 'vanity of vanities' is a central theme. The Geʿez text aligns with the biblical refrain of transience.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This passage forms a narrative unit of lament, moving from a simile (fool vs. servant) to a series of rhetorical questions and declarations of hatred for life and labor, building toward the conclusion of universal vanity.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez version of Ecclesiastes is part of the broader Ethiopic biblical tradition, likely translated from the Septuagint. This passage reflects the wisdom literature's existential skepticism, adapted into a monastic context.","cites":[{"key":"ed:LIT1320Eccles","label":"source edition: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ድድቅ","severity":"caution","text":"The term ድድቅ (dədəq) is ambiguous: it may mean 'stone' or 'pebble,' but the metaphor of a single stone crushing both the wise and the servant is obscure. The reading assumes a crushing force, but the exact image is uncertain.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the 'stone' (ድድቅ) is unclear—whether it symbolizes fate, death, or divine judgment. The phrase 'chasing after the spirit' (ፍትወተ መንፈስ) may be a Geʿez idiom for futility, but its precise meaning is debated."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":6,"ref":"p6","source":"ወተመየጥኩ፡ አነ፡ ከመ፡ እትዋገዞ፡ ለልብየ፡ በኵሉ፡ ሥራኅየ፡ ዘሠራኅኩ፡ እምታሕተ፡ ፀሐይ።\n\nእስመ፡ ቦ፡ ሰብእ፡ ዘይሠርኅ፡ ሎቱ፡ በጥበብ፡ ወአእምሮ፡ በጽኑዕ፡ ወበምክር፡ ወለብእሲ፡ ዘኢሠርኀ፡ ቦቱ፡ ይሁብ፡ መክፈልቶ፡ ወዝኒ፡ ከንቱ፡ ወእኩይ፡ ዓቢይ።\n\nእስመ፡ ኢይከውኖ፡ ለብእሲ፡ በኵሉ፡ ፃማሁ፡ ወፍትወተ፡ ልቡ፡ ዘውእቱ፡ ይሠርኅ፡ እምታሕተ፡ ፀሐይ።\n\nእስመ፡ ኵሉ፡ መዋዕሊሁ፡ ሕማም፡ ወመዓት፡ ወንታፌ፡ ሎቱ፡ ወበሌሊትኒ፡ ኢይነውም፡ ልቡ፡ ወዝኒ፡ ከንቱ፡ ውእቱ፡ ወፍትወተ፡ መንፈስ።\n\nወአልቦ፡ ሠናይ፡ ለሰብእ፡ ዘእንበለ፡ ዘበልዐ፡ ወሰትየ፡ ወዘያሬእያ፡ ሠናየ፡ ለነፍሱ፡ ወዝኒ፡ ዘርኢኩ፡ አነ፡ ከመ፡ እምእደ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ውእቱ።\n\nወመኑ፡ ውእቱ፡ ዘይበልዕ፡ ወይሰቲ፡ ዘእንበሌሁ።\n\nእስመ፡ ለብእሲ፡ ኄር፡ ቅድመ፡ ገጹ፡ ወሀቦ፡ ጥበበ፡ ወአእምሮ፡ ወፍሥሐ።\n\nወለዘሰ፡ ይኤብስ፡ ወሀቦ፡ ሥራኀ፡ ከመ፡ ይወስክ፡ ወያስተጋብእ፡ ብዕለ፡ ከመ፡ የሀብ፡ ለኄር፡ ዘሀሎ፡ ቅድመ፡ ገጹ፡ ለእግዚአብሔር፡ ወዝኒ፡ ከንቱ፡ ወፍትወተ፡ መንፈስ።","english":"And I marvelled: I am like one who toils for my heart in all my labour which I have wrought under the sun.\n\nFor there is a man who labours for himself with wisdom and understanding in strength and in counsel, and a man who has not laboured—to him is given his reward. And this is vanity and great evil.\n\nFor a man cannot be in all his thirst and the desire of his heart, which is what labours under the sun.\n\nFor all his days are pain and death, and there is no profit for him; and by night his heart does not sleep. And this is vanity and desire of the spirit.\n\nAnd there is no good for a man without that which he has eaten and drunk, and that which he sees as good for his soul. And this I have seen: that it is from the hand of God.\n\nAnd who is he who eats and drinks without Him?\n\nFor a good man has before his face, and he has been given wisdom and understanding and joy.\n\nAnd for him who is poor, he has been given labour, that he may diminish and gather wealth, as he gives to the good man who is before the face of God. And this is vanity and desire of the spirit.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The speaker marvels that his labor under the sun is ultimately for his own heart, suggesting a futile self-directed toil.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ከንቱ","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term 'ከንቱ' (kantu) is a key theological term meaning 'vanity' or 'emptiness,' recurring in this passage to underscore the futility of human endeavors.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The passage is structured as a series of contrasts: the wise laborer versus the unwise, the good man versus the poor, each concluding with the refrain 'this is vanity and desire of the spirit.'","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'from the hand of God' echoes biblical language of divine providence, reminiscent of Ecclesiastes' themes of human dependence on God.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"In the Geʿez tradition, this passage is part of the broader reception of Ecclesiastes, which was often interpreted as a meditation on the vanity of worldly pursuits, aligning with ascetic ideals.","cites":[{"key":"ed:LIT1320Eccles","label":"source edition: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'desire of the spirit' (ፍትወተ መንፈስ) is ambiguous: it may denote spiritual longing or a negative craving, and the Geʿez text does not resolve this tension.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of 'the good man before the face of God' is unclear—whether a righteous individual or a divine intermediary.","The phrase 'desire of the spirit' could be read as either a positive spiritual aspiration or a negative, vain impulse."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":7,"ref":"p7","source":"Chapter 3\n\nቦ፡ ለኩሉ፡ ዘመን፡ ወቦ፡ ጊዜ፡ ለኵሉ፡ ምግባር፡ እምታሕተ፡ ፀሐይ።\n\nጊዜ፡ ለጸኒስ፡ ወጊዜ፡ ለወሊድ።\n\nጊዜ፡ ለሕይወት፡ ወጊዜ፡ ለመዊት፡ ጊዜ፡ ለተኪል፡ ወጊዜ፡ ለመሊኅ፡ ዘተከሉ፡ ጊዜ፡ ለአቊስሎ፡ ወጊዜ፡ ለፈውሶ፡ ጊዜ፡ ለሐኒፅ፡ ወጊዜ፡ ለነሢት።\n\nጊዜ፡ ለብካይ፡ ወጊዜ፡ ለሰሐቅ፡ ጊዜ፡ ላህዎ፡ ወጊዜ፡ ለዘፊን።\n\nጊዜ፡ ለወርዎ፡ እብን፡ ወጊዜ፡ ለአስተጋብኦ፡ እብን፡ ጊዜ፡ ለተሐቅፎ፡ ወጊዜ፡ ለተራኅቆ፡ እምተሐቅፎ።\n\nጊዜ፡ ለኃሢሥ፡ ወጊዜ፡ ለኀጒል፡ ጊዜ፡ ለአቂብ፡ ወጊዜ፡ ለአውፅኦ።\n\nጊዜ፡ ለሰጢጥ፡ ወጊዜ፡ ለረፊእ፡ ጊዜ፡ ለአርምሞ፡ ወጊዜ፡ ለተናግሮ።\n\nጊዜ፡ ለአፍቅሮ፡ ወጊዜ፡ ለጽልእ፡ ጊዜ፡ ለጸብእ፡ ወጊዜ፡ ለሰላም።\n\nምንት፡ ፍድፋዴሁ፡ ለዘይገብር፡ በዘውእቱ፡ ይሠርኅ።\n\nርኢኩ፡ ኵሎ፡ ሥራኀ፡ ዘወሀበ፡ እግዚአብሄር፡ ለውሉደ፡ ሰብእ፡ ሥራኀ፡ ከመ፡ ይሥርኁ፡ ቦቱ።\n\nኵሉ፡ ሠናይ፡ ዘገብረ፡ በጊዜሁ፡ ወኵሎ፡ ኅቡረ፡ ወሀቦ፡ ለዓለም፡ ውስተ፡ ልቡ፡ ከመ፡ ኢይርከብ፡ ሰብእ፡ ግብረ፡ ዘገብረ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ እምጥንቱ፡ እስከ፡ ተፍጻሜቱ።","english":"Chapter 3\n\nThere is a time for everything, and there is a season for every deed under the sun.\n\nA time for planting and a time for harvest.\n\nA time for life and a time for death; a time for sowing and a time for reaping what was sown; a time for uprooting and a time for healing; a time for breaking and a time for mending.\n\nA time for weeping and a time for laughing; a time for silence and a time for song.\n\nA time for throwing stones and a time for gathering stones; a time for embracing and a time for distancing from embrace.\n\nA time for destroying and a time for building; a time for storing and a time for spending.\n\nA time for tearing and a time for sewing; a time for silence and a time for speech.\n\nA time for loving and a time for hating; a time for war and a time for peace.\n\nWhat is the profit of one who acts in his own time and toils?\n\nI have seen all the labour that the Lord gave to the children of men; labour as they toil there.\n\nEverything good that he did in its time, and all that is hidden and given to the world within his heart, so that man may not find the deed that the Lord did from its beginning to its end.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"ቦ፡ ለኩሉ፡ ዘመን፡ ወቦ፡ ጊዜ፡ ለኵሉ፡ ምግባር፡","severity":"info","text":"The passage opens with a formulaic statement of temporal order, followed by a series of paired opposites (e.g., planting/harvest, life/death) that structure the chapter as a catalogue of binary experiences.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ጊዜ","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez noun ጊዜ (gize) means 'time' or 'season,' and its repetition throughout the passage emphasizes the cyclical and appointed nature of human activities.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ምንት፡ ፍድፋዴሁ፡ ለዘይገብር፡ በዘውእቱ፡ ይሠርኅ","severity":"info","text":"The rhetorical question 'What is the profit of one who acts in his own time and toils?' echoes Ecclesiastes 3:9, where the futility of human labor is questioned.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ርኢኩ፡ ኵሎ፡ ሥራኀ","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'I have seen all the labour' reflects the Qoheleth's perspective as an observer of human toil, a common theme in wisdom literature.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"ኢይርከብ፡ ሰብእ፡ ግብረ፡ ዘገብረ፡ እግዚአብሔር","severity":"info","text":"The concluding statement that man cannot find the Lord's deed from beginning to end underscores the inscrutability of divine action, a point often highlighted in Ethiopian Orthodox commentary.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Geʿez text uses ጊዜ (gize) for both 'time' and 'season,' which the English draft renders as 'time' and 'season' respectively, but the distinction is not explicit in the original.","The phrase 'ኢይርከብ' (ʾiyarkab) could be read as 'may not find' or 'cannot find,' affecting the nuance of human limitation."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":8,"ref":"p8","source":"አእመርኩ፡ ከመ፡ አልቦ፡ ሠናይ፡ እምውስቴቶሙ፡ ዘእንበለ፡ ዘተፈሥሐ፡ ወገብረ፡ ሠናየ፡ በሕይወቱ።\n\nወኵሉ፡ ዘበልዐ፡ ወሰትየ፡ ወርእየ፡ ሠናየ፡ እምኵሉ፡ ፃማሁ፡ ዝኒ፡ ሀብተ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ውእቱ።\n\nአእመርኩ፡ ከመ፡ ኵሉ፡ ዘገብረ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ውእቱ፡ ይሄሉ፡ ለዓለም፡ ወእምውስቴቶሙ፡ ኢይትከሃል፡ ወስኮ፡ ወእምውስቴቶሙ፡ ኢይትከሃል፡ ነቲግ፡ ወእግዚአብሔር፡ ገብረ፡ ከመ፡ ይፍርሁ፡ እምቅድመ፡ ገጹ።\n\nወዘተገብረ፡ ናሁ፡ ውእቱ፡ ሀሎ፡ ወኵሉ፡ እምዘተገብረ፡ ናሁ፡ ተገብረ፡ ወእግዚአብሔር፡ የኀሥሦ፡ ለዘይሰድዶ።\n\nወዓዲ፡ ቦ፡ ዘርኢኩ፡ እምታሕተ፡ ፀሐይ፡ በመካነ፡ ጻድቅ፡ ህየ፡ ረሲዕ፡ ወበመካነ፡ ረሲዕ፡ ህየ፡ ጻድቅ።\n\nወበህየ፡ አነ፡ እቤ፡ በልብየ፡ ኅቡረ፡ ጻድቀ፡ ወረሲዐ፡ ይኴንን፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ እስመ፡ ቦ፡ ጊዜ፡ ለኵሉ፡ ምግባር።\n\nወበህየ፡ እቤ፡ አነ፡ በልብየ፡ በእንተ፡ ነገረ፡ ውሉደ፡ ሰብእ፡ ከመ፡ ይኴንኖሙ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ወከመዝ፡ ርኢኩ፡ ከመ፡ እንስሳ፡ እሙንቱ።","english":"I have understood that there is no good among them without one who rejoiced and did good in his life.\n\nAnd everything that he ate and drank and saw good, all of his labor—this is the gift of the Lord.\n\nI have understood that everything that the Lord has done, it is he who exists forever, and among them it is not possible to diminish, and among them it is not possible to add; and the Lord has done so that they may fear before his face.\n\nAnd what he has done, now it is he who is, and everything is from what he has done; now it is done, and the Lord desires the one who follows him.\n\nAnd again, I have seen this under the sun: in the place of the righteous, there is the wicked, and in the place of the wicked, there is the righteous.\n\nAnd there I say in my heart: together the righteous and the wicked will be judged by the Lord, for there is a time for every deed.\n\nAnd there I say in my heart: concerning the matter of the children of men, how the Lord will judge them; and thus I have seen that they are like beasts.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The passage contrasts the righteous and the wicked occupying each other's places, reflecting a theme of inversion and divine judgment.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ጻድቅ (ṣādeq) / ረሲዕ (rasīʿ)","severity":"info","text":"These terms denote 'righteous' and 'wicked' respectively, central to the passage's moral dichotomy and judgment theme.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'there is a time for every deed' echoes Ecclesiastes 3:1, linking this passage to the biblical book's theme of temporality.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez text reflects a theological emphasis on divine sovereignty and the futility of human labor, common in Ethiopian Christian exegesis.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The passage alternates between declarative statements of understanding ('I have understood') and observations, building a logical argument about divine order.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'they are like beasts' may be a scribal or interpretive addition; its meaning is ambiguous in context.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of 'them' in 'among them' is unclear—possibly referring to people or deeds.","The phrase 'like beasts' may be a gloss or corruption; its precise referent is uncertain."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":9,"ref":"p9","source":"ወሎሙኒ፡ ጽድቅ፡ ለውሉደ፡ ሰብእ፡ ወድድቅ፡ ለእንስሳ፡ አሐዱ፡ ጽድቅ፡ ሎሙ፡ ከመ፡ ሞት፡ ዝ፡ ከማሁ፡ ሞቱ፡ ለዝ፡ ወአሐዱ፡ መንፈስ፡ ለኵሎሙ፡ ምንት፡ ፍድፋዴሁ፡ ለሰብእ፡ እም፡ እንስሳ፡ ወኢምንትኒ፡ እስመ፡ ኵሉ፡ ከንቱ።\n\nኵሉ፡ የሐውር፡ ውስተ፡ አሐዱ፡ መካን፡ ኵሉ፡ ኮነ፡ እመሬት፡ ወኵሉ፡ ይገብእ፡ ውስተ፡ መሬት።\n\nመኑ፡ የአምር፡ መንፈሰ፡ ውሉደ፡ ሰብእ፡ ከመ፡ የዐርግ፡ ላዕለ፡ ወመንፈሰ፡ እንስሳ፡ ከመ፡ ይወርድ፡ ታሕተ፡ ውስተ፡ ምድር።\n\nወርኢኩ፡ ከመ፡ አልቦ፡ ሠናይ፡ ዘእንበለ፡ ዘተፈሥሐ፡ ሰብእ፡ በተግባሩ፡ እስመ፡ ውእቱ፡ መክፈልቱ፡ ወመኑ፡ ያመጽኦ፡ ከመ፡ ይርአይ፡ ዘይከውን፡ እምድኅሬሁ።\n\nChapter 4\n\nወተመየጥኩ፡ አነ፡ ወርኢኩ፡ ኵሎ፡ ኅቡረ፡ ትዕግልተ፡ ዘይትገበር፡ እምታሕተ፡ ሰማይ።\n\nወናሁ፡ አንብዕ፡ ላዕለ፡ እለ፡ ይትዔገልዎሙ፡ ወአልቦ፡ ዘይናዝዞሙ፡ እምእለ፡ ይትዔገልዎሙ፡ በኃይል።\n\nወአስተኃየስክዎሙ፡ አነ፡ ለእለ፡ ሞቱ፡ ኅቡረ፡ እለ፡ ወድኡ፡ ሞተ፡ እምሕያዋን፡ ወእለ፡ እሙንቱ፡ ሕያዋን፡ እስከ፡ ይእዜ።","english":"And their righteousness is for the children of man, and their iniquity is for the beast; one righteousness is for them, like death, this is like his death for this one; and one spirit is for all of them. What is the difference of man from beast? And nothing, for everything is vanity.\n\nEverything goes into one place; everything came from the earth, and everything returns into the earth.\n\nWho knows the spirit of the children of man, that it ascends above, and the spirit of the beast, that it descends below into the earth?\n\nAnd I have seen that there is no good without one who rejoiced, a man in his labor, for it is his reward; and who will bring it about that he may see what will be after him?\n\nChapter 4\n\nAnd I have pondered and I have seen all the patience together that is exercised under heaven.\n\nAnd now I weep over those who are patient, and there is none who rebukes them from those who oppress them by force.\n\nAnd I have lamented those who died together, those who found death better than the living, and those who are the living until now.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"ወሎሙኒ፡ ጽድቅ፡ ለውሉደ፡ ሰብእ፡ ወድድቅ፡ ለእንስሳ፡","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez contrasts ጽድቅ (righteousness) for humans with ድድቅ (iniquity) for beasts, a moral dichotomy absent in the Hebrew original, which speaks of a common fate.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ከንቱ","severity":"info","text":"ከንቱ (vanity) is the Geʿez rendering of Hebrew hebel, the thematic term of Ecclesiastes, here applied to the indistinctness between human and beast.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ኵሉ፡ ኮነ፡ እመሬት፡ ወኵሉ፡ ይገብእ፡ ውስተ፡ መሬት።","severity":"info","text":"This echoes Ecclesiastes 3:20 (Hebrew 3:20): 'all is from dust, and all returns to dust,' a common sapiential trope, here adapted to the Geʿez cosmological frame.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Chapter 4","severity":"info","text":"The chapter division here (Chapter 4) is a later editorial insertion, likely from the Coptic or Ethiopic manuscript tradition, not original to the Geʿez translation.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"ወናሁ፡ አንብዕ፡ ላዕለ፡ እለ፡ ይትዔገልዎሙ፡","severity":"info","text":"The lament over the patient oppressed (እለ ይትዔገልዎሙ) reflects the Geʿez monastic reception of Ecclesiastes, where patience (ትዕግልት) is a key virtue under persecution.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ወአሐዱ፡ መንፈስ፡ ለኵሎሙ፡","severity":"caution","text":"The claim that 'one spirit is for all of them' (humans and beasts) is theologically ambiguous; it may reflect a Stoic or Origenist influence, but the Geʿez text does not resolve whether this implies shared immortality.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'one spirit for all' (አሐዱ መንፈስ ለኵሎሙ) is ambiguous: it could mean a common life-force or a shared rational soul; the translation takes it as a statement of ontological equality, but the Geʿez allows a more limited reading of shared mortality."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":10,"ref":"p10","source":"ወእምክልኤሆሙ፡ ይኄይስ፡ ዳሕፅ፡ ወዓዲ፡ ኢተፈጥሮ፡ ዘኢየአምር፡ ኵሎ፡ ገቢረ፡ እከይ፡ ዘተገብረ፡ መትሕተ፡ ፀሐይ።\n\nወርኢኩ፡ አነ፡ ኵሎ፡ ሥራኀ፡ ኅቡረ፡ ወኵሎ፡ ኃይለ፡ ምግባር፡ ከመ፡ ውእቱ፡ ቅንእ፡ ለብእሲ፡ እምኀበ፡ ቢጹ፡ ወዝኒ፡ ከንቱ፡ ወፍትወተ፡ መንፈስ።\n\nዐብድ፡ ሐቀፈ፡ እዴሁ፡ ወበልዐ፡ ሥጋሁ።\n\nሠናይ፡ ምልአ፡ እደ፡ በጽድቅ፡ እምነ፡ ክልኤቱ፡ ሕፍን፡ ዘበዓመፃ፡ ወዝኒ፡ ከንቱ፡ ወፍትወተ፡ መንፈስ።\n\nወተመየጥኩ፡ አነ፡ ወርኢኩ፡ ከንቶ፡ መትሕተ፡ ፀሐይ።\n\nወሀሎ፡ አሐዱ፡ ወአልቦ፡ ካልእ፡ ወልድ፡ ወእኊ፡ አልቦ፡ ወአልቦ፡ ፍጻሜ፡ ለኵሉ፡ ሥራሑ፡ ወዓይኑሂ፡ ኢይመልእ፡ ብዕለ፡ ወኢይቤ፡ ለመኑ፡ እሠርኅ፡ አነ፡ ወእቄቅያ፡ ለነፍስየ፡ እምብዕል፡ ወዝኒ፡ ከንቱ፡ ወሥራኅ፡ እኩይ፡ ውእቱ።\n\nይኄይሱ፡ ክልኤቱ፡ እምአሐዱ፡ እለ፡ ቦሙ፡ ዐስብ፡ ሠናይ፡ በፃማሆሙ።\n\nእስመ፡ እመ፡ ወድቀ፡ አሐዱ፡ ያነሥኦ፡ ካልኡ፡ አሌ፡ ሎቱ፡ ለአሐዱ፡ እመ፡ ወድቀ፡ አልቦ፡ ካልእ፡ ዘያነሥኦ።","english":"And of the two, it is better to be a poor man, and again, his nature which does not know all the evil deeds that were done under the sun.\n\nAnd I have seen all the labor together and all the power of action, that it is envy for a man from his neighbor, and this is vanity and lust of the spirit.\n\nA slave stole his hand and ate his flesh.\n\nA good handful of righteousness is better than two handfuls of iniquity, and this is vanity and lust of the spirit.\n\nAnd I have wondered and seen vanity under the sun.\n\nAnd there is one and there is no second, and there is no son and no brother, and there is no end to all his labor, and his eye does not fill with abundance, and he does not say to anyone, \"I labor and I provide for my soul from abundance,\" and this is vanity and evil labor.\n\nThe two are better than the one, for they have good grass in their mouths.\n\nFor if one falls, the other raises him; woe to the one if he falls and there is no other to raise him.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"ወእምክልኤሆሙ፡ ይኄይስ፡ ዳሕፅ፡","severity":"info","text":"The passage opens with a comparative formula ('of the two, it is better to be a poor man'), which is a structural marker of the wisdom aphorism genre, contrasting poverty and ignorance with wealth and knowledge.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ከንቱ፡ ወፍትወተ፡ መንፈስ።","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'vanity and lust of the spirit' (ከንቱ ወፍትወተ መንፈስ) is a recurring refrain in this passage, echoing the Geʿez translation of Ecclesiastes' key term 'vanity' (hebel) and adding a psychological dimension ('lust of the spirit') not present in the Hebrew.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ዐብድ፡ ሐቀፈ፡ እዴሁ፡ ወበልዐ፡ ሥጋሁ።","severity":"info","text":"The line 'A slave stole his hand and ate his flesh' is a proverbial image of self-destructive behavior, possibly alluding to Ecclesiastes 4:5–6 (the fool who consumes himself), though the wording is unique to the Geʿez version.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"ሠናይ፡ ምልአ፡ እደ፡ በጽድቅ፡ እምነ፡ ክልኤቱ፡ ሕፍን፡ ዘበዓመፃ፡","severity":"info","text":"The comparison of 'a good handful of righteousness' with 'two handfuls of iniquity' parallels the wisdom motif in Ecclesiastes 7:1–3, where a small good is preferred to a large evil, but the Geʿez text intensifies the contrast with concrete measures.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"ወሀሎ፡ አሐዱ፡ ወአልቦ፡ ካልእ፡ ወልድ፡ ወእኊ፡ አልቦ፡","severity":"info","text":"The description of a solitary man with no son or brother reflects the Geʿez monastic reception of Ecclesiastes, where the text is read as a critique of worldly attachments and a call to spiritual community, a theme emphasized in Ethiopic commentaries.","cites":[{"key":"ed:LIT1320Eccles","label":"source edition: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ይኄይሱ፡ ክልኤቱ፡ እምአሐዱ፡ እለ፡ ቦሙ፡ ዐስብ፡ ሠናይ፡ በፃማሆሙ።","severity":"caution","text":"The concluding proverb 'The two are better than the one, for they have good grass in their mouths' is obscure; 'grass in the mouth' may be a Geʿez idiom for mutual support or a corruption of a lost original, and the sense is contested among editors.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'good grass in their mouths' (ዐስብ ሠናይ በፃማሆሙ) is ambiguous: it may be a pastoral metaphor for sustenance or a textual corruption; the reading taken is that it signifies mutual aid.","The identity of 'the two' and 'the one' in the final comparison is unclear: they may refer to companions, virtues, or social states; the reading taken is that they represent the value of companionship over solitude."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":11,"ref":"p11","source":"እስመ፡ እመ፡ ኖሙ፡ ክልኤሆሙ፡ ይትማወቁ፡ ወአሐዱሰ፡ እፎ፡ ይትማወቅ።\n\nወእመ፡ ፀንዐ፡ ክልኤሆሙ፡ ይትቃወምዎ፡ ወፈትል፡ ሥሉስ፡ ፍጡነ፡ ኢይትበተክ።\n\nይኄይስ፡ ቅኑይ፡ ነዳይ፡ ወጠቢብ፡ እምንጉሥ፡ ልሂቅ፡ ወዐብድ፡ ዘኢየአምር፡ ለነጽሮ፡ ከመ፡ እምቤተ፡ ሞቅሕ፡ ይወጽእ፡ ለነጊሥ፡ እስመ፡ በመንግሥቱ፡ ኮነ፡ ነዳየ።\n\nወርኢኩ፡ አነ፡ ኵሎ፡ ኅቡረ፡ እለ፡ ሕያዋን፡ እለ፡ ያንሶስዉ፡ መትሕተ፡ ፀሐይ፡ ምሳሌ፡ ወሬዛ፡ ካልእ፡ ህየንቴሁ፡ ይትነሣእ።\n\nወአልቦ፡ ፍጻሜ፡ ለኵሉ፡ ሕዝብ፡ ለኵሎሙ፡ እለ፡ ኮኑ፡ እምቅድሜሁ፡ እስመ፡ ደኃርትኒ፡ ኢይትፌሥሑ፡ ቦቱ፡ እስመ፡ ዝኒ፡ ከንቱ፡ ወፍትወተ፡ መንፈስ።\n\nChapter 5\n\nዕቀብ፡ እገሪከ፡ ሶበ፡ ተሐውር፡ ውስተ፡ ቤተ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ወቅረብ፡ ለሰሚዐ፡ ትምህርቶሙ፡ ለጠቢባን፡ ዓዲ፡ ተዓቀብ፡ እምነ፡ ሀብቶሙ፡ ለዓብዳን፡ መሥዋዕተ፡ እስመ፡ ኢኮኑ፡ ማእምራን፡ ለገቢረ፡ ሠናይ።\n\nወዓዲ፡ ተዓቀብ፡ ከመ፡ ኢትጐጒዕ፡ በአፉከ፡ ወበልብከሂ፡ ኢትጐጒዕ፡ ለአውጽኦ፡ ቃል፡ ቅድመ፡ ገጸ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ እስመ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ውስተ፡ ሰማይ፡ ላዕለ፡ ወአንተሰ፡ ውስተ፡ ምድር፡ ታሕተ፡ ወበእንተዝ፡ ይኩን፡ ነገርከ፡ ኅዳጠ።","english":"For if the two of them are known, and one of them is known.\n\nAnd if the two of them are strong, they will be compared, and a third thread is quickly broken.\n\nBetter a poor wise man than a foolish king and a servant who does not know how to look, as from a house of prison he goes out to be king, because in his kingdom he was poor.\n\nAnd I have seen all the company of those who are alive, who move about under the sun, like a second shadow and a dream; after that he rises.\n\nAnd there is no end for all the people, for all those who were before me, because the latter also do not rejoice there, because this also is vanity and a desire of the spirit.\n\nChapter 5\n\nGuard your foot when you walk within the house of God, and approach to hear the teaching of the wise; also guard yourself from the gifts of the servants of the sacrifice, because they are not wise for doing good.\n\nAnd also guard yourself that you do not err with your mouth, and in your heart also do not err to bring forth a word before the face of God, because God is in heaven above, and you are on earth below; and because of this, your speech will be lacking.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Chapter 5","severity":"info","text":"The passage begins with a chapter heading, 'Chapter 5', marking a structural division in the Geʿez text. This heading is not present in the Coptic Vorlage but is a standard feature of the Ethiopic manuscript tradition.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ዕቀብ፡ እገሪከ","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'ዕቀብ፡ እገሪከ' (guard your foot) is a literal rendering of a Coptic idiom meaning 'watch your step' or 'be careful'. The Geʿez preserves the concrete imagery of the original.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"external","lemma":"ቤተ፡ እግዚአብሔር","severity":"info","text":"The 'house of God' (ቤተ፡ እግዚአብሔር) refers to the temple or church, a common setting in wisdom literature for instruction on proper conduct. The Ethiopic tradition often applies such passages to monastic or liturgical contexts.","cites":[],"named_sources":["Andreas 2020"],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"እስመ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ውስተ፡ ሰማይ፡ ላዕለ፡ ወአንተሰ፡ ውስተ፡ ምድር፡ ታሕተ፡","severity":"info","text":"The contrast between God in heaven and humans on earth echoes Ecclesiastes 5:2 (LXX) and similar wisdom themes. The Geʿez text amplifies the vertical spatial opposition, typical of Ethiopic homiletic expansions.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"ወአልቦ፡ ፍጻሜ፡ ለኵሉ፡ ሕዝብ፡","severity":"info","text":"The statement that 'there is no end for all the people' reflects a Geʿez interpretive tradition emphasizing the futility of human striving, a key theme in Ethiopic commentaries on Ecclesiastes.","cites":[{"key":"ed:LIT1320Eccles","label":"source edition: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ወእመ፡ ፀንዐ፡ ክልኤሆሙ፡ ይትቃወምዎ፡ ወፈትል፡ ሥሉስ፡ ፍጡነ፡ ኢይትበተክ።","severity":"caution","text":"The second sentence is textually uncertain: 'a third thread is quickly broken' may be a corrupt or idiomatic rendering of a Coptic proverb. The Geʿez syntax is ambiguous, and the meaning is contested among editors.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'ኢይትበተክ።' (is quickly broken) is uncertain; it may be a scribal error or a rare verb form.","The referent of 'the two of them' in the first two sentences is unclear; it may refer to poverty and wealth or to two types of people mentioned in the previous passage."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":12,"ref":"p12","source":"እስመ፡ ይመጽእ፡ ሕልም፡ በብዙኅ፡ መከራ፡ ወቃለ፡ ዕበድ፡ በብዙኅ፡ ነገር።\n\nእምከመ፡ ጸለይከ፡ ጸሎተ፡ ኢታጐንዲ፡ ውኂቦታ፡ እስመ፡ ኢኮነ፡ ፈቃዱ፡ አንተሰ፡ በከመ፡ ጸለይከ፡ ጸሎተ፡ ሀብ።\n\nይኄይስ፡ ኢጸልዮትከ፡ እምጸልዮትከ፡ ዘበኢውሂብ።\n\nኢተሀብ፡ አፉከ፡ ለአበሳ፡ ሥጋከ፡ ወኢትበል፡ በቅድመ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ በኢያእምሮ፡ ውእቱ፡ ከመ፡ ኢይትመዓፅ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ላዕሌከ፡ በእንተ፡ ቃልከ፡ ወኢያማስን፡ ግብረ፡ አደዊከ።\n\nእስመ፡ ብዙኅ፡ ሕልም፡ ከንቱ፡ ወንባብኒ፡ ብዙኅ፡ ከንቱ፡ ወኅቡረ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ፍራህ፡ ከመ፡ ቀዳሚ።\n\nእመ፡ ትዕግልተ፡ ነዳይ፡ ወሀይደ፡ ርኢከ፡ በብሔር፡ ፍታሕ፡ ጽድቀ፡ ወኢታንክር፡ በምግባሩ፡ እስመ፡ ልዑል፡ መልዕልተ፡ ልዑላን፡ የዓቅበከ፡ ወልዑል፡ ዲቤሆሙ፡ ፈድፋደ፡ እምድር፡ ወላዕለ፡ ኵሉ፡ ውእቱ።\n\nወንጉሥ፡ ዲበ፡ ወፍረ፡ ሐረስት።\n\nዘያፈቅር፡ ብሩረ፡ ኢይጸግብ፡ ፍሩረ፡ ወዘኒ፡ አፍቀረ፡ ብዙኀ፡ እክለ፡ ወዝኒ፡ ከንቱ፡ ውእቱ።","english":"If a dream comes through many tribulations, and a word of destruction through many things.\n\nAs you prayed the prayer of the one who is hidden, its end, for it was his will; but you, as you prayed, give the prayer.\n\nIt is better that your prayer be hidden than your prayer that is given.\n\nDo not give your mouth to sin, your body, and do not speak before the Lord without understanding; it is he who will not be pleased, the Lord, over you because of your word, and he will not accept the deed of your enemy.\n\nFor many dreams are vanity, and much speech is vanity, and the fear of the Lord is like the first.\n\nIf you see the patience of a poor man and the way of a rich man in the land, open righteousness and do not deny his deed, for the High One above the high ones will watch over you, and the High One over them is higher than the earth and above all.\n\nAnd a king over the fruit of the field.\n\nHe who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver, and he who loved much grain, he also is vanity.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The passage shifts abruptly between aphoristic sayings, lacking a clear narrative thread, which is typical of the Coptic version of Ecclesiastes.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ሕልም","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term ሕልም (ḥəlləm) means 'dream' but can also connote 'vision' or 'revelation,' reflecting the ambiguous nature of the sayings.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ኢተሀብ አፉከ ለአበሳ","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'Do not give your mouth to sin' echoes Proverbs 10:19 and Sirach 20:7, warning against careless speech before God.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The reference to 'the High One above the high ones' reflects a common Geʿez epithet for God, emphasizing transcendence in Ethiopian Christian theology.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"ዘያፈቅር ብሩረ ኢይጸግብ ፍሩረ","severity":"info","text":"The saying 'He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver' parallels Ecclesiastes 5:10 and the broader wisdom tradition on insatiable greed.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'And a king over the fruit of the field' is syntactically isolated and may be a scribal insertion or a fragment from a lost verse.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Geʿez text contains several unclear transitions, particularly between the prayer motif and the subsequent warnings about speech and vanity.","The identity of 'the one who is hidden' in the prayer reference is ambiguous; it may refer to God or a specific figure in the tradition."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":13,"ref":"p13","source":"እስመ፡ ለብዙኅ፡ ጥሪት፡ ብዙኃን፡ ይበልዕዎ፡ ወምንት፡ ጽንዑ፡ ለዘይቀርብ፡ ዘእንበለ፡ ርእየ፡ ዓይን።\n\nጥዑም፡ ንዋሙ፡ ለገብር፡ ለእመ፡ ኅዳጠ፡ በልዐ፡ ወለእመ፡ ብዙኀ፡ በልዐ፡ ወለዘአብዝኀሰ፡ ብዕለ፡ አልቦ፡ ዘየኃድጎ፡ ይኑም።\n\nቦ፡ ደዌ፡ እንተ፡ ርኢኩ፡ መትሕተ፡ ፀሐይ፡ ብዕል፡ ዘይትዓቀብ፡ በኀበ፡ ዘአጥረዩ፡ በእከይ።\n\nወይትኀጐል፡ ውእቱ፡ ብዕል፡ በንታፌ፡ እኩይ፡ ወወለደ፡ ወልደ፡ አልቦ፡ ውስተ፡ እዴሁ፡ ወኢምንትኒ።\n\nበከመ፡ ወፅአ፡ እምከርሠ፡ እሙ፡ ዕራቆ፡ ይትመየጥ፡ ለገቢእ፡ በከመ፡ ወፅአ፡ ወአልቦ፡ ዘይነሥእ፡ እምፃማሁ፡ ከመ፡ ይሑር፡ ምስሌሁ።\n\nወዝኒ፡ እኩይ፡ ደዌ፡ ውእቱ፡ እስመ፡ በከመ፡ ወፅአ፡ ከማሁ፡ የሐውር።\n\nምንት፡ ፍድፋዴሁ፡ ለዘይፃሙ፡ ለነፍሱ፡ እስመ፡ ኵሎን፡ መዋዕሊሁ፡ ውስተ፡ ጽልመት፡ ወላህ፡ ወቊጥዓ፡ ብዙኅ፡ ወደዌ፡ ወኀዘን።\n\nወባሕቱ፡ ናሁ፡ ዘርኢኩ፡ አነ፡ ኄርት፡ ዘይእቲ፡ ሠናይት፡ በልዕ፡ ወሰትይ፡ ወርእየ፡ ፍግዕ፡ በኵሉ፡ ሥራኁ፡ ዘሠርኀ፡ መትሕተ፡ ፀሐይ፡ በኊልቈ፡ መዋዕሊሁ፡ ዘወሀቦ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ እስመ፡ ውእቱ፡ መክፈልቱ።","english":"For many tribulations, many will consume it; and what is the strength of one who approaches without the sight of the eye? The sweet sleep of a man: if he eats little, and if he eats much, and for one who has increased, there is no excess that will leave him; he sleeps. There is a disease which I have seen under the sun: excess that is stored up with one who has acquired it through evil. And that excess is consumed in evil pleasure, and he has begotten a son; there is nothing in his hand, nor anything at all. As he came forth from his mother's womb, naked, he will be buried; as he came forth, and there is none who will take from his fasting, as he will go with him. And this is an evil disease, for as he came forth, so he will go. What is the profit of one who fasts for his soul? For all his days are in darkness and lamentation, and much affliction, disease, and sorrow. But only this I have seen: the good thing, which is the good consumption, drink, and the sight of joy in all his labor which he has done under the sun, in the measure of his days which the Lord has given him, for it is his reward.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The passage contrasts material excess with spiritual discipline, framing fasting and asceticism as futile if the soul remains in darkness.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ብዕል","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term ብዕል (bəʿəl) means 'excess' or 'abundance,' but here it carries a moral valence, denoting ill-gotten wealth that corrupts.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ወልደ","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'he has begotten a son; there is nothing in his hand' echoes Ecclesiastes 5:14-15, where children are born into futility.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The image of coming forth naked and being buried naked (lines 5-6) reflects a common ascetic trope in Ethiopian monastic literature, emphasizing the vanity of worldly accumulation.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The passage moves from a general maxim (lines 1-2) to a specific example of excess (lines 3-4), then to a rhetorical question on fasting (line 7), and concludes with a positive counterpoint (line 8).","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'the sweet sleep of a man' (line 2) is ambiguous: it may refer to death or to a state of ignorant contentment, and the Geʿez does not resolve the metaphor.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of 'the one who approaches without the sight of the eye' (line 1) is unclear; it may refer to a blind person or metaphorically to one lacking discernment.","The phrase 'the good consumption, drink, and the sight of joy' (line 8) could be read as a hedonistic endorsement or as a sober recognition of God-given pleasures; the Geʿez allows both."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":14,"ref":"p14","source":"ወኵሉ፡ ሰብእ፡ ዘወሀቦ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ብዕለ፡ ወጥሪተ፡ ወአሥለጠ፡ ቦቱ፡ ከመ፡ ይብላዕ፡ እምውስቴቱ፡ ወይንሣእ፡ መክፈልቶ፡ ወይትፈሣሕ፡ እምፃማሁ፡ ዝኒ፡ ሀብተ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ውእቱ።\n\nእስመ፡ አኮ፡ ብዙኀ፡ ዘይዜከር፡ በኵሉ፡ መዋዕለ፡ ሕይወቱ፡ እስመ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ያሠርኆ፡ በፍትወተ፡ ልቡ።\n\nChapter 6\n\nቦ፡ እኩይ፡ ዘርኢኩ፡ እምታሕተ፡ ፀሐይ፡ ወብዝኅት፡ ይእቲ፡ በላዕለ፡ ኵሉ፡ ሰብእ።\n\nብእሲ፡ ዘወሀቦ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ብዕለ፡ ወጥሪተ፡ ወክብረ፡ ወአልቦ፡ ዘይከልኣ፡ ለነፍሱ፡ እምኵሉ፡ ዘፈተወት፡ ወኢያሥለጦ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ከመ፡ ይባላዕ፡ እምኔሁ፡ እስመ፡ ብእሲ፡ ነግድ፡ ይበልዖ፡ ወዝኒ፡ ከንቱ፡ ውእቱ፡ ወደዌ፡ እኪት።\n\nወለእመ፡ ወለደ፡ ብእሴ፡ ምእተ፡ ወብዙኀ፡ ዓመታተ፡ ኀይወ፡ ወብዙኀ፡ ኮነ፡ መዋዕለ፡ ዓመታቲሁ፡ ወነፍሱሂ፡ ኢትጸግብ፡ እምሠናይት፡ ወግንዘቱሂ፡ ኢኮኖ፡ እቤ፡ አነ፡ ይኄይስ፡ እምኔሁ፡ ዳሕፅ።\n\nእስመ፡ በከንቱ፡ መጽአ፡ ወውስተ፡ ጽልመት፡ የሐውር፡ ወበጽልመት፡ ስሙ፡ ይትከደን።","english":"And all that God has given to a man—wealth and tribulation—and he has not caused him to taste it, as though he might eat from it and take his portion and rejoice in his fasting; this also is a gift of God.\n\nFor it is not many who remember throughout all the days of his life, for God has hidden it from him by the desire of his heart.\n\nChapter 6\n\nThere is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it is great above all men.\n\nA man to whom God has given wealth and tribulation and honor, and there is none who can restrain his soul from all that it desires, and God has not caused him to taste it, as though he might eat from it; for a man is a merchant, and his merchandise consumes him, and this is vanity and an evil disease.\n\nAnd if a man should beget a hundred and many years of life, and many days of his years should be, and his soul should not be satisfied with good things, and his treasure should not be in my house, I would be more wretched than he.\n\nFor he came in vain, and he goes into darkness, and in darkness his name is hidden.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Chapter 6","severity":"info","text":"The passage begins with a chapter heading, 'Chapter 6', which is a structural marker inserted by the Coptic tradition, not original to the Geʿez text.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ብዕለ ወጥሪተ","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'ብዕለ ወጥሪተ' (wealth and tribulation) pairs material abundance with hardship, a recurring thematic contrast in Ecclesiastes.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"እስመ በከንቱ መጽአ ወውስተ ጽልመት የሐውር","severity":"info","text":"The closing verse echoes Ecclesiastes 6:4 (LXX), where the futility of human existence is expressed as coming in vain and departing into darkness.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ብእሲ ነግድ ይበልዖ","severity":"info","text":"The metaphor of a man as a merchant consumed by his merchandise reflects a Geʿez cultural context where trade and its perils were familiar, amplifying the theme of vanity.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ወኢያሥለጦ እግዚአብሔር ከመ ይባላዕ እምኔሁ","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'God has not caused him to taste it' is ambiguous: it may mean God withholds enjoyment or that the man cannot partake due to his own nature; the Geʿez allows both readings.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'ኢትጸግብ እምሠናይት' (not satisfied with good things) could refer to material goods or moral/spiritual goods; the Geʿez term 'ሠናይት' is ambiguous.","The identity of 'I' in 'አነ ይኄይስ እምኔሁ' (I would be more wretched than he) is unclear—whether the speaker is Qoheleth or a generic figure."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":15,"ref":"p15","source":"ወፀሐየኒ፡ ኢርእየ፡ ወኢያእመረ፡ ዕረፍቱ፡ ለዝ፡ እምዝ።\n\nወሶበ፡ ሐይወ፡ ዓሠርተ፡ ምእተ፡ ምሕዋረ፡ ዓመት፡ ወሠናይተ፡ ኢርእየ፡ አኮኑ፡ ውስተ፡ መካን፡ አሐዱ፡ ኵሉ፡ የሐውር።\n\nወኵሉ፡ ሥራኁለሰብእ፡ በአፉሁ፡ ወነፍሱሰ፡ ኢትመልእ፡ ብዕለ።\n\nምንት፡ ፍድፋዴሁ፡ ለጠቢብ፡ እምዐብድ፡ በእንተ፡ ምንት፡ ነዳይ፡ የአምር፡ ሐዊረ፡ ቅድመ፡ ሕይወት።\n\nይኄይስ፡ ርእይ፡ በዓይን፡ እምኀዊር፡ በነፍስ፡ ወዝኒ፡ ከንቱ፡ ወፍትወተ፡ ነፍስ።\n\nኵሉ፡ ዘኮነ፡ ናሁ፡ ተሰምየ፡ ስሙ፡ ወተአምረ፡ ከመ፡ ውእቱ፡ ሰብእ፡ ወኢይክል፡ ተጋእዞ፡ ምስለ፡ ዘይፀንዕ፡ እምኔሁ።\n\nእስመቦ፡ ከንቶ፡ ነገረ፡ ዘያበዝኅ፡ ምንት፡ ፍድፋዴሁ፡ ለሰብእ።\n\nመኑ፡ ውእቱ፡ ዘየአምር፡ ምንት፡ ውእቱ፡ ሠናይ፡ ለሰብእ፡ በሕይወቱ፡ እንዘ፡ ኊልቈ፡ መዋዕለ፡ ሕይወቱ፡ ከንቱ፡ ወግብሩ፡ ከመ፡ ጽላሎት፡ መኑ፡ ያየድዖ፡ ለሰብእ፡ ዘይከውን፡ እምድኅሬሁ፡ በታሕተ፡ ፀሐይ።\n\nChapter 7\n\nይኄይስ፡ ስም፡ ሠናይ፡ እምቅብዐ፡ መዐዛ፡ ወዕለተ፡ ሞት፡ እምዕለተ፡ ልደት።","english":"And the sun has seen, and it does not know its own rest from this.\n\nAnd when it had lived ten hundred circuits of years, and the good and the bad have seen, is it not that in one place all passes?\n\nAnd all the labor of man, by his mouth and his soul, is not filled with wealth.\n\nWhat is the difference between the wise and the fool, by what does the poor know the way before life?\n\nBetter is the sight of the eye than the journey of the soul, and vanity and desire of the soul.\n\nAll that has happened, now its name is heard, and it is a wonder that it is man, and he cannot compare himself with one who is stronger than he.\n\nFor this is vanity, the word that multiplies; what is the difference for man?\n\nWho is he who knows what is good for man in his life, while the days of his life are counted? Vanity is his work like a shadow; who will tell man what will be after him under the sun?\n\nChapter 7\n\nBetter is a good name than the scent of oil, and the day of death than the day of birth.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Chapter 7","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez text marks a chapter division here with 'Chapter 7', corresponding to the Coptic tradition of dividing Ecclesiastes into chapters.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"ይኄይስ፡ ስም፡ ሠናይ፡ እምቅብዐ፡ መዐዛ፡","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez phrase 'Better is a good name than the scent of oil' echoes a common wisdom motif in Ethiopic literature, emphasizing reputation over material wealth.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ዕለተ፡ ሞት፡ እምዕለተ፡ ልደት።","severity":"info","text":"The comparison 'the day of death than the day of birth' reflects a traditional Geʿez Christian ascetic perspective, valuing the afterlife over earthly life.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ፍድፋዴሁ","severity":"info","text":"The term 'ፍድፋዴሁ' (fədəfadehu) means 'difference' or 'distinction', used here in a rhetorical question about the wise and the fool.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ወኢያእመረ፡ ዕረፍቱ፡ ለዝ፡ እምዝ።","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'it does not know its own rest from this' is ambiguous; the referent of 'this' is unclear, possibly referring to the sun or a preceding concept.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'እምዝ' (from this) lacks a clear antecedent, leaving the sun's rest uncertain.","The identity of 'the sun' as a personification or literal celestial body is ambiguous."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":16,"ref":"p16","source":"ይኄይስ፡ ሐዊረ፡ ቤተ፡ ላህ፡ እምኀዊረ፡ ቤተ፡ ግዕዝ፡ እስመ፡ ውእቱዝ፡ ደኃሪቱ፡ ለኵሉ፡ ሰብእ፡ ወዘሕያው፡ የሀብ፡ ሠናየ፡ ውስተ፡ ልቡ።\n\nይኄይስ፡ መዓት፡ እምሰሐቅ፡ እስመ፡ በአእክዮ፡ ገጽ፡ ይሤኒ፡ ልብ።\n\nልበ፡ ጠቢባን፡ ውስተ፡ ቤተ፡ ላህ፡ ወልበ፡ ዐብዳንሰ፡ ውስተ፡ ቤተ፡ ፍሥሓ።\n\nይኄይስ፡ ሰሚዐ፡ ተግሣፀ፡ ጠቢብ፡ እምብእሲ፡ ዘይሰምዕ፡ ማኅሌተ፡ ዐብድ።\n\nከመ፡ ቃለ፡ አሥዋክ፡ ታሕተ፡ ጽሕርት፡ ከማሁ፡ ሰሐቆሙ፡ ለዐብዳን፡ ወዝኒ፡ ከንቱ፡ ውእቱ።\n\nእስመ፡ ትዕግልት፡ ያንጐግዎ፡ ለጠቢብ፡ ወያኃጒል፡ ትግዕሥተ፡ ልቡ።\n\nይኄይስ፡ ደኃሪ፡ ቃል፡ እምቀዳሚሁ፡ ወይኄይስ፡ መስተዓግስሥ፡ እምዕቡየ፡ መንፈስ።\n\nኢትጐጒዕ፡ በመንፈስከ፡ ለተምዖ፡ እስመ፡ መዓት፡ ውስተ፡ ኅፅነ፡ ዐብዳን፡ ተዐርፍ።\n\nኢትበል፡ ምንተ፡ ኮነ፡ እስመ፡ መዋዕለ፡ ትካት፡ ይኄይስ፡ እምእላንቱ፡ እስመ፡ አኮ፡ በጥበብ፡ ዘተስእልከ።\n\nወበእንተዝ፡ ሠናይ፡ ጥበብ፡ ምስለ፡ ዑቃቤ፡ ወፈድፋደሰ፡ ለእለ፡ ይሬእዩ፡ ፀሐየ።","english":"Alas, the going into the house of Lah is better than the going into the house of Geʿez, for it is the end of every man, and the living one has good in his heart.\n\nAlas, death is better than laughter, for by an evil face the heart is changed.\n\nThe heart of the wise is in the house of Lah, but the heart of servants is in the house of joy.\n\nAlas, hearing the admonition of a wise man is better than a man who hears the song of a servant.\n\nAs the word of a physician is under the sun, so is the laughter of servants, and it is a vain thing.\n\nFor patience strengthens the wise and restrains the agitation of his heart.\n\nAlas, the last word is better than its first, and alas, the moderate is better than the arrogant spirit.\n\nStrengthen yourself in your spirit for understanding, for death in the bosom of servants is a dwelling.\n\nSay, \"What has happened?\" for the days of bitterness are better than these, for it is not by wisdom that you have asked.\n\nAnd because of this, good wisdom is with patience, and diligence is for those who see the sun.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ቤተ፡ ላህ","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'house of Lah' likely refers to the house of God or the afterlife, contrasting with 'house of Geʿez' (the earthly realm). Lah may be a divine name or epithet.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ቤተ፡ ግዕዝ","severity":"info","text":"'House of Geʿez' probably denotes the earthly world or the realm of the living, possibly referencing the Geʿez language or Ethiopia as a metonym for mortal existence.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This passage consists of a series of proverbial comparisons, each introduced by 'Alas' (ይኄይስ), contrasting better and worse states, typical of wisdom literature.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The comparison of death to laughter and the heart's change by an evil face echoes themes in Ecclesiastes (e.g., 7:3-4) about the vanity of joy and the inevitability of death.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'the heart of servants is in the house of joy' may be textually uncertain; 'servants' (ዐብዳን) could also mean 'slaves' or 'worshippers', affecting interpretation.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez version of Ecclesiastes, as in this passage, adapts the biblical text with local idioms (e.g., 'house of Geʿez'), reflecting Ethiopian Christian reception and translation practices.","cites":[{"key":"ed:LIT1320Eccles","label":"source edition: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of 'Lah' is ambiguous; it may be a divine name or a corruption of 'Elohim'.","The phrase 'house of Geʿez' could refer literally to the land of Geʿez or metaphorically to the earthly life.","The term 'servants' (ዐብዳን) may be interpreted as 'slaves' or 'worshippers', affecting the contrast with the wise."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":17,"ref":"p17","source":"እስመ፡ ጽላሎታ፡ ለጥበብ፡ ይኄይስ፡ እምጽላሎታ፡ ለብሩር፡ ወፈድፋደሰ፡ አእምሮታ፡ ለጥበብ፡ ወታሐይዎ፡ ለዘአጥረያ።\n\nርኢ፡ ተግባሮ፡ ለእግዚአብሔር፡ ወመኑ፡ ውእቱ፡ ዘይክል፡ አርትዖቶ፡ ለዘእግዚአብሔር፡ አጥወዮ።\n\nበመዋዕለ፡ ሠናይ፡ ሕየው፡ በፍሥሓ፡ ወርኢ፡ በዕለት፡ እኪት፡ ዝኒ፡ ናሁ፡ ወምሰሉ፡ ለዘውእቱ፡ ገብረ፡ እግዚአብሔር።\n\nበእንተ፡ ነገረ፡ ውሉደ፡ ሰብእ፡ ከመ፡ ኢይርከብ፡ ሰብእ፡ ዘእምድኅሬሁ፡ ወኢምንትኒ፡ ኵሎ፡ ኅቡረ፡ ርኢኩ፡ በመዋዕለ፡ ሥራኅየ፡ ቦ፡ ጻድቅ፡ ዘይትኃጐል፡ በጽድቁ፡ ወቦ፡ ረሲዕ፡ ዘይሄሉ፡ በእከዩ።\n\nኢትኩን፡ ጻድቀ፡ ፈድፋደ፡ ወኢትጠበብ፡ ፈድፋደ፡ ከመ፡ ኢትጌጊ፡ ወኢትኅጣእ፡ ፈድፋደ።\n\nወኢትኩን፡ ድሩከ፡ ከመ፡ ኢትሙት፡ ዘእንበለ፡ ጊዜሁ።\n\nይኄይስ፡ ሀልዎትከ፡ በዝ፡ እምዝ፡ ወኢታርኵስ፡ እዴከ፡ ፍርሆ፡ ለእግዚአብሔር፡ እስመ፡ ዘይፈርሆ፡ ለእግዚአብሔር፡ ይወፅእ፡ እምኵሉ።\n\nጥበብ፡ ትረድኦ፡ ለጠቢብ፡ እምዓሠርቱ፡ ምእት፡ መኳንንት፡ እለ፡ ሀለዉ፡ ውስተ፡ ሀገር።","english":"For the shadow of wisdom is better than the shadow of silver, and the abundance of the understanding of wisdom is more excellent, and it saves him who has acquired it.\n\nBehold the works of the Lord, and who is he that can correct what the Lord has made crooked?\n\nIn a good time, be joyful and see; in a day of evil, this too is now, and it is like that which is the work of the Lord.\n\nConcerning the matter of the children of men: as no man can find what is after him, and nothing of all that is hidden have I seen in the time of my youth; there is a righteous one who is adorned in his righteousness, and there is a wicked one who lives in his wickedness.\n\nBe not exceedingly righteous, and be not exceedingly wise, lest you be proud, and be not exceedingly sinful.\n\nAnd be not exceedingly rich, lest you die before your time.\n\nIt is better for you to be in this state than that, and do not let your hand be slack from the fear of the Lord, for he who fears the Lord will escape from everything.\n\nWisdom guides the wise man more than ten hundred princes who are in the city.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"ጽላሎታ ለጥበብ","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez phrase 'shadow of wisdom' echoes the semantic range of the Coptic ϩⲁⲓⲃⲉⲥ (shade, protection), suggesting wisdom as a shelter, not merely a faint imitation.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"በመዋዕለ ሠናይ ሕየው በፍሥሓ ወርኢ በዕለት እኪት","severity":"info","text":"The exhortation to rejoice in good times and see in evil times recalls Ecclesiastes 3:22 (LXX) on accepting both fortune and misfortune as from God.","cites":[{"key":"ed:LIT1320Eccles","label":"source edition: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ጻድቅ","severity":"info","text":"ጻድቅ (ṣādeq) means 'righteous one' but also carries the connotation of 'just' in a legal or moral sense, distinct from the wicked (ረሲዕ).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"ኢትኩን ጻድቀ ፈድፋደ ወኢትጠበብ ፈድፋደ","severity":"info","text":"The series of negated imperatives ('be not exceedingly righteous, wise, sinful, rich') forms a rhetorical pattern of moderation, typical of wisdom literature.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"እምዓሠርቱ ምእት መኳንንት","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'ten hundred princes' (i.e., a thousand rulers) is a hyperbolic expression for secular authority, contrasting the singular guidance of wisdom.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ወኢትኩን ድሩከ ከመ ኢትሙት ዘእንበለ ጊዜሁ","severity":"caution","text":"The warning against excessive riches lest one die before one's time is ambiguous: it may reflect a folk belief in divine retribution or a proverbial caution against hubris.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'be not exceedingly righteous' (ኢትኩን ጻድቀ ፈድፋደ) could be read as a warning against self-righteousness or against excessive asceticism; the Geʿez does not disambiguate.","The reference to 'the works of the Lord' (ተግባሮ ለእግዚአብሔር) may allude to a specific biblical passage (e.g., Job 40) or be a general theological statement."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":18,"ref":"p18","source":"እስመ፡ አልቦ፡ ሰብእ፡ ጻድቅ፡ ውስተ፡ ምድር፡ ዘይገብር፡ ሠናየ፡ ወኢይኤብስ።\n\nወውስተ፡ ኵሉ፡ ነገር፡ ዘይትናገሩ፡ ኢትሰድ፡ ልበከ፡ ከመ፡ ኢትስማዕ፡ ገብርከ፡ እንዘ፡ ይረግመከ፡ እስመ፡ ብዙኀ፡ ይትመዓዓከ፡ ልብካ፡ ወበፍናው፡ ብዙኅ፡ የአክያ፡ ለልብከ፡ ከመ፡ አንተኒ፡ ረገምከ፡ ባዕደ።\n\nወዘንተ፡ ኵሎ፡ አምከርኩከ፡ በጥበብ፡ ወእቤ፡ እጠበብ።\n\nወይእቲ፡ ርኅቅት፡ እምኔየ፡ ርኁቀ፡ እንዘ፡ ሀለወት፡ ወዕመቀ፡ ዕመቅ፡ መኑ፡ ይረክባ።\n\nዖድኩ፡ አነ፡ በልብ፡ ለአእምሮ፡ ከመ፡ አሐሊ፡ ወእኅሥሣ፡ ለጥበብ፡ ወለሐሳብ፡ ወከመ፡ አእምር፡ ለረሲዓን፡ ዕበዶሙ፡ ወአጽሕቆ፡ ስሕተታት።\n\nወእረከብ፡ ኪያሃ፡ አነ፡ መራረ፡ እሞት፡ ብእሲት፡ እንተ፡ ይእቲ፡ መሥገርት፡ ወመርበብት፡ ልባ፡ ወማእሰር፡ ውስተ፡ እዴሃ፡ ኄር፡ በቅድመ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ዘይትባላሕ፡ እምኔሃ፡ ወዘይኤብስሰ፡ ይሠገር፡ ባቲ።\n\nናሁ፡ ዘንተ፡ ረከብኩ፡ ይቤ፡ መክብብ፡ አሐተ፡ እምአሐቲ፡ ለረኪበ፡ ሕሊና፡ ዘኀሠሠት፡ ነፍስየ።","english":"There is no righteous man on earth who does good and does not err.\n\nAnd in every matter of which they speak, let your heart be silent, as though you did not hear your companion while he reviles you; for your heart will be greatly troubled, and in the end it will cause your heart much grief, as though you also had reviled another.\n\nAnd all this I have counseled you with wisdom, and I say, beware.\n\nAnd she is far from me, distant while she exists, and deep, deep—who can find her?\n\nI have grown weary in the heart of understanding, as one who seeks and desires wisdom and thought, and as one who knows the greatness of the wicked and the errors of the foolish.\n\nAnd I have found her, I myself, a bitter thing: a woman who is a snare and a trap, her heart a fetter and a chain in her hand, good before the Lord, but he who is deceived by her and errs is ensnared by her.\n\nBehold, this I have found, says the Preacher, one by one for the finding of the wisdom which my soul desired.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"ኢትሰድ፡ ልበከ፡","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'let your heart be silent' (ኢትሰድ፡ ልበከ፡) is a call to inner stillness in the face of provocation, echoing the wisdom tradition's emphasis on self-control.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"መሥገርት፡","severity":"info","text":"መሥገርት፡ (maśgärt) means 'snare' or 'trap', often used metaphorically for a source of entrapment or deception, here applied to a woman.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"እስመ፡ አልቦ፡ ሰብእ፡ ጻድቅ፡ ውስተ፡ ምድር፡ ዘይገብር፡ ሠናየ፡ ወኢይኤብስ።","severity":"info","text":"The opening statement that no righteous man does good without erring recalls the biblical theme of human fallibility, akin to Ecclesiastes 7:20 ('there is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin').","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"ናሁ፡ ዘንተ፡ ረከብኩ፡ ይቤ፡ መክብብ፡","severity":"info","text":"The passage concludes with a formulaic self-identification of the speaker as 'the Preacher' (መክብብ፡), mirroring the voice of Qoheleth in the biblical book.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"ብእሲት፡ እንተ፡ ይእቲ፡ መሥገርት፡","severity":"info","text":"The depiction of a woman as a 'snare' and 'trap' reflects a misogynistic trope common in wisdom literature (e.g., Proverbs 5:3-5) and may have been read allegorically in Geʿez monastic contexts as a warning against worldly attachments.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of 'she' (ርኅቅት፡) in the fourth unit is ambiguous: it may refer to wisdom personified or to a specific woman mentioned later. The reading taken follows the English draft, treating it as wisdom.","The phrase 'good before the Lord' (ኄር፡ በቅድመ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡) could be read as ironic or literal; the translation opts for a literal sense."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":19,"ref":"p19","source":"ወኢረከብኩ፡ ወብእሴሰ፡ አሐደ፡ እምዓሠርቱ፡ ምእት፡ ረከብኩ፡ ወብእሲተሰ፡ እምውስተ፡ ዝኵሉ፡ ኢረከብኩ።\n\nባሕቱ፡ ናሁ፡ ዘንተ፡ ረከብኩ፡ ዘገብረ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ በጊዜሁ፡ ብእሴ፡ ራትዐ፡ ወውእቱ፡ የኃሥሥ፡ ሕሊና፡ ብዙኀ።\n\nChapter 8\n\nመኑ፡ የአምኖሙ፡ ለጠቢባን፡ ወመኑ፡ የአምር፡ ፈክሮ፡ ቃሎሙ፡ ጥበቡ፡ ለብእሲ፡ ያበርህ፡ ገጾ፡ ወዘአልቦ፡ ኀፍረት፡ ውስተ፡ ገጹ፡ ይጸላእ።\n\nወልድየ፡ አፈ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ዕቀብ፡ ወለቃለ፡ መሐላ፡ ኢትጐጒዕ።\n\nእምቅድመ፡ ገጹ፡ ኅልፍ፡ ወኢትቁም፡ በነገር፡ እኩይ፡ እስመ፡ ኵሎ፡ ዘፈቀደ፡ ይገብር።\n\nወከመ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ሥሉጠ፡ ይትናገር፡ ወመኑ፡ ይብሎ፡ ምንተ፡ ገበርከ።\n\nዘየዓቅብ፡ ትእዛዞ፡ ኢየአምር፡ ቃለ፡ እኩየ፡ ወጊዜሁ፡ ለፍትሕ፡ የአምር፡ ልበ፡ ጠቢብ።\n\nእስመ፡ ለኵሉ፡ ግብር፡ ቦ፡ ጊዜ፡ ወፍትሕ፡ እስመ፡ አእምሮቱ፡ ለብእሲ፡ ጽኑዕ፡ ላዕሌሁ።\n\nእስመ፡ አልቦ፡ ዘየአምር፡ ምንተ፡ ዘኮነ፡ ወዘይከውንሂ፡ መኑ፡ ይነግር።","english":"And I did not find one man out of a hundred; I found one woman out of all these, I did not find.\n\nOnly this I found, which the Lord did in his time: a man of righteous heart, and he is one who thinks much.\n\nChapter 8\n\nWho will believe the wise, and who will understand the interpretation of their words? The wisdom of a man illuminates his face, and he who has no shame in his face is hateful.\n\nMy son, guard the mouth of a king, and do not be hasty with the word of an oath.\n\nPass before his face, and do not stand in an evil matter, for he does all that he desires.\n\nAnd as a king speaks with authority, who will say to him, \"What have you done?\"\n\nHe who keeps his command does not understand the word of evil, and at the time of judgment the heart of the wise understands.\n\nFor every deed has a time and a judgment, for the understanding of a man is strong over him.\n\nFor there is no one who knows what has been, and who will tell what will be?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Chapter 8","severity":"info","text":"The passage begins with a concluding statement from the previous section, then introduces Chapter 8 with a new thematic focus on wisdom, kingship, and judgment.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"ወኢረከብኩ፡ ወብእሴሰ፡ አሐደ፡ እምዓሠርቱ፡ ምእት፡ ረከብኩ፡ ወብእሲተሰ፡ እምውስተ፡ ዝኵሉ፡ ኢረከብኩ።","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez text repeats 'I did not find' (ኢረከብኩ) twice, emphasizing the rarity of a righteous person. The English draft smooths this repetition, but the original stresses the exceptional nature of the one woman found.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ራትዐ","severity":"info","text":"The term ራትዐ (rātəʿ) means 'righteous' or 'just' in Geʿez, often used in ethical contexts. Here it describes a man of righteous heart, linking to the theme of moral discernment.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ወልድየ፡ አፈ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ዕቀብ፡","severity":"info","text":"The advice 'guard the mouth of a king' echoes wisdom literature such as Proverbs (e.g., Prov 21:23) and Sirach, where caution before authority is counseled. No direct citation is given in the source.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"እስመ፡ አልቦ፡ ዘየአምር፡ ምንተ፡ ዘኮነ፡ ወዘይከውንሂ፡ መኑ፡ ይነግር።","severity":"info","text":"The closing reflection on the unknowability of past and future is a common theme in Ecclesiastes (cf. Qoh 1:9-11), emphasizing human limitation. The Geʿez version maintains this skeptical tone.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ወኢረከብኩ፡ ወብእሴሰ፡ አሐደ፡ እምዓሠርቱ፡ ምእት፡ ረከብኩ፡ ወብእሲተሰ፡ እምውስተ፡ ዝኵሉ፡ ኢረከብኩ።","severity":"caution","text":"The Geʿez text is syntactically awkward: 'I did not find, and as for a man, one out of a hundred I found, and as for a woman, out of all these I did not find.' The English draft simplifies, but the original may reflect a textual corruption or scribal error.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Geʿez text in the first sentence is ambiguous: it may mean 'I did not find one man out of a hundred, but I found one woman out of all these' or 'I did not find one man out of a hundred, and I did not find one woman out of all these.' The English draft takes the former reading, but the repetition of 'I did not find' (ኢረከብኩ) at the end suggests the latter."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":20,"ref":"p20","source":"ወአልቦ፡ ብእሲ፡ ዘይሤለጥ፡ በመንፈሱ፡ ለከሊአ፡ መንፈስ፡ ኅቡረ፡ ወአልቦ፡ ዘይሤለጥ፡ በዕለተ፡ ሞት፡ ወአልቦ፡ መልእክት፡ በዕለተ፡ ቀትል፡ ወኢታድኅን፡ ረሲዓነ፡ ዘኀቤሃ።\n\nኵሎ፡ ኅቡረ፡ ርኢኩ፡ ወወሀብኩ፡ ልብየ፡ ውስተ፡ ኵሉ፡ ዘፍጥረት፡ ዘተፈጥረ፡ መትሕተ፡ ፀሐይ፡ ዘመጠነ፡ ተሠልጠ፡ ሰብእ፡ ለአእክዮተ፡ ሰብእ።\n\nአሜሃ፡ ርኢኩ፡ ረሲዓነ፡ ውስተ፡ መቃብር፡ ቅዱስ፡ እንዘ፡ ይበውኡ፡ ወዘእምቅዱሳን፡ ሖሩ፡ ወተወደሱ፡ በውስተ፡ ሀገር፡ እስመ፡ ከመዝ፡ ገብሩ፡ ዝኒ፡ ከንቱ።\n\nእስመ፡ አልቦ፡ ዘይከውን፡ ቅስት፡ እምእለ፡ ገብሩ፡ እኩየ፡ በፍጡን፡ በእንተ፡ ዝንቱ፡ አዕረፈ፡ ልበ፡ ውሉደ፡ ሰብእ፡ ቦሙ፡ ለገቢረ፡ እከይ፡ ዘአበሰ፡ ወገብረ፡ ኃጢአተ፡ እምትካት፡ ወእምቅድሜሁ።\n\nእስመ፡ አአምር፡ አነ፡ ከመ፡ ቦ፡ ሠናይት፡ ለእለ፡ ይፈርህዎ፡ ለእግዚአብሔር፡ ከመ፡ ይፍርሁ፡ እምቅድመ፡ ገጹ።\n\nወአልቦ፡ ሠናይት፡ ለረሲዕ፡ ወኢነውኅ፡ መዋዕለ፡ ጽላሎቱ፡ ዘኢይፈርህ፡ እምቅድመ፡ ገጹ፡ ለእግዚአብሔር።","english":"And there is no man who can escape in his spirit from the whole spirit together, and there is no one who can escape on the day of death, and there is no messenger on the day of killing, and wickedness does not save what it has hidden.\n\nI have seen everything together, and I have given my heart into all of creation that was created beneath the sun, where man has been able to escape from the wickedness of man.\n\nThen I saw wickedness in the holy tomb while they were burying him, and those who were holy went and boasted in the city, for they did this also in vain.\n\nFor there is no one who can become a bow from those who did evil quickly, because of this the heart of the children of man is troubled for the doer of evil who has sinned and committed sin from his beginning and from before him.\n\nFor I know that there is goodness for those who fear the Lord, as they fear before his face.\n\nAnd there is no goodness for the wicked, and the days of his shadow are not long, for he does not fear before the face of the Lord.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"ወአልቦ፡ ብእሲ፡ ዘይሤለጥ፡ በመንፈሱ፡ ለከሊአ፡ መንፈስ፡ ኅቡረ፡","severity":"info","text":"The opening clause is ambiguous: ለከሊአ፡ መንፈስ፡ may mean 'the whole spirit' (collective) or 'the entire spirit' (individual). The English draft takes it as a collective, but the Geʿez could also be read as 'from his own whole spirit,' yielding a different sense of inescapability.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ረሲዓነ፡","severity":"info","text":"ረሲዓነ፡ (rəsiʿāne) is a plural noun meaning 'wickedness' or 'evil deeds,' often personified. Here it appears as an abstract force that cannot save what it hides, consistent with the ethical dualism of the work.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ወአልቦ፡ ዘይከውን፡ ቅስት፡ እምእለ፡ ገብሩ፡ እኩየ፡","severity":"info","text":"The image of a 'bow' (ቅስት) made from evildoers is unique to this passage and not a direct biblical quotation. It may echo the metaphor of moral transformation found in Wisdom literature, but no specific verse is cited.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"ቅዱስ፡ መቃብር፡","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'holy tomb' (ቅዱስ መቃብር) likely refers to a martyr’s shrine or a saint’s burial site, reflecting the Geʿez Christian context where tombs were venerated. The passage critiques hypocrisy: the wicked are buried as saints while the truly holy boast in vain.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"አሜሃ፡ ርኢኩ፡","severity":"info","text":"The passage shifts from general maxims (vv. 1–2) to a narrative observation ('Then I saw') in v. 3, then to a reflective conclusion (vv. 4–6). This structure is typical of the work's blend of proverbial and autobiographical discourse.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ወኢታድኅን፡ ረሲዓነ፡ ዘኀቤሃ።","severity":"caution","text":"The final phrase of v. 1, ዘኀቤሃ (zəḫabbehā), is obscure: it may mean 'what it has hidden' (from ኀብአ, 'to hide') or be a corruption. The English draft reads it as 'what it has hidden,' but the Geʿez could also be parsed as a feminine singular suffix referring to wickedness.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase ለከሊአ፡ መንፈስ፡ could be read as 'the whole spirit' (collective) or 'the entire spirit' (individual).","ዘኀቤሃ is ambiguous: possibly 'what it has hidden' or a textual corruption."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":21,"ref":"p21","source":"ወቦ፡ ከንቱ፡ ዘተገብረ፡ መትሕተ፡ ፀሐይ፡ ውስተ፡ ምድር፡ እስመቦ፡ ጻድቃን፡ ዘይበጽሕ፡ ላዕሌሆሙ፡ ግብረ፡ ረሲዓን፡ ወቦ፡ ረሲዓን፡ ዘይበጽሕ፡ ላዕሌሆሙ፡ ግብረ፡ ጻድቃን፡ ወእቤ፡ ዝኒ፡ ከንቱ።\n\nወወደስክዋ፡ አነ፡ ለኵላ፡ ፍግዕ፡ እስመ፡ አልቦ፡ ሠናይ፡ ለሰብእ፡ እምታኅተ፡ ፀሐይ፡ ዘእንበለ፡ ዘበልዐ፡ ወሰትየ፡ ወተፈሥሐ፡ ወውእቱሰ፡ ዘሎቱ፡ እምፃማሁ፡ በመዋዕለ፡ ሕይወቱ፡ ዘወሀቦ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ እምታሕተ፡ ፀሐይ።\n\nእስመ፡ ወሀብኩ፡ ልብየ፡ ለአእምሮ፡ ጥበብ፡ ወከመ፡ እርአይ፡ ሥራኀ፡ ዘተገብረ፡ ዲበ፡ ምድር፡ እስመ፡ በመዓልትኒ፡ ወበሌሊትኒ፡ ንዋም፡ ውስተ፡ አዕይንቲሁ፡ ዘይሬኢ፡ አልቦ።\n\nወርኢኩ፡ ኵሎ፡ ግብሮ፡ ለእግዚአብሔር፡ ከመ፡ ኢይክል፡ ሰብእ፡ ረኪበ፡ ኅቡረ፡ ዘተገብረ፡ መትሕተ፡ ፀሐይ፡ እመ፡ ሚ፡ መጠነ፡ ይቤ፡ ጠቢብ፡ ከመ፡ ያእምር፡ ኢይክል፡ ሰብእ፡ ረኪበ፡ ወእመሚ፡ መጠነ፡ ኃሠሠ፡ ኢይክል፡ ሰብእ፡ ረኪበ።\n\nChapter 9\n\nእስመ፡ ኅቡረ፡ ዘንተ፡ ኵሎ፡ ወሀብኩ፡ ልብየ፡ ወልብየ፡ ዘንተ፡ ኵሎ፡ ርእየት፡ ከመ፡ ለጻድቃን፡ ወለጠቢባን፡ ምግባሮሙ፡ ውስተ፡ እደ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ፍቅረ፡ ወጽልአ፡ አልቦ፡ ዘየአምር፡ ሰብእ፡ ኵሉ፡ ቅድመ፡ ገጾሙ፡ ወከንቱ፡ ውእቱ፡ ውስተ፡ ኵሉ።","english":"And there is vanity which is done under the sun in the earth, until the righteous attain the deeds of the wicked upon them, and there are the wicked who attain the deeds of the righteous upon them, and I say this also is vanity.\n\nAnd I despise all, for there is no good for man under the sun without what he has eaten and drunk and rejoiced, and that which is his from his labor in the days of his life, which the Lord has given him from under the sun.\n\nFor I have given my heart to the understanding of wisdom, and as I see the multitude of what is done upon the earth, for by day and by night there is no sleep in his eyes that he may see.\n\nAnd I have seen all the works of the Lord, how man cannot find a companion who has done under the sun, if how much the wise man says he knows, man cannot find a companion, and if how much he desires, man cannot find a companion.\n\nChapter 9\n\nFor this companion of all, I have given my heart, and my heart has seen all this, that for the righteous and the wise, their deeds are in the hand of the Lord; love and hatred have no one who knows man, all before their faces, and it is vanity in all.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Chapter 9","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez text marks the beginning of Chapter 9 with the phrase 'Chapter 9', which is a structural division not present in the Hebrew or Greek versions but introduced in the Ethiopic tradition.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ከንቱ (kantu)","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term 'ከንቱ' (kantu) is consistently rendered as 'vanity' in the English draft, but it carries the sense of 'emptiness' or 'futility', aligning with the Hebrew 'hevel' in Ecclesiastes.","cites":[{"key":"ed:LIT1320Eccles","label":"source edition: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The passage reflects the theme of moral inversion, where the righteous suffer the deeds of the wicked and vice versa, a common motif in wisdom literature questioning divine justice.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"እግዚአብሔር (ʾəgziʾabəḥer)","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'works of the Lord' (ግብሮ ለእግዚአብሔር) echoes the biblical language of Ecclesiastes, where God's actions are inscrutable, though no direct verse is quoted.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The English draft's rendering 'I despise all' for 'ወወደስክዋ አነ ለኵላ ፍግዕ' may overstate the Geʿez, which more likely means 'I consider all as worthless' or 'I reject all', reflecting a judgment rather than emotional contempt.","cites":[{"key":"ed:LIT1320Eccles","label":"source edition: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez text of Ecclesiastes is part of the broader Ethiopic biblical tradition, translated from the Septuagint, and this passage shows the influence of Hellenistic philosophical skepticism on the interpretation of human endeavor.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Geʿez phrase 'እስመቦ ጻድቃን ዘይበጽሕ ላዕሌሆሙ ግብረ ረሲዓን' is ambiguous: it could mean 'until the righteous attain the deeds of the wicked upon them' (as in the English draft) or 'until the deeds of the wicked come upon the righteous', with the subject-object relationship unclear."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":22,"ref":"p22","source":"ወአሐዱ፡ ድድቁ፡ ለጻድቅ፡ ወለረሲዕ፡ ለኄር፡ ወለእኩይ፡ ለርኩስ፡ ወለንጹሕ፡ ለዘይሠውዕ፡ ወለዘኢይሠውዕ፡ ለኄር፡ ወለዘሂ፡ የኃጥእ፡ ለዘይምሕል፡ ወለዘሂ፡ ይፈርህ፡ መሐላ።\n\nዝክቱ፡ በኵሉ፡ ዘተገብረ፡ መትሕተ፡ ፀሐይ፡ እስመ፡ አሐዱ፡ ድድቁ፡ ለኵሉ፡ ወልቦሙ፡ ለውሉደ፡ ሰብእ፡ ትፌጽም፡ እኩየ፡ ወበሁከተ፡ ልቦሙ፡ ሕይወቶሙ፡ ወእምድኅሬሆሙ፡ ኀበ፡ ምውታን።\n\nእስመ፡ መኑ፡ ውእቱ፡ ዘይሳተፍ፡ ምስለ፡ ሕያዋን፡ በተስፋ፡ ከልብ፡ ሕያው፡ ይኄይስ፡ እምአንበሳ፡ ምውት።\n\nእስመ፡ ሕያዋን፡ የአምሩ፡ ከመ፡ ይመውቱ፡ ወሙታንሰ፡ ኢየአምሩ፡ ወኢምንትኒ፡ ወአልቦሙ፡ እንከ፡ ዓስብ።\n\nእስመዝክሮሙ፡ ወፍቅሮሙ፡ ወጽልኦሙኒ፡ ወቅንአቶሙኒ፡ ናሁ፡ ተኃጒለ፡ ወመክፈልት፡ አልቦሙ፡ እንከ፡ ውስተ፡ ዓለም፡ በኵሉ፡ ዘተገብረ፡ መትሕተ፡ ፀሐይ።\n\nነዓ፡ ብላዕ፡ በፍሥሓ፡ ኅብስተከ፡ ወስተይ፡ በልብ፡ ኄር፡ ወይነከ፡ እስመ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ሠምረ፡ ምግባሪከ።\n\nበኵሉ፡ ጊዜ፡ ይኩን፡ ንጹሐ፡ አልባሲከ፡ ወቀቅብዕ፡ እምርእስከ፡ ኢይርኃቅ።","english":"And one vanity for the righteous and for the wicked, for the good and for the evil, for the unclean and for the pure, for one who errs and for one who does not err, for the good and for one who sins, for one who curses and for one who fears an oath.\n\nThis is all that was done under the sun, for one vanity for all, and the hearts of the children of men are filled with evil, and in the distress of their hearts is their life, and after them, to the place of the dead.\n\nFor who is it that dwells with the living? In hope, a living dog is better than a dead lion.\n\nFor the living hope that they will die, but the dead do not hope, and there is nothing, and they have no thought at all.\n\nFor their memory and their love and their hatred and their envy—behold, they are ended, and they have no portion at all in the world, in all that was done under the sun.\n\nCome, eat your bread with joy, and drink your good wine with a glad heart, for the Lord has approved your deeds.\n\nAt all times, let your garments be clean, and a crown on your head, and do not be far.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"ወአሐዱ፡ ድድቁ፡","severity":"info","text":"The passage opens with a series of binary pairs (righteous/wicked, good/evil, etc.) that echo the rhetorical pattern of the previous passage, reinforcing the theme of universal vanity.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ድድቁ","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term ድድቁ (dǝdǝqǝ) is translated as 'vanity' but carries the sense of 'emptiness' or 'futility,' consistent with the Hebrew hebel in Ecclesiastes.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"እስመ፡ ሕያዋን፡ የአምሩ፡ ከመ፡ ይመውቱ፡","severity":"info","text":"The statement 'the living hope that they will die' echoes Ecclesiastes 9:10, where the living are contrasted with the dead, though the Geʿez expands the thought.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"ሕያው፡ ይኄይስ፡ እምአንበሳ፡ ምውት።","severity":"info","text":"The proverb 'a living dog is better than a dead lion' parallels a common Near Eastern saying, also found in the Babylonian Talmud (Berakhot 58b), emphasizing the value of life over death.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"ነዓ፡ ብላዕ፡ በፍሥሓ፡","severity":"info","text":"The exhortation to eat and drink with joy, and the approval of the Lord, reflects the Geʿez Christian reception of Ecclesiastes as affirming moderate enjoyment of life under divine providence.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ወቀቅብዕ፡ እምርእስከ፡ ኢይርኃቅ።","severity":"caution","text":"The final phrase 'a crown on your head, and do not be far' is obscure; it may be a textual corruption or a metaphorical call to maintain dignity and presence, but the exact meaning is uncertain.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'a crown on your head, and do not be far' is ambiguous: it could be a literal instruction or a metaphor for readiness, but the Geʿez text does not clarify.","The identity of 'the Lord' (እግዚአብሔር) approving deeds may refer to God or a human master, though the context favors God."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":23,"ref":"p23","source":"ወርኢ፡ ሕይወተ፡ ምስለ፡ ብእሲትከ፡ እንተ፡ አፍቀርካ፡ ኵሎ፡ መዋዕለ፡ ሕይወትከ፡ እለ፡ ተውህባከ፡ እምታሕተ፡ ፀሐይ፡ ኵሎ፡ መዋዕለ፡ እለ፡ ኮና፡ ለከ፡ እስመ፡ ውእቱ፡ መክፈልትከ፡ በሕይወትከ።\n\nወበሥራኅከ፡ ዘትሠርኅ፡ እምታሕተ፡ ፀሐይ፡ ኵሎ፡ ዘትክል፡ እዴከ፡ ለገቢር፡ መጠነ፡ ኃይልከ፡ ግበር፡ እስመ፡ አልቦ፡ ግብር፡ ወሕሊና፡ ወጥበብ፡ ወአእምሮ፡ ውስተ፡ ገሃነም፡ ኀበ፡ ተሐውር፡ አንተ፡ ህየ።\n\nወተመየጥኩ፡ ወርኢኩ፡ መትሕተ፡ ፀሐይ፡ ከመ፡ አኮ፡ ለቀሊላን፡ ረዊዕ፡ ወአኮ፡ ለጽኑዓን፡ ቀትል፡ ወአኮ፡ ለጠቢባን፡ እክል፡ ወአኮ፡ ለማእምራን፡ ብዕል፡ ወአኮ፡ ለእለ፡ ይሴብዉ፡ ጸጋ፡ እስመ፡ ጊዜ፡ ወድድቅ፡ ይዳደቆሙ፡ ለኵሎሙ።\n\nእስመ፡ ኢየአምር፡ ሰብእ፡ ጊዜሁ፡ ከመ፡ ዓሣት፡ እለ፡ ይሠገሩ፡ በመርበብት፡ እኩይ፡ ወከመ፡ አዕዋፍ፡ ዘይትአኀዙ፡ በመሥገርት፡ ከማሁ፡ ይሠገሩ፡ ውሉደ፡ ሰብእ፡ በጊዜ፡ እኩይ፡ ሶበ፡ ይወድቅ፡ ዲቤሆሙ፡ ግብተ።\n\nወናሁ፡ ዘንተኒ፡ ርኢኩ፡ ጥበበ፡ መትሕተ፡ ፀሐይ።","english":"And behold the life with your wife whom you loved, all the days of your life which were given to you from under the sun, all the days which were for you, for it is your portion in your life.\n\nAnd in your labor, what you labor from under the sun, all that your hand can plant, do according to the measure of your strength, for there is no work, nor thought, nor wisdom, nor knowledge in Gehenna where you will go, you there.\n\nAnd I marveled and saw under the sun that it is not for the weak to pasture, nor for the strong to kill, nor for the wise to eat, nor for the knowledgeable to be rich, nor for those who count grace, for when the time of fall comes, it casts them all down.\n\nFor man does not know his time, like fish which are caught in a bad net, and like birds which are taken in a snare; likewise the children of men are caught in a time of evil when a calamity falls upon them.\n\nAnd now this also I have seen: wisdom under the sun.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"ወርኢ፡ ሕይወተ፡ ምስለ፡ ብእሲትከ፡","severity":"info","text":"The opening clause presents a concrete image of life with a beloved wife, but the following lines shift to labor and mortality, suggesting the passage uses the domestic example as a foil for the vanity of earthly attachments.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ገሃነም፡","severity":"info","text":"Gehenna (ገሃነም) here refers to the place of punishment after death, not a physical location. The assertion that no work, thought, wisdom, or knowledge exists there underscores the finality of earthly striving.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The passage moves from a personal reflection (life with wife, labor) to a general observation (the fall of all types of people) and concludes with a renewed claim to have seen wisdom under the sun, framing the section as a rhetorical cycle.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"ከመ፡ ዓሣት፡ ... ወከመ፡ አዕዋፍ፡","severity":"info","text":"The similes of fish caught in a net and birds taken in a snare echo common biblical imagery for human vulnerability (e.g., Hosea 7:12, Psalm 124:7 LXX), though no direct citation is marked.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez version of Ecclesiastes, transmitted in the Ethiopian Orthodox tradition, often amplifies moralizing and eschatological themes; the explicit mention of Gehenna and the futility of wisdom reflects this interpretive lens.","cites":[{"key":"ed:LIT1320Eccles","label":"source edition: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'ኢየአምር፡ ሰብእ፡ ጊዜሁ፡' could be read as 'man does not know his time' (i.e., hour of death) or more broadly 'man does not know his appointed season'; the translation opts for the former.","The final line 'ዘንተኒ፡ ርኢኩ፡ ጥበበ፡' may be a scribal addition or a rhetorical conclusion; its relation to the preceding lament is not fully explicit."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":24,"ref":"p24","source":"ወዓባይ፡ ይእቲ፡ በኀቤየ፡ ሀገር፡ ነወስቲት፡ ወሰብእ፡ እለ፡ ውስቴታ፡ ኅዳጣን፡ ወአመ፡ መጽአ፡ ላዕሌሃ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ዓቢይ፡ ወዓገታ፡ ወየሐንጽ፡ ላዕሌሃ፡ ጥቅመ፡ ዓቢየ።\n\nወረከበ፡ በውስቴታ፡ ብእሴ፡ ጠቢበ፡ ወነዳየ፡ ወያድኅን፡ ሀገረ፡ ውእቱ፡ በጥበቡ፡ ወአልቦ፡ ዘተዘከሮ፡ ሰብእ፡ ኅቡረ፡ ለውእቱ፡ ብእሲ።\n\nወእቤ፡ አነ፡ ትኄይስ፡ ጥበብ፡ እምኃይል፡ ወጥበቡ፡ ለነዳይ፡ እንተ፡ ትትሜነን፡ ወነገሮሂ፡ ኢኮኑ፡ እለ፡ ይሰምዕዎ።\n\nወለነገረ፡ ጠቢባን፡ በዕረፍት፡ ይሰምዕዎ፡ እምነ፡ ጽራሖሙ፡ ለእለ፡ ይኴንኑ፡ በዕበድ።\n\nትኄይስ፡ ጥበብ፡ እምንዋየ፡ ሐቅል፡ ዘየኃጥእ፡ አሐደ፡ ያኃጒል፡ ብዙኀ።\n\nChapter 10\n\nጽንጽንያ፡ ከልብ፡ ምውት፡ ያማስን፡ አፈወ፡ ቅብዕ፡ ጥዑመ፡ ትከብር፡ ንስቲት፡ ጥበብ፡ እምነ፡ ክብር፡ ዓቢይ፡ በዕበድ።\n\nልቡ፡ ለጠቢብ፡ ውስተ፡ የማኑ፡ ወልቡ፡ ለዐብድ፡ ውስተ፡ ጸጋሙ።\n\nወሶበ፡ የሐውር፡ ዐብድ፡ ብዕበደ፡ ልቡ፡ ወበፍትወተ፡ ልቡ፡ የሐፅዖ፡ አእምሮ፡ ወዘይሔሊ፡ ኵሎ፡ ዐብድ፡ ውእቱ።","english":"And behold, a great city in my vicinity, a city of men and people who are within it, few. And when a great king came upon it, he besieged it and built a great fortress upon it.\n\nAnd he found within it a wise and poor man, and he saved the city, that one, by his wisdom, and there is no one who remembered him, the people together, for that man.\n\nAnd I say, I, that wisdom is better than strength, and the wisdom of the poor man, which is despised, and his counsel, how are those who hear it?\n\nAnd the counsel of the wise is heard in peace more than the clamor of those who rule in greatness.\n\nWisdom is better than the labor of the field, which sins; one who sins produces many.\n\nChapter 10\n\nA dead fly makes the oil of balm stink; a little wisdom is more honorable than great honor in greatness.\n\nThe heart of the wise is at his right, and the heart of the fool is at his left.\n\nAnd when the fool walks in greatness, his heart is in gluttony, and by the desire of his heart he destroys understanding, and he who thinks he knows everything is a fool.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Chapter 10","severity":"info","text":"The passage begins with a narrative about a wise poor man saving a city, then transitions to a new chapter (10) with a series of proverbial sayings contrasting wisdom and folly.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ጥበብ (ṭəbab)","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term ጥበብ (ṭəbab) means 'wisdom' and is a key concept in this passage, contrasted with strength, labor, and honor.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ነዳይ (näday)","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term ነዳይ (näday) means 'poor' or 'needy,' describing the wise man who saves the city despite his low status.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"dead fly makes the oil of balm stink","severity":"info","text":"This proverb parallels similar sayings in other wisdom traditions (e.g., 'a fly in the ointment'), emphasizing how a small flaw can spoil something valuable.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"background","lemma":"Gehenna","severity":"info","text":"The previous passage mentions Gehenna, reflecting Geʿez Christian eschatological concepts of the afterlife, which contextualizes the value placed on earthly wisdom and labor.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ወሶበ የሐውር ዐብድ ብዕበደ ልቡ","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'when the fool walks in greatness, his heart is in gluttony' may involve textual ambiguity; the Geʿez ብዕበደ (bəʿəbädä) could also be read as 'in greatness' or 'in pride,' affecting interpretation.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The transition from the narrative to the proverbial section (Chapter 10) is abrupt; the narrative may be a parable or allegory, but its connection to the following proverbs is not explicit.","The phrase 'the heart of the wise is at his right' may reflect a cultural or symbolic association of right with wisdom, but the Geʿez text does not elaborate."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":25,"ref":"p25","source":"እስመ፡ መንፈሱ፡ ለዘይሤልጥ፡ ዐርገ፡ ላዕሌከ፡ መካነከ፡ ኢትኅድግ፡ እስመ፡ ፈውስ፡ ያኃድግ፡ ኃጣውአ፡ ዓቢየ።\n\nቦ፡ እኩይ፡ ዘርኢኩ፡ መትሕተ፡ ፀሐይ።\n\nከመ፡ ዘበኢያእምሮ፡ ወጽአ፡ እምቅድመ፡ ይሠልጥ፡ ተውህበ፡ ዐብድ፡ ለሉዓሌ፡ ዓቢይ፡ ወአብዕልት፡ መትሕተ፡ ይነብሩ።\n\nወርኢኩ፡ አግብርተ፡ ዲበ፡ አፍራስ፡ ወመኳንንት፡ እንዘ፡ የሐውሩ፡ በእግር፡ ከመ፡ አግብርት።\n\nዘይከሪ፡ ግበ፡ ለቢጹ፡ ይወድቅ፡ ውስቴቱ፡ ወዘይነሥት፡ ጸቈነ፡ ይነስኮ፡ አርዌ፡ ምድር።\n\nወዘያስተፋልስ፡ እብነ፡ የሐምም፡ ቦቱ፡ ወዘይሤዕር፡ ዕፀ፡ ይትመነደብ፡ ቦቱ።\n\nእመ፡ ተመልሐ፡ ሐፂኑ፡ ወውእቱኒ፡ ገጸ፡ አስተወላወለ፡ ወወኃይል፡ ታኄይል፡ ወፍድፍድናሁ፡ ለጽኑዕ፡ ጥበብ።\n\nእመ፡ ነሰኮ፡ አርዌ፡ ምድር፡ ወኢረቀዮ፡ ወኢፈወሶ፡ ረቃዪ፡ አልቦ፡ ዘይበቊዕ፡ ዘይረቂ።\n\nንባበ፡ አፉሁ፡ ለጠቢብ፡ ሞገሱ፡ ወከናፍሪሁ፡ ለዐብድ፡ ያሠጥማሁ።\n\nቀዳሚ፡ ንባበ፡ አፉሁ፡ ዕበድ፡ ወደኃሪታ፡ ጸዋግ።\n\nዐብድሰ፡ ያበዝኅ፡ ነገረ፡ ወኢየአምር፡ ብእሲ፡ ምንተ፡ ዘኮነ፡ ወምንተ፡ ዘይከውን፡ እስመ፡ እምድኅሬሁ፡ መኑ፡ ይዜንዎ።","english":"For his spirit, when he rules, ascends above you, your place, and does not leave, for wealth leaves great sins.\n\nThere is evil that I have seen under the sun.\n\nAs one who, by understanding, went out before he ruled, a servant was given to a great lord, and nobles dwell beneath.\n\nAnd I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking on foot like servants.\n\nHe who builds a pit for his neighbor falls into it, and he who lifts a stone is bitten by a serpent of the earth.\n\nAnd he who polishes a stone is wounded by it, and he who cuts wood is struck by it.\n\nIf a wise man is silent, and he himself turns his face away, and strength weakens, and his firmness is dissolved by wisdom.\n\nIf a serpent of the earth bites and does not kill it, and does not heal it, there is no healer who can cure it.\n\nThe speech of the wise man's mouth is his grace, and the lips of a servant cause him to thirst.\n\nFirst, the speech of his mouth is lost, and at last, it is scattered.\n\nA servant multiplies words, and a man does not know what has happened and what will happen, for after him, who will remember him?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"እስመ፡ መንፈሱ፡ ለዘይሤልጥ፡ ዐርገ፡ ላዕሌከ፡ መካነከ፡ ኢትኅድግ፡ እስመ፡ ፈውስ፡ ያኃድግ፡ ኃጣውአ፡ ዓቢየ።","severity":"info","text":"The opening line contrasts spiritual rule with material wealth: the spirit that rules does not abandon its place, while wealth abandons great sins, likely meaning it leaves a legacy of transgression.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ዐብድ","severity":"info","text":"ዐብድ (ʿabd) means 'servant' or 'slave', used here in contrast to nobles and lords, emphasizing social inversion.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This passage is a series of proverbial sayings and observations, each introduced by 'and I have seen' or conditional clauses, typical of the wisdom genre in Ecclesiastes.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"ዘይከሪ፡ ግበ፡ ለቢጹ፡ ይወድቅ፡ ውስቴቱ፡","severity":"info","text":"The saying 'he who builds a pit for his neighbor falls into it' parallels the biblical proverb 'he who digs a pit for others falls into it' (cf. Proverbs 26:27), though not a direct quote.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"እመ፡ ተመልሐ፡ ሐፂኑ፡ ወውእቱኒ፡ ገጸ፡ አስተወላወለ፡","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'if a wise man is silent, and he himself turns his face away' is ambiguous: it may mean the wise man withdraws in silence, or that his silence causes his wisdom to dissolve.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The final verse reflects a common theme in Ecclesiastes: the futility of human memory and the transience of life, echoed in later Geʿez monastic literature.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of 'the great king' and 'the wise poor man' in the previous passage is not clarified here; the text shifts abruptly to proverbs.","The phrase 'his spirit, when he rules, ascends above you' could be read as a metaphor for pride or spiritual authority."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":26,"ref":"p26","source":"ናሁ፡ ፃማሁ፡ ያሐምሞ፡ ለዐብድ፡ እስመ፡ ኢየአምር፡ ሐዊረ፡ ውስተ፡ ሀገር።\n\nአሌ፡ ለኪ፡ ኦ፡ ሀገር፡ እንተ፡ ንጉሥኪ፡ ወሬዛ፡ ወመኳንንትኪ፡ ይበልዑ፡ በነግህ።\n\nብፅዕት፡ አንቲ፡ ምድር፡ እንተ፡ ንጉሥኪ፡ ወልደ፡ አግአዚ፡ ወመኳንንትኪ፡ በጊዜ፡ ይበልዑ፡ በኃይል፡ ወኢይትኀፈሩ፡ በሀኬት።\n\nወበጽርዓተ፡ እደው፡ ያወጽሕ፡ ቤት።\n\nእደው፡ ዐብዳን፡ ለሰሐቅ፡ ይሬስዎ፡ ኅብስተ፡ ወይን፡ ያስተፌሥሕ፡ ሕያዋነ፡ ወለወርቅ፡ ኵሉ፡ ይትኤዘዝ፡ ኅቡረ።\n\nአንተኒ፡ በሕሊናከ፡ ንጉሠ፡ ኢትርግም፡ ወበውሣጤ፡ ቤትከ፡ ኢትርግም፡ ብዑላነ፡ እስመ፡ ዖፈ፡ ሰማይ፡ ያወጽእ፡ ነገረከ፡ ወዘቦ፡ ክንፍ፡ ይዜኑ፡ ንባበከ።\n\nChapter 11\n\nፈኑ፡ ኅብስተከ፡ ውስተ፡ ገጸ፡ ማይ፡ እስመ፡ በብዙኅ፡ መዋዕል፡ ትረክቦ።\n\nሀብ፡ መክፈልተከ፡ ለሰብዓቱ፡ ወለሰመንቱ፡ እስመ፡ ኢተአምር፡ ዘይከውን፡ እኩየ፡ ውስተ፡ ምድር።\n\nእመ፡ መልአ፡ ደመና፡ ይክዑ፡ ዝናመ፡ ውስተ፡ ምድር፡ ወለእመ፡ ወድቀ፡ ዕፅ፡ ደቡበ፡ ወእመኒ፡ ሰሜነ፡ ወእደ፡ ወድቀ፡ ዕፅ፡ ህየ፡ ይሄሉ።","english":"Now your servant is weary, for he does not know how to go into the city.\n\nWoe to you, O city whose king and nobles and princes eat in the morning.\n\nBlessed are you, O land whose king, the son of the Lord, and whose princes eat in strength and are not ashamed in the fields.\n\nAnd with the labor of hands, a house is built.\n\nHands of servants give bread and wine to the wicked, they make the living rejoice, and for gold everything is stirred together.\n\nYou also, with your mind, do not judge the king, and within your house do not judge the wealthy, for a bird of the sky will bring out your word, and what has a wing will tell your speech.\n\nChapter 11\n\nCast your bread upon the face of the water, for after many days you will find it.\n\nGive a portion to seven and to eight, for you do not know what evil will happen in the land.\n\nIf the cloud is full, it will pour rain upon the land; and if a tree falls to the south, and if to the north, where the tree falls, there it will be.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ኢየአምር","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez verb ኢየአምር (ʿayʾammər) means 'he does not know' or 'he is ignorant of'. The negative prefix ኢ- (ʿay-) indicates a lack of knowledge or ability.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Chapter 11","severity":"info","text":"The passage includes a chapter heading 'Chapter 11' in the Geʿez text, marking a structural division. This heading is not present in the English draft but is part of the source edition.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"ወልደ፡ አግአዚ","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'son of the Lord' (ወልደ አግአዚ) is a Christological title in Geʿez tradition, likely referring to Christ as king. This reflects the Ethiopian Orthodox interpretation of the text.","cites":[{"key":"ed:LIT1320Eccles","label":"source edition: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"Cast your bread upon the face of the water","severity":"info","text":"The advice to cast bread on water and find it after many days parallels a common wisdom motif about patience and unexpected return, found in other Near Eastern proverbial literature.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ወሬዛ","severity":"caution","text":"The Geʿez word ወሬዛ (warezā) is ambiguous; it may mean 'princes' or 'nobles'. The English draft renders it as 'nobles and princes', but the exact hierarchy is uncertain.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of 'the son of the Lord' (ወልደ አግአዚ) is ambiguous: it may refer to a human ruler or a Christological figure. The reading taken follows Ethiopian exegetical tradition as a reference to Christ.","The phrase 'eat in the morning' (በነግህ) may be literal or metaphorical for early power; the text does not clarify."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":27,"ref":"p27","source":"ዘየዓቅብ፡ ነፋሰ፡ ኢይዘርእ፡ ወዘይኔጽር፡ ደመናተ፡ ኢየዓፅድ።\n\nእስመ፡ አልቦ፡ ዘየአምር፡ ምንት፡ ውእቱ፡ ፍኖተ፡ መንፈስ፡ ከመ፡ አዕፅምት፡ ውስተ፡ ከርሠ፡ ጽንስት፡ ከማሁ፡ ኢይትአመር፡ ግበሩ፡ ለእግዚአብሔር፡ መጠነ፡ ገብረ፡ ኵሎ፡ ኅቡረ።\n\nበነግህ፡ ዝራእ፡ ዘርአከ፡ ወበምሴትኒ፡ ኢትኅድግ፡ እዴከ፡ እስመ፡ ኢተአምር፡ አይ፡ ዘይከውን፡ እምዝ፡ ወእምዝ፡ ወእመ፡ ክልኤሆሙሰ፡ ኅቡረ፡ ሠናይ።\n\nጥዑም፡ ብርሃን፡ ወሠናይ፡ ለአዕይንት፡ ለርእየ፡ ኅብረ፡ ፀሐይ።\n\nእስመ፡ እመኒ፡ ዓመታተ፡ ብዙኀ፡ ሐይወ፡ ሰብእ፡ ወበኵሎን፡ ይትፌሣሕ፡ ወኢይዜከር፡ መዋዕለ፡ ጽልመት፡ ከመ፡ ብዙኃተ፡ ይከውና፡ ኵሉ፡ ዘይመጽእ፡ ከንቱ፡ ተፈሣሕ፡ ኦ፡ ብእሲ፡ በውርዙትከ።\n\nወትሠኒ፡ ልብከ፡ በመዋዕለ፡ ውርዙትከ፡ ወሑር፡ በፍኖተ፡ ልብከ፡ ዘበንጽሕ፡ ወኢበርእየ፡ ዓይንከወአእምር፡ ከመ፡ በእንተዝ፡ ኵሉ፡ ያቀርበከ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ለኵነኔ።\n\nወአርኅቅ፡ መዓተ፡ እምልብከ፡ ወአግኅሥ፡ እከየ፡ እምሥጋከ፡ እስመ፡ ውርዙት፡ ወጸሊመ፡ ሥሥዕርት፡ በኢያእምሮ፡ ከንቱ፡ ውእቱ።","english":"He who sows the wind will not reap, and he who watches the clouds will not harvest.\n\nFor there is no one who knows what the path of the wind is, like the bones in the womb of a pregnant woman; likewise, the works of the Lord, the measure of the servant of God, all are hidden.\n\nIn the morning, sow your seed, and in the evening, do not let your hand rest, for you do not know what will happen from this time or that; and if both are together, it is good.\n\nSweet is the light, and good for the eyes to see the sun together.\n\nFor if a man has lived many years, in all of them he rejoices and does not remember the days of darkness, just as many things will come to pass; all that comes is vanity. Rejoice, O man, in your youth.\n\nAnd let your heart be glad in the days of your youth, and walk in the path of your heart that is pure, and do not let your eye see, for know that because of all this, the Lord will bring you to judgment.\n\nAnd remove anger from your heart, and banish evil from your body, for youth and dark ignorance without knowledge are vanity.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"ዘየዓቅብ፡ ነፋሰ፡ ኢይዘርእ፡","severity":"info","text":"The opening proverb 'He who sows the wind will not reap' is a Geʿez adaptation of a common wisdom saying, possibly influenced by the Greek or Syriac tradition of Ecclesiastes.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ነፋሰ፡","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term 'ነፋሰ፡' (näfas) means 'wind' or 'spirit', and here it is used metaphorically for something insubstantial, aligning with the theme of vanity in Ecclesiastes.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"እስመ፡ አልቦ፡ ዘየአምር፡ ምንት፡ ውእቱ፡ ፍኖተ፡ መንፈስ፡","severity":"info","text":"This passage echoes Ecclesiastes 11:5, where the unknowability of the wind's path is compared to hidden divine works, though the Geʿez expands with the simile of bones in a womb.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"external","lemma":"ወአርኅቅ፡ መዓተ፡ እምልብከ፡","severity":"info","text":"The exhortation to remove anger and banish evil reflects the ascetic and moralizing tendencies of the Geʿez translation tradition, which often amplifies ethical instruction.","cites":[{"key":"ed:LIT1320Eccles","label":"source edition: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"ወትሠኒ፡ ልብከ፡","severity":"info","text":"The passage shifts from proverbial wisdom to direct exhortation ('let your heart be glad'), a structural feature common in Geʿez wisdom literature, blending aphorism with moral advice.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ከመ፡ ብዙኃተ፡ ይከውና፡ ኵሉ፡ ዘይመጽእ፡ ከንቱ፡","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'all that comes is vanity' may be a scribal gloss or expansion, as the Geʿez text here diverges from the standard Greek and Ethiopic versions of Ecclesiastes, introducing a more explicit vanitas theme.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Geʿez text's reference to 'bones in the womb' is ambiguous: it may be a literal anatomical simile or a metaphor for hiddenness, and the reading taken is the latter, aligning with the theme of divine mystery."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":28,"ref":"p28","source":"Chapter 12\n\nተዘከሮ፡ ለፈጣሪከ፡ በመዋዕለ፡ ውርዙትከ፡ ዘእንበለ፡ ይምጻእከ፡ መዋዕል፡ እኩይ፡ ወይብጽሓ፡ ዓመታት፡ በዕለተ፡ ትብል፡ ኢኮነኒ፡ ዘንተ፡ ፈቃድየ።\n\nዘእንበለ፡ ይጽልም፡ ፀሐይ፡ ወብርሃነ፡ ወርኅ፡ ወከዋክብት፡ ወዘእንበለ፡ ይትመየጡ፡ ደመናት፡ ድኅረ፡ ዝናማት።\n\nአመ፡ ዕለተ፡ ያንቀለቅሉ፡ ዓቃብያነ፡ ቤት፡ ወይትዓለዉ፡ ሰብእ፡ ኀላይያት፡ ወተፀርዓ፡ እለ፡ የሐርፃ፡ እስመ፡ ድኩማት፡ እማንቱ፡ ወይጽልማ፡ እለ፡ ይሬእያ፡ በጸዳል።\n\nወይትዐፀው፡ ኆኅት፡ በምሥያጣት፡ በድውይ፡ ቃል፡ እንተ፡ ተሐርፅ፡ ወትትነሣእ፡ በቃለ፡ ዖፍ፡ ወየኃሥራ፡ ኵሎን፡ አዋልደ፡ ማኅሌት።\n\nእስመ፡ እመልዕልት፡ ይሬእዩ፡ ድንጋፄ፡ በውስተ፡ ፍኖት፡ ወይጸጊ፡ ከርካዕ፡ ወይገዝፍ፡ አንቦጣ፡ ወይትፈረዘዝ፡ ቊልሕ፡ አመ፡ ሖረ፡ ብእሲ፡ ውስተ፡ ቤተ፡ ዓለሙ፡ ወዓዲ፡ ጽጐ፡ እለ፡ ይላህዉ።\n\nዘእንበለ፡ ይትገፈታእ፡ ኅብሩ፡ ለብሩር፡ ወይትዌለጥ፡ አስተርእዮቱ፡ ለወርቅ፡ ወይትቀጠቀጥ፡ መስብክት፡ ውስተ፡ ዓዘቅት።","english":"Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years of old age arrive, for this is my will.\n\nBefore the sun and the light of the moon and the stars grow dim, and before the clouds are dispersed after the rains.\n\nWhen the day comes that the doorposts of the house are shaken and people who are idle and lazy and those who are barren are troubled, for they are the barren ones, and those who see in the shadow grow dim.\n\nAnd the windows are darkened with dust, with a faint voice that is hidden, and it rises with the voice of a bird, and it destroys all the children of the choir.\n\nFor the lofty ones see stumbling blocks in the path, and the thistle is cut down, and the thorn bush is cut down, and the reed is stripped when a man enters the house of his world, and again the thorns of those who fight.\n\nBefore the silver is broken, and the appearance of gold is changed, and the lamp is extinguished in the thicket.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"ተዘከሮ ለፈጣሪከ","severity":"info","text":"The passage opens with an imperative to remember the Creator, a direct address that shifts the tone from the preceding proverbial reflections to a hortatory mode.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ኢኮነኒ","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez ኢኮነኒ (ʾǝkko-nni) is a first-person singular possessive phrase meaning 'this is my will,' likely representing the voice of the speaker or a divine assertion.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"ዘእንበለ ይጽልም ፀሐይ","severity":"info","text":"The imagery of the sun, moon, and stars growing dim before clouds disperse after rains reflects a cosmological sequence common in Ethiopic apocalyptic and wisdom literature.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ወይትዐፀው ኆኅት በምሥያጣት","severity":"info","text":"The darkening of windows with dust and a faint voice rising like a bird may echo Ecclesiastes 12:4 (LXX), where the house is shaken and voices are faint, though the Geʿez expands the metaphor.","cites":[{"key":"ed:LIT1320Eccles","label":"source edition: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"external","lemma":"አዋልደ ማኅሌት","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'children of the choir' (አዋልደ ማኅሌት) likely refers to members of the liturgical choir, suggesting a monastic or ecclesiastical audience for this translation.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ዘእንበለ ይትገፈታእ ኅብሩ ለብሩር","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'before the silver is broken' is ambiguous: it may refer to the breaking of silver vessels or to the tarnishing of silver, and the Geʿez verb ይትገፈታእ (yitgäfätaʿ) is rare.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the speaker in 'this is my will' (ኢኮነኒ) is unclear—whether the sage, God, or the translator's gloss.","The phrase 'children of the choir' (አዋልደ ማኅሌት) may be a literal rendering or a metaphor for the faithful.","The sequence of natural and domestic images (sun dimming, windows darkening, silver breaking) may be symbolic of old age or eschatological decay."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":29,"ref":"p29","source":"ወኀልቃ፡ አዕይንት፡ እለ፡ ያንቀዓድዋ፡ ውስተ፡ መስኮት፡ ወይትዓፀዋ፡ አናቅጸ፡ መራኅብት፡ በእንተ፡ ድንጋፄ፡ ቃላት፡ እለ፡ ይኬልሑ፡ ይትነሥኡ፡ እምቃለ፡ ጸላኢ።\n\nወይሌ፡ ላዕለ፡ ኵሉ፡ ደቂቀ፡ አዳም፡ ወይሬእዩ፡ ኀበ፡ ላዕሉ፡ ወይከውን፡ ፍርሃት፡ ውስተ፡ ፍናዋት፡ ወያስተርኢ፡ እሳት፡ ጊዜ፡ ይፈቅድ፡ ተልዕሎተ።\n\nወይደምፅ፡ ሰቆቃው፡ ውስተ፡ መራኅብት፡ እምቅድመ፡ ይትወለጥ፡ ኅቡረ፡ ብሩር፡ ወይማስን፡ ሥነ፡ ወርቅ፡ ወያንኰረኵር፡ መንኰራኵር፡ ለኢያንኰርኵሮ፡ ውስተ፡ ዐዘቅት።\n\nወይገብእ፡ መሬት፡ ውስተ፡ መሬት፡ ከመ፡ ሀሎ፡ ወመንፈስ፡ ይገብእ፡ ኀበ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ዘወሀቦ፡ ወይሁብ፡ አውሥኦ፡ በእንተ፡ ኵሉ፡ ዘገብረ፡ ሊተ፡ አመ፡ ነበረ፡ በሥጋ፡ እመ፡ ኮነ፡ ሠናየ፡ አው፡ እኩየ።\n\nከንቱ፡ ከንቱ፡ ይቤ፡ መክብብ፡ ኵሉ፡ ከንቱ።\n\nወፈድፋደ፡ እስመ፡ ኮነ፡ መክብብ፡ ጠቢብ፡ እስመ፡ ይሜህር፡ አእምሮ፡ ኵሎ፡ ሰብአ፡ ወይፈትን፡ ሠርጐ፡ ምስል።\n\nኃሠሠ፡ መክብብ፡ ከመ፡ ይርከብ፡ ነገረ፡ ፈቃዱ፡ ወጸሐፈ፡ ርትዐ፡ ወነበበ፡ ጽድቀ።","english":"and the sight of the eyes that gaze through the window, and the faces of the multitudes are troubled by the thunder of voices that pass by, rising from the voice of the enemy.\n\nWoe upon all the children of Adam, and they see what is above, and fear shall be in their paths, and fire shall appear when it wills to consume.\n\nAnd the lamentation shall resound in the multitudes before the pure crystal is shattered, and the beauty of gold shall be defiled, and the crown shall be cast down for those who do not crown themselves in the depths.\n\nAnd earth shall enter into earth as it was, and the spirit shall enter unto the Lord who gave it, and it shall render an account for all that it did to me while it was in the flesh, whether it was good or evil.\n\nVanity of vanities, says the Preacher, all is vanity.\n\nAnd moreover, because the Preacher was wise, he teaches understanding to all people and examines the web of parable.\n\nThe Preacher desired to find the matter of his will, and he wrote righteousness and read justice.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"ወኀልቃ፡ አዕይንት፡ እለ፡ ያንቀዓድዋ፡ ውስተ፡ መስኮት፡","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'the sight of the eyes that gaze through the window' evokes a motif of observation or surveillance, possibly alluding to divine or prophetic vision.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ከንቱ፡ ከንቱ፡ ይቤ፡ መክብብ፡ ኵሉ፡ ከንቱ።","severity":"info","text":"This echoes Ecclesiastes 1:2 ('Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher; all is vanity'), a direct citation of the biblical refrain.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"መክብብ","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term 'መክብብ' (mäkəbəb) translates 'Preacher' or 'Ecclesiastes', referring to the traditional author of the book.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"ወይሁብ፡ አውሥኦ፡ በእንተ፡ ኵሉ፡ ዘገብረ፡","severity":"info","text":"The concept of the spirit rendering an account before God reflects Geʿez Christian eschatological teaching on judgment after death.","cites":[{"key":"ed:LIT1320Eccles","label":"source edition: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"ወፈድፋደ፡ እስመ፡ ኮነ፡ መክብብ፡ ጠቢብ፡","severity":"info","text":"The passage shifts from apocalyptic imagery to a reflective summary, introducing the Preacher as a teacher of wisdom, marking a structural transition.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ወይሌ፡ ላዕለ፡ ኵሉ፡ ደቂቀ፡ አዳም፡","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'Woe upon all the children of Adam' may be an interpretive addition; the Geʿez text here expands on the biblical source with a moralizing lament.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of 'the enemy' (ጸላኢ) in line 1 is unspecified—could be a literal foe or a spiritual adversary.","The phrase 'the crown shall be cast down for those who do not crown themselves in the depths' is obscure; 'depths' (ዐዘቅት) may refer to humility or a literal abyss."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":30,"ref":"p30","source":"ወነገረ፡ ጠቢባን፡ ከመ፡ መድጐጸ፡ ላሕም፡ ወከመ፡ ቅትራት፡ ርሱን፡ እለ፡ እምኀበ፡ ትምህርት፡ ተውህቡ፡ እምአሐዱ፡ ኖላዊ።\n\nወፈድፋደሰ፡ እምውስቴቶሙ፡ ወልድየ፡ ኢትግበር፡ መጻሕፍተ፡ ብዙኀ፡ ዘአልቦ፡ ፍጻሜ፡ ወትምህርት፡ ብዙኅ፡ ፃማ፡ ለሥጋ።\n\nንባበ፡ ኵሉ፡ ነገር፡ ስማዕ፡ ወእግዚአብሔር፡ ፍራሕ፡ ወትእዛዛቲሁ፡ ዕቀብ፡ እስመ፡ ዘውእቱ፡ ኵሉ፡ ሰብእ።\n\nእስመ፡ ኵሎ፡ ፍጥረተ፡ ያቀርብ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ለኵነኔ፡ ኵሉ፡ ዘያስተርኢ፡ ወዘኢያስተርኢ፡ እመኒ፡ ሠናይ፡ ወእመኒ፡ እኩይ፡ ውእቱ። Text of\n\ntranscribed by Kefela Ghebre and proofread by Ran HaCohen for Bibla Veteris Testamenti Etiopica\n\nChapter 1\n\nቃለ፡ መክብብ፡ ወልደ፡ ዳዊት፡ ንጉሠ፡ እስራኤል፡ በኢየሩሳሌም።\n\nከንቱ፡ ከንቱ፡ ይቤ፡ መክብብ፡ ከንቱ፡ ከንቱ፡ ኵሉ፡ ከንቱ።\n\nምንት፡ ፍድፋዱ፡ ለሰብእ፡ በኵሉ፡ ጻማሁ፡ ዘይጻሙ፡ እምታሕተ፡ ፀሓይ።","english":"And the wise man said, like the crashing of the sea and like the thunder of the abyss, those who from the place of learning were given from one teacher.\n\nAnd moreover, from among them, my son, do not make many books that have no end, and much learning is a burden to the body.\n\nHear the speech of every matter, and fear the Lord and keep his commandments, for that is everything for a man.\n\nFor the Lord brings all creation to judgment, everything that is revealed and everything that is not revealed, whether good or evil, it is he.\n\nChapter 1\n\nThe word of Ecclesiastes, son of David, king of Israel in Jerusalem.\n\nVanity of vanities, says Ecclesiastes, vanity of vanities, all is vanity.\n\nWhat is the advantage for a man in all his labor that he labors under the sun?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"ቃለ፡ መክብብ፡ ወልደ፡ ዳዊት፡ ንጉሠ፡ እስራኤል፡ በኢየሩሳሌም።","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez text here marks the beginning of Chapter 1 of Ecclesiastes, with a superscription identifying the speaker as Ecclesiastes, son of David, king of Israel in Jerusalem. This structural cue is absent from the preceding narrative passage.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ከንቱ፡ ከንቱ፡ ይቤ፡ መክብብ፡ ከንቱ፡ ከንቱ፡ ኵሉ፡ ከንቱ።","severity":"info","text":"This is a direct rendering of Ecclesiastes 1:2, 'Vanity of vanities, says Ecclesiastes; vanity of vanities, all is vanity.' The Geʿez follows the Septuagintal tradition closely.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"መክብብ","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term 'መክብብ' (mäkəbbəb) is a calque of the Greek 'Ἐκκλησιαστής' (Ekklēsiastēs), meaning 'one who addresses an assembly.' It is the standard Ethiopic title for the book of Ecclesiastes.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"background","lemma":"ወነገረ፡ ጠቢባን፡","severity":"info","text":"The opening phrase 'And the wise man said' introduces a non-biblical, sapiential expansion. This reflects the Ethiopic reception of Ecclesiastes, where the text is often interwoven with traditional wisdom sayings attributed to Solomon or other sages.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ወነገረ፡ ጠቢባን፡ ከመ፡ መድጐጸ፡ ላሕም፡ ወከመ፡ ቅትራት፡ ርሱን፡","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'like the crashing of the sea and like the thunder of the abyss' is not found in the canonical Hebrew or Greek text of Ecclesiastes. It may be a later scribal addition or a gloss from a homiletic tradition, and its source is uncertain.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The transition from the narrative passage to the canonical text of Ecclesiastes is abrupt; the preceding lines (not included in this passage) may have been part of a homiletic frame.","The phrase 'those who from the place of learning were given from one teacher' is syntactically ambiguous; it may refer to disciples of a single teacher or to a specific school tradition."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":31,"ref":"p31","source":"ትውልድ፡ የሐልፍ፡ ወትውልድ፡ ይመጽእ፡ ወምድርሰ፡ ለዓለም፡ ትቀውምወ።\n\nይሠርቅ፡ ፀሓይ፡ ወየዐርብ፡ ፀሓይ፡ ወውስተ፡ መከኑ፡ ይገብእ፡ እንዘ፡ ይሠርቅ፡ ውእቱ፡ ህየ።\n\nይገብእ፡ በይምን፡ ወየአውድ፡ መንገለ፡ ሰሜን፡ አውደ፡ የአውድ፡ ወየሐውር፡ መንፈስ፡ ወበኡደቱ፡ ይገብእ፡ መንፌስ።\n\nኵሉ፡ ወሓይዝት፡ የሐውራ፡ ውስተ፡ ባሕር፡ ወባሕር፡ ኢኮነት፡ እንተ፡ ትመልእ፡ ውስተ፡ መካን፡ ውእደ፡ የሐውሩ፡ አፍላግ፡ ህየ፡ ካዕበ፡ ይትመየጡ፡ በሐዊር።\n\nኵሉ፡ ቃል፡ ዘበ፡ ሕማም፡ ኢይክል፡ ብእሲ፡ ለተናግሮ፡ ኢይጸግብ፡ ዓይን፡ በርእይ፡ ወኢይመልእ፡ እዝን፡ በአጽምኦ።\n\nምንት፡ ዘተገብረ፡ ውእቱ፡ ዘተገብረ፡ ምንት፡ ዘኮነ፡ ውእቱ፡ ዘከመ፡ ኮነ፡ ወአልቦ፡ ምንትኒ፡ ዘተገብረ፡ እምታሕተ፡ ፀሓይ።\n\nዘይነብብ፡ ወይብል፡ ናሁዝ። ሐዲስ፡ ውእቱ፡ ናሁ፡ ተገብረ፡ እምዓለም፡ ዘኮነ፡ እምቅድሜነ።\n\nአልቦ፡ ዝክረ፡ ለቀደምት፡ ወለእለ፡ ደኃርትኒ፡ ተገብሩ፡ አልቦሙ፡ ዝክረ፡ ምሳሌ፡ ዘይትገበር፡ በደኃርት።","english":"A generation passes, and a generation comes, but the earth endures forever.\n\nThe sun rises, and the sun sets, and it enters into its chamber while it is the same that rises.\n\nIt enters from the right and goes out to the north; it goes out and the wind travels, and by its passing the spirit enters.\n\nAll the rivers flow into the sea, and the sea is a reservoir that fills the place; the rivers flow there, and again they are mixed in their course.\n\nEvery word that is in pain: a man cannot speak it; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.\n\nWhat is it that has been done? It is what has been done. What is it that has become? It is as it has become. And there is nothing that has been done under the sun.\n\nHe who reads and says, \"Behold, it is new,\" it is what has been made from the world that has been from before us.\n\nThere is no memory of the ancients, and for those who are later, they have been made; there is no memory of them, a proverb that is made in later times.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"ትውልድ፡ የሐልፍ፡ ወትውልድ፡ ይመጽእ፡ ወምድርሰ፡ ለዓለም፡ ትቀውም","severity":"info","text":"The passage shifts from the preceding wisdom discourse into a series of natural and existential observations, marked by the Coptic narrative cue. The opening line contrasts transient generations with enduring earth, establishing a meditative tone.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"መንፈስ","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term መንፈስ (manfas) can mean both 'wind' and 'spirit'. In the line 'the wind travels, and by its passing the spirit enters', the ambiguity is deliberate, linking natural cycles to spiritual presence.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"external","lemma":"ባሕር፡ ኢኮነት","severity":"info","text":"The image of rivers flowing into the sea as a reservoir (ኢኮነት) reflects ancient Near Eastern and Hellenistic cosmology, where the sea is seen as a source and sink of waters. This parallels Ecclesiastes 1:7 in its cyclical view.","cites":[{"key":"ed:LIT1320Eccles","label":"source edition: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ኢይክል፡ ብእሲ፡ ለተናግሮ፡ ኢይጸግብ፡ ዓይን፡ በርእይ፡ ወኢይመልእ፡ እዝን፡ በአጽምኦ","severity":"info","text":"The statement that a man cannot speak every word of pain, and that eye and ear are insatiable, echoes Ecclesiastes 1:8 and 1:10, though the Geʿez text expands the theme with a somatic focus on sensory limits.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"external","lemma":"ዘይነብብ፡ ወይብል፡ ናሁዝ። ሐዲስ፡ ውእቱ፡ ናሁ፡ ተገብረ፡ እምዓለም፡ ዘኮነ፡ እምቅድሜነ","severity":"info","text":"The assertion that what seems new has already been made from the world before us reflects a Geʿez monastic reception of Ecclesiastes, emphasizing the futility of novelty and the permanence of divine order.","cites":[{"key":"ed:LIT1320Eccles","label":"source edition: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"አልቦ፡ ዝክረ፡ ለቀደምት፡ ወለእለ፡ ደኃርትኒ፡ ተገብሩ፡ አልቦሙ፡ ዝክረ፡ ምሳሌ፡ ዘይትገበር፡ በደኃርት","severity":"caution","text":"The final line is textually uncertain: the phrase 'there is no memory of them, a proverb that is made in later times' may be a scribal gloss or a broken proverb. The Geʿez syntax is ambiguous, and the English draft smooths over a possible lacuna.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The term መንፈስ (manfas) is ambiguous between 'wind' and 'spirit'; the reading taken is that both senses are intended. The final line's syntax is unclear: 'a proverb that is made in later times' may be a separate clause or a gloss."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":32,"ref":"p32","source":"አነ፡ መክብብ፡ ኮንኩ፡ ንጉሠ፡ ላዕለ፡ እስራኤል፡ በኢየሩሳሌም።\n\nወውሀብኩ፡ ልብየ፡ ለኃሢሠ፡ ወለፈቲን፡ በጥበብ፡ በእንተ፡ ኵሉ፡ ዘተገብረ፡ እምታሕተ፡ ሰማይ፡ እስመ፡ ስራሕ፡ እኩየ፡ ወሀቦ፡ እግዚኣ፡ ብሔር፡ ለውሉደ፡ ሰብእ፡ ከመ፡ ይስርሑ፡ ቦቱ።\n\nርኢኩ፡ ኵሎ፡ ፍጥረተ፡ ዘተገብረ፡ መትሕተ፡ ፀሓይ፡ ወናሁ፡ ኵሉ፡ ከንቱ፡ ወከመ፡ እስትንፋስ፡ መንፈስ።\n\nጠዋይ፡ ኢይትከሀል፡ ረቲዕ፡ ወኅጹጽ፡ ኢይትከሀል፡ ተኆልቆ።\n\nተናገርኩ፡ አነ፡ በልብየ፡ በብሂል፡ ናሁ፡ አነ፡ ተዐበይኩ፡ ወአፈድፈድኩ፡ ጥበበ፡ ዲበ፡ ኵሉ፡ እምእለ፡ ኮኑ፡ እምቅድሜየ፡ በኢየሩሳሌም፡ ወልብየኒ፡ ርእየት፡ ብዙኅ፡ ጥበበ፡ ወአእምሮ።\n\nወሀብኩ፡ ልብየ፡ ለአእምሮ፡ ወጥበብ፡ ምሳሌ፡ ወትምህርተ፡ አእመርኩ፡ እስመ፡ ዝኒ፡ ውእቱ፡ ፍትወተ፡ መንፈስ።\n\nእስመ፡ በብዝኀ፡ ጥበብ፡ ብዝኀ፡ አእምሮ፡ ወዘአፈድፈደ፡ አእምሮ፡ አፈድፈደ፡ ሕማመ።\n\nChapter 2\n\nእቤ፡ አነ፡ በልብየ፡ ነዓ፡ አምከርከ፡ በፍሥሐ፡ ወርኢ፡ በሠናይ፡ ወናሁ፡ ዝኒ፡ ከንቱ።","english":"I, Ecclesiastes, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.\n\nAnd I gave my heart to inquiry and to investigation with wisdom concerning all that was done under heaven, for evil is the work, and the Lord gave the land to the children of men that they might work it.\n\nI have seen all creation that was made under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and like the breath of the wind.\n\nThe straight cannot be bent, and the crooked cannot be straightened.\n\nI spoke within my heart, saying: Behold, I have grown great and have increased wisdom above all who were before me in Jerusalem, and my heart has seen much wisdom and understanding.\n\nAnd I gave my heart to understanding and wisdom, to parable and teaching; I knew that this also is the desire of the spirit.\n\nFor with much wisdom comes much understanding, and he who increases understanding increases sorrow.\n\nChapter 2\n\nI said in my heart: Come, let me rejoice in pleasure and see in goodness, and behold, this also is vanity.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"አነ፡ መክብብ፡ ኮንኩ፡ ንጉሠ፡ ላዕለ፡ እስራኤል፡ በኢየሩሳሌም።","severity":"info","text":"The passage opens with a first-person self-identification of the speaker as Ecclesiastes, king over Israel in Jerusalem, establishing a narrative frame that is unique to the Geʿez version.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"መክብብ","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term መክብብ (mäkbəb) is a transliteration of the Hebrew Qoheleth, the traditional author of Ecclesiastes, and is used here as a proper name.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"external","lemma":"ኢየሩሳሌም","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez spelling ኢየሩሳሌም (ʾiyärusalēm) reflects a vocalization of Jerusalem that is standard in Ethiopic biblical manuscripts, derived from the Syriac or Greek tradition.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ኵሉ፡ ከንቱ፡ ወከመ፡ እስትንፋስ፡ መንፈስ።","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'all is vanity and like the breath of the wind' echoes Ecclesiastes 1:2 (Hebrew: הֲבֵל הֲבָלִים), rendered in Geʿez with ከንቱ (kantu, 'vanity') and እስትንፋስ መንፈስ (əstənfas mänfäs, 'breath of the wind').","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"ጠዋይ፡ ኢይትከሀል፡ ረቲዕ፡ ወኅጹጽ፡ ኢይትከሀል፡ ተኆልቆ።","severity":"info","text":"The proverbial couplet 'The straight cannot be bent, and the crooked cannot be straightened' is a Geʿez addition not found in the Hebrew or Greek versions of Ecclesiastes, likely a scribal gloss.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"external","lemma":"ሕማመ","severity":"info","text":"The closing line 'he who increases understanding increases sorrow' (ሕማመ, ḥəmamä) reflects a sapiential theme amplified in Ethiopic tradition, where Ecclesiastes is read as a meditation on the limits of human wisdom.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Geʿez text includes a proverbial couplet (lines 4-5) that has no direct counterpart in the Hebrew or Greek versions, leaving its source and original context uncertain.","The phrase 'the desire of the spirit' (ፍትወተ መንፈስ) is ambiguous: it may refer to a spiritual longing or to the will of the Holy Spirit, depending on theological interpretation."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":33,"ref":"p33","source":"ወለሰሐቅ፡ እብሎ፡ አፅፍጠ፡ አስፍጠ፡ ወለፍሥሐ፡ ምንት፡ ውእቱ፡ ዝግብር።\n\nወመከርኩ፡ እምልብየ፡ ወሰሐቦ፡ ከመ፡ ወይን፡ ለሥጋየ፡ ወልብየ፡ መርሐኒ፡ ጥበብ፡ ወዝሂ፡ እኂዝ፡ በፍሥሐ፡ እስከ፡ ሶበ፡ እሬኢ፡ ምንት፡ ሠናይ፡ ለውሉደ፡ ሰብእ፡ ዘይገብሩ፡ እምታሕተ፡ ፀሓይ፡ በኆልቈ፡ መዋዕለ፡ ሕይወቶሙ።\n\nአዕበይኩ፡ ምግባርየ፡ ሐነጽኩ፡ ሊተ፡ አብያተ፡ ወተከልኩ፡ ሊተ፡ አዕጸዳተ፡ ወይን።\n\nወገበርኩ፡ ሊተ፡ አዕጻዳተ፡ ሐምል፡ ወገነታተ፡ ወተከልኩ፡ ውስቴቶሙ፡ ዕፀ፡ ዘኵሎ፡ ፍሬ።\n\nገበርኩ፡ ሊተ፡ ምሕጻበተ፡ ማያት፡ ከመ፡ እስቂ፡ እምኔሆሙ፡ ኦመ፡ ወዕፀ፡ ዘይፈሪ።\n\nወአጥረይኩ፡ አግብርተ፡ ወአእማተ፡ ወልደ፡ ቤት፡ አጥረይኩ፡ ወጥሪተ፡ ኖሎት፡ ወአልህምተ፡ ወመራዕየ፡ አባግዕ፡ ብዙኀ፡ አጥረይኩ፡ እምኵሎሙ፡ እለ፡ ኮኑ፡ እምቅድምየ፡ በኢየሩሳሌም።\n\nአስተጋባእኩ፡ ሊተ፡ ብሩረ፡ ወወርቀ፡ መጥሪተ፡ መንግሥት፡ ወበሐውርት፡ ገበርኩ፡ ሊተ፡ ኀላያነ፡ ወኀላይያተ፡ ወፍግዐ፡ ምስለ፡ ውሉደ፡ ሰብእ፡ መዘርተ፡ ወመዘርየነ።","english":"And I laughed, saying, \"I have labored and toiled, and what is the profit of this deed?\"\n\nAnd I thought in my heart, and I laughed, for wine was for my body, and my heart led me to wisdom, and I said, \"I will take hold of joy until I see what is good for the children of men, who do under the sun in the number of the days of their lives.\"\n\nI magnified my deeds; I built for myself houses, and I planted for myself vineyards.\n\nAnd I made for myself gardens of herbs and orchards, and I planted among them trees of every fruit.\n\nI made for myself reservoirs of water, so that I might drink from them, and trees that bear fruit.\n\nAnd I acquired servants and maidservants; I acquired a house-born child, and I acquired a female slave, a concubine, and a shepherd of sheep in abundance; I acquired more than all those who were before me in Jerusalem.\n\nI gathered for myself silver and gold, the treasure of the kingdom, and with caravans I made for myself merchants and merchant women, and I mingled with the children of men in trade and in commerce.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This passage continues the first-person narrative of Ecclesiastes, listing his worldly achievements in a series of parallel constructions, contrasting with the earlier theme of vanity.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ፍሥሐ","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term ፍሥሐ (fəśśəḥa) means 'joy' or 'delight,' here rendered as 'joy' in the English draft, reflecting a key theme of seeking pleasure amid life's transience.","cites":[{"key":"ed:LIT1320Eccles","label":"source edition: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"መዋዕለ ሕይወቶሙ","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'in the number of the days of their lives' echoes Ecclesiastes 1:2 (LXX) and the biblical theme of life's brevity, though not a direct quotation.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The listing of building projects, gardens, reservoirs, servants, and trade reflects the ideal of a wise and prosperous king in ancient Near Eastern and Ethiopian royal traditions.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The acquisition of servants, silver, and gold parallels similar enumerations in the biblical book of Ecclesiastes (e.g., 2:4-8), emphasizing the futility of material accumulation.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"አጥረይኩ","severity":"caution","text":"The Geʿez verb አጥረይኩ (ʾaṭrāyku) means 'I acquired' or 'I obtained,' but the English draft renders it as 'I acquired' consistently; the sense of procurement through effort or purchase is implied but not explicit.","cites":[{"key":"ed:LIT1320Eccles","label":"source edition: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'house-born child' (ልደ ቤት) could mean a household slave born into the family or a legitimate heir; the English draft takes it as a servant.","The term 'female slave' (ጥሪተ ኖሎት) may refer to a specific legal status in Geʿez society, not fully captured in the translation."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":34,"ref":"p34","source":"ዐበይኩ፡ ወአፈድፈድኩ፡ እምኵሎሙ፡ እለ፡ ኮኑ፡ እምቅድሜየ፡ በኢየሩሳሌም፡ ወጥበብየኒ፡ ቆመተኒ።\n\nወኵሎ፡ ዘሰአለተኒ፡ አዕይንትየ። ኢተመቈስኩ፡ ወኢከላእኩ፡ ልብየ፡ እምኵሉ፡ ፍሥሐ፡ እስመ፡ ልብየ፡ ተፈሥሐ፡ እምኵሉ፡ ጻማየ፡ ወዝ፡ ኮነ፡ መክፈልትየ፡ እምኵሉ፡ ስራኅየ።\n\nወነጸርኩ፡ አነ፡ ዲበ፡ ኵሉ፡ ጥሪትየ፡ ዘገብራ፡ እደዊየ፡ ወበሥራሕ፡ ዘሠራኅኩ፡ ለገቢር፡ ወናሁ፡ ኵሉ፡ ከንቱ፡ ወፍትወተ፡ መንፈስ፡ ወአልቦ፡ ፈድፋደ፡ እምታሕተ፡ ፀሓይ።\n\nወነጸርኩ፡ አነ፡ ከመ፡ እርአይ፡ ጥበበ፡ ወተሠፍጠ፡ ወእበደ፡ መኑ፡ ብእሲ፡ ዘይተሉ፡ ድኅሬሃ፡ ለምክር፡ ኵሉ፡ ምሳሌ፡ ዘገብረ፡ ላቲ።\n\nወርእኩ፡ አነ፡ ከመቦ፡ ፍድፍድና፡ ጠቢብ፡ እምአብድ፡ ከመ፡ ፈድፋድ፡ ብርሃን፡ እምጽልመት።\n\nለጠቢብ፡ አዕይንቲሁ፡ ዲበ፡ ርእሱ፡ ወአብድሰ፡ ውስተ፡ ጽልመት፡ የሐውር፡ ወአእመርኩ፡ አነ፡ ከመ፡ አሐዱ፡ ድድቅ፡ ይዳድቆሙ፡ ለክልኤሆው።\n\nወእቤ፡ አነ፡ በልብየ፡ ከመ፡ ይዳድቆ፡ ለአብድ፡ ከማሁ፡ ሊተኒ፡ ይዴድቀኒ፡ ወለምንት፡ ጠበብኩ፡ አነ፡ አሜሃ፡ በከ፡ አፈድፈድኩ፡ ነቢበ፡ በልብየ፡ እስመ፡ ዝኒ፡ ከንቱ፡ አብድ፡ በከ፡ ያፈደፍድ፡ ነቢበ፡ እስመ።","english":"I was great and I multiplied more than all who were before me in Jerusalem, and wisdom stood me up.\n\nAnd all that my eyes asked of me, I was bent and I restrained my heart from all joy, for my heart rejoiced more than all my thirst, and this was my reward from all my labor.\n\nAnd I looked, I, upon all the work of my hands and the labor which I labored for the work, and behold, all is vanity and emptiness of spirit, and there is no profit under the sun.\n\nAnd I looked, I, as if to see wisdom, and it was scattered and lost. Who is the man who follows after her counsel, all the parable which he made for her?\n\nAnd I saw, I, that the profit of the wise is more than the loss, as profit is light more than darkness.\n\nFor the wise, his eyes are upon his head, and the fool walks in darkness, and I knew that one small thing reconciles them both.\n\nAnd I said in my heart, that it reconciles the fool as it reconciles me. And why did I wait? Then, in that I multiplied, I spoke in my heart, for this is vanity: the fool, in that he multiplies, speaks, for","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The speaker reflects on past greatness and labor, only to conclude that all is vanity and profitless, a core theme of Ecclesiastes.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ከንቱ","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term 'ከንቱ' (kantu) translates 'vanity' or 'emptiness,' echoing the Hebrew 'hevel' of the biblical text, central to the book's message.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'all is vanity and emptiness of spirit' parallels Ecclesiastes 1:2, where the Preacher declares human labor futile.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez version of Ecclesiastes, part of the broader Ethiopic biblical canon, often adapts the text for a monastic audience, emphasizing wisdom and the transience of worldly pursuits.","cites":[{"key":"ed:LIT1320Eccles","label":"source edition: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This passage shifts from narrative reflection to a proverbial comparison between the wise and the fool, a structural pattern common in wisdom literature.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The final sentence is incomplete in the English draft ('speaks, for'), possibly due to a lacuna or scribal break in the Geʿez manuscript; the sense is ambiguous.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Geʿez phrase 'ወኢከላእኩ' (wa-ʾakalaʾku) could mean 'I restrained' or 'I prevented,' affecting the interpretation of the speaker's self-control.","The final clause is truncated, leaving unclear whether the fool's speech is a continuation of vanity or a new thought."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":35,"ref":"p35","source":"እስመ፡ አልቦ፡ ዝክረ፡ ለጠቢብ፡ ምስለ፡ አብድ፡ ለዓለም፡ እስመ፡ ናሁ፡ መዋዕል፡ ይመጽአ፡ ወኵሉ፡ ይትረሳዕ፡ ወእፎ፡ ይመውት፡ ጠቢብ፡ ምስለ፡ አብድ።\n\nወጸላእኩ፡ ኵሎ፡ ሕይወተ፡ እስመ፡ እኩይ፡ ላዕሌየ፡ ፍጥረት፡ ዘተገብረ፡ መትሕተ፡ ፀሓይ፡ እስመ፡ ኵሎ፡ ከንቱ፡ ወፍትወተ፡ መንፈስ።\n\nወጸላእኩ፡ አነ፡ ኵሎ፡ ሥራኅየ፡ ዘአነ፡ እሠርሕ፡ እመትሕተ፡ ፀሓይ፡ እስመ፡ አሐድጎ፡ ለሰብእ፡ እምድኅሬየ፡ ዘይትወለድ።\n\nወመኑ፡ ያአምር፡ እመ፡ ጠቢበ፡ ይከውን፡ ወእመ፡ አብድ፡ ወእመ፡ ይሠለጥ፡ በኵሉ፡ ሥራሕየ፡ ዘሠራሕኩ፡ ወዘጠበብኩ፡ እመትሕተ፡ ፀሓይ፡ ወዝኒ፡ ከንቱ።\n\nወተመየጥኩ፡ አነ፡ ከመ፡ እተዋገዘ፡ ለልብየ፡ በኵሉ፡ ሥራኀ፡ ዘሠራሕኩ፡ እመትሕተ፡ ፀሓይ።\n\nእሰመ፡ ሰብእ፡ ዘኢሠርሕ፡ ሎቱ፡ በጥበብ፡ ወበአእምሮ፡ ወበጽንዕ፡ ወብእሲ፡ ዘኢሠርሕ፡ ቦቱ፡ ይሁብ፡ ርእሶ፡ ለመክፈልቱ፡ ወዝኒ፡ ከንቱ፡ ወእኩይ፡ ዐቢይ።\n\nእስመ፡ ይከውኖ፡ ለብእሲ፡ በኵሉ፡ ጻማሁ፡ ወፍትወተ፡ ልቡ፡ ዘውእቱ፡ ይሰርሕ፡ እመትሕተ፡ ፀሓይ።","english":"For there is no remembrance of the wise man together with the fool forever, for now the times will come, and everything will be forgotten; and how does the wise man die together with the fool?\n\nAnd I loathed all life, for evil is upon me—the creation that was made under the sun, for all is vanity and a striving of the spirit.\n\nAnd I loathed all my works which I perform under the sun, for I leave them behind for man who will be born after me.\n\nAnd who knows whether the wise man will be or the fool, and whether he will succeed in all my works which I have done and in which I have been wise under the sun? And this too is vanity.\n\nAnd I was troubled, as if my heart were troubled in all the works which I did under the sun.\n\nFor the man who has not worked for himself with wisdom and understanding and strength, and the man who has not worked for himself—he gives himself to his punishment; and this is vanity and great evil.\n\nFor it happens to a man in all his labor and the striving of his heart, which is what he does under the sun.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"ፍትወተ መንፈስ","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'striving of the spirit' (ፍትወተ መንፈስ) renders the Hebrew 'hevel' (vapor) in a more active, psychological sense, emphasizing futility as an inner struggle.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ጠቢብ","severity":"info","text":"ጠቢብ (ṭäbib) means 'wise man' and is the standard Geʿez term for the sage or wise person, contrasting with አብድ (ʾäbd) 'fool' throughout this passage.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"ወጸላእኩ","severity":"info","text":"The repeated phrase 'And I loathed' (ወጸላእኩ) marks a structural refrain, dividing the passage into three parallel laments: over life, over works, and over the uncertainty of legacy.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"እስመ አልቦ ዝክረ ለጠቢብ ምስለ አብድ ለዓለም","severity":"info","text":"This opening echoes Ecclesiastes 2:16 (LXX: 'There is no remembrance of the wise man forever any more than of the fool'), though the Geʿez expands the thought with a temporal clause.","cites":[{"key":"ed:LIT1320Eccles","label":"source edition: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez version of Ecclesiastes is part of the broader Ethiopic biblical canon, translated from the Septuagint, and this passage reflects the ascetic, world-weary tone characteristic of Ethiopian monastic reception.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ወእፎ ይመውት ጠቢብ ምስለ አብድ","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'how does the wise man die together with the fool?' is ambiguous: it may be rhetorical (asserting no difference) or interrogative (questioning the justice of death). The English draft takes it as rhetorical.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'ወእፎ ይመውት ጠቢብ ምስለ አብድ' is ambiguous between a rhetorical and an interrogative reading; the English draft adopts the rhetorical sense.","The clause 'ወዝኒ ከንቱ ወእኩይ ዐቢይ' could be read as 'this is vanity and great evil' or 'this is vanity and a great evil'; the English draft takes the former."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":36,"ref":"p36","source":"እስመ፡ ኵሎን፡ መዋዕሊሁ፡ ሕማም፡ ወመዐት፡ ወንታፌ፡ ሎቱ፡ ወበሌ፡ ሊትኒ፡ ኢትነውም፡ ልቡ፡ ወዝኒ፡ ከንቱ፡ ውእቱ።\n\nአልቦ፡ ሠናየ፡ ለሰብእ፡ ዘእንበለ፡ ዘበልዐ፡ ወሰትየ፡ ወዘያርእያ፡ ሠናየ፡ ለነፍሱ፡ ወዘኒ፡ ርኢኩ፡ ከመ፡ እምእደ፡ አግዚኣ፡ ብሔር፡ ውእቱ።\n\nመኑ፡ ውእቱ፡ ዘይበልዕ፡ ወይሰቲ፡ ዘእንበሌሁ።\n\nእስመ፡ ለሰብእ፡ ኄር፡ ቅድመ፡ ገጹ፡ ወሀበ፡ ጥበበ፡ ወአእምሮ፡ ወፍሥሐ፡ ወለዘሰ፡ ይኤብስ፡ ወሀበ፡ ሥራሐ፡ ከመ፡ ይወስክ፡ ወከመ፡ ያስተጋብእ፡ ከመ፡ የሀብ፡ ለኄር፡ ቅድመ፡ ገጸ፡ አግዚኣ፡ ብሔር፡ እስመ፡ ዝኒ፡ ከንቱ፡ ወፍትወተ፡ መንፈስ።\n\nChapter 3\n\nቦለኵሉ፡ ዘመን፡ ወጊዜ፡ ለኵሉ፡ ምግባር፡ ዘታሕተ፡ ፀሓይ።\n\nጊዜ፡ ለወሊድ፡ ወጊዜ፡ ለመዊት፡ ጊዜ፡ ለተኪል፡ ወጊዜ፡ ለመሊኅ፡ ዘተከሉ።\n\nጊዜ፡ ለቀቲል፡ ወጊዜ፡ ለፈውሶ፡ ጊዜ፡ ለነሢት፡ ወጊዜ፡ ለሐኒጽ።\n\nጊዜ፡ ለበኪይ፡ ወጊዜ፡ ለስሒቅ፡ ጊዜ፡ ለላሕዎ፡ ወጊዜ፡ ለዘፊን።\n\nጊዜ፡ ለወርዎ፡ እብን፡ ወጊዜ፡ ለአስተጋብኦ፡ እብን፡ ጊዜ፡ ለተሐቅፎ፡ ወጊዜ፡ ለተራሕቆ፡ እምሑቃፌ።","english":"For all his times are pain and death, and mourning is for him, and woe is me, for my heart is also troubled, and this too is vanity.\n\nThere is no good for man except what he eats and drinks, and what shows good for his soul, and this I have seen: that he is like a bird from the hand of the Lord of the land.\n\nWho is he who eats and drinks without him?\n\nFor to a good man before his face he gave wisdom and understanding and joy, and to one who is poor he gave labor, that he might gather and accumulate, that he might give to the good before the face of the Lord of the land, for this too is vanity and emptiness of spirit.\n\nChapter 3\n\nThere is a time and a season for everything under the sun.\n\nA time for birth and a time for death, a time for planting and a time for uprooting what was planted.\n\nA time for killing and a time for healing, a time for destroying and a time for building.\n\nA time for weeping and a time for laughing, a time for mourning and a time for dancing.\n\nA time for throwing stones and a time for gathering stones, a time for embracing and a time for distancing from the embrace.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Chapter 3","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez text marks a new chapter here, introducing a series of balanced temporal clauses that contrast life events (birth/death, planting/uprooting, etc.).","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ከንቱ","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term ከንቱ (kantu) is rendered as 'vanity' in the English draft, but it can also mean 'emptiness' or 'futility,' echoing the thematic refrain of Qoheleth.","cites":[{"key":"ed:LIT1320Eccles","label":"source edition: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"external","lemma":"አግዚኣ፡ ብሔር","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'Lord of the land' (አግዚኣ፡ ብሔር) is a Geʿez rendering of the divine title, reflecting the Ethiopian Christian context of the translation.","cites":[],"named_sources":["Anonymous Geʿez Translator"],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"ጊዜ፡ ለወሊድ፡ ወጊዜ፡ ለመዊት","severity":"info","text":"The series of 'a time for X and a time for Y' parallels Ecclesiastes 3:2-8, where Qoheleth lists opposites to illustrate the cyclical nature of life.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ኢትነውም፡ ልቡ","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'my heart is also troubled' (ኢትነውም፡ ልቡ) is ambiguous: it could be read as a personal lament or a general statement about the human condition.","cites":[{"key":"ed:LIT1320Eccles","label":"source edition: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of 'the good man' and 'the poor man' in the second paragraph is unclear—whether they are specific types or generic figures.","The transition from the first paragraph to the 'Chapter 3' section is abrupt, possibly indicating a textual break or a thematic shift."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":37,"ref":"p37","source":"ጊዜ፡ ለኅሢሥ፡ ወጊዜ፡ ለሐጉል፡ ጊዜ፡ ለዐቂብ፡ ወጊዜ፡ ለአውፅኦ።\n\nጊዜ፡ ለሠጢጥ፡ ወጊዜ፡ ለረፊእ፡ ጊዜ፡ ለአርምሞ፡ ወጊዜ፡ ለተናግሮ።\n\nጊዜ፡ ለአፍቅሮ፡ ወጊዜ፡ ለጸሊእ፡ ጊዜ፡ ለጸልእ፡ ወጌዜ፡ ለሰላም።\n\nምንተ፡ ፈድፋዱ፡ ለዘ፡ ይገብር፡ በዘ፡ ውእቱ፡ ይሠርሕ።\n\nርኢኩ፡ ኵሎ፡ ሥሩኅ፡ ዘወሀቦ፡ እግዚአ፡ ብሔር፡ ለውሉደ፡ ሰብእ፡ ሥራሐ፡ ከመ፡ ይሥርሑ፡ ቦቱ።\n\nኵሎ፡ ዘገብረ፡ ሠናየ፡ በጊዜሁ፡ ወኵሎ፡ ኅቡረ፡ ወሀበ፡ ለዓለም፡ ውስተ፡ ልቦሙ፡ ከመ፡ ኢይርከብ፡ ሰብእ፡ ግብረ፡ ዘገብረ፡ እግዚኣ፡ ብሔር፡ እምጥንቱ፡ እስከ፡ ተፍጻሜቱ።\n\nአእመርኩ፡ ከመ፡ አልቦ፡ ሠናየ፡ ውስቴቶሙ፡ ዘእንበለ፡ ተፈሥሐ፡ ወገቢረ፡ ሠናይ፡ በሕይወቱ።\n\nወኵሉ፡ ሰብእ፡ ዘበልዐ፡ ወሰትየ፡ ወርእየ፡ ሠናየ፡ እምኵሉ፡ ጻማሁ፡ ዝሀብተ፡ እግዚአ፡ ብሔር፡ ውእቱ።\n\nአእመርኩ፡ ከመ፡ ኵሉ፡ ዘገብረ፡ እግዚኣ፡ ብሔር፡ ውእቱ፡ ይሄሉ፡ ለዓለም፡ ወውእቶሙ፡ ኢይትከሀል፡ ወስኮ፡ ወእምውስቴቶሙ፡ ኢይትከሀል፡ ነቲግ፡ ወእግዚኣ፡ ብሔር፡ ገብረ፡ ከመ፡ ይፍርሁ፡ እምቅድመ፡ ገጹ።","english":"Time for planting, and time for hoeing; time for weeding, and time for harvesting.\n\nTime for plowing, and time for resting; time for sowing, and time for reaping.\n\nTime for loving, and time for hating; time for enmity, and time for peace.\n\nWhat profit is there for one who does in one season what he should do in another?\n\nI have seen all the work that the Lord of the land gave to the children of men, that they might work it.\n\nAll that he did was good in its time, and all that is hidden and given to the world in their hearts, so that man may not find the work that the Lord of the land did from its beginning to its end.\n\nI have understood that there is no good among them without joy and doing good in his life.\n\nAnd every man who has eaten and drunk and seen good from all his labor—that is the gift of the Lord of the land.\n\nI have understood that all that the Lord of the land did is that which endures forever, and they cannot be moved or shaken, and from among them it is not possible to remove, and the Lord of the land made it so that they might fear before his face.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"ጊዜ","severity":"info","text":"The passage opens with three couplets of paired agricultural and social activities, each introduced by ጊዜ (time), creating a rhythmic catalogue of seasons and human actions.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"እግዚአ፡ ብሔር","severity":"info","text":"The phrase እግዚአ፡ ብሔር (Lord of the land) is a distinctive Geʿez rendering of the divine name, possibly reflecting a local or agrarian conceptualization of God as lord of a territory.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The rhetorical question about doing work in the wrong season underscores the theme of proper timing, a central concern in Ecclesiastes.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The agricultural imagery (planting, hoeing, weeding, harvesting, plowing, sowing) reflects the rural context of the Geʿez translation, likely familiar to Ethiopian monastic communities.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The final lines emphasize the permanence and unchangeability of God's works, a theological point that may have been stressed in Ethiopian Orthodox teaching to counter fatalistic readings of Ecclesiastes.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase ኢይርከብ፡ ሰብእ፡ ግብረ፡ (man may not find the work) is ambiguous: it could mean humans cannot comprehend God's work, or that they cannot replicate it."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":38,"ref":"p38","source":"ወዘተገብረ፡ ናሁ፡ ሀሎ፡ ወኵሉ፡ ዘእምተገብረ፡ ናሁ፡ ተገብረ፡ ወእግዚኣ፡ ብሔር፡ የኀሥሥ፡ ለዘ፡ ይስድድ።\n\nወዲዲ፡ ርኢኩ፡ ዘእምታሕተ፡ ፀሓይ፡ በመካነ፡ ጻድቅ፡ ህየ፡ ረሲዕ፡ ወበመካነ፡ ረሲዕ፡ ህየ፡ ጻድቅ፡ በህየ።\n\nወእቤ፡ አነ፡ በልብየ፡ ኅቡረ፡ ጻድቅ፡ ወረሲዕ፡ ይኳንን፡ እግዚኣ፡ ብሔር፡ እስመ፡ ጊዜ፡ ለኵሉ፡ ምግባር፡ ወበኵሉ፡ ግብር፡ ወበህየ።\n\nአቤ፡ አነ፡ በልብየ፡ በእንተ፡ ነገረ፡ ውእቱ፡ ውሉደ፡ ሰብእ፡ ከመ፡ ይኳንኖሙ፡ እግዚኣ፡ ብሔር፡ ወከመ፡ ያርኢ፡ ከመ፡ እንስሳ፡ እሙንቱ፡\n\nወሎሙ፡ ድድቅ፡ ለውሉደ፡ ሰብእ፡ ወድድቅ፡ እንስሳ፡ አሐዱ፡ ድድቅ፡ ሎሙ፡ ከመ፡ ሞተዝ፡ ከማሁ፡ ሞቱ፡ ለዝ፡ ወአሐዱ፡ መንፈስ፡ ለኵሎሙ፡ ወምንት፡ ፈድፈደ፡ ሰብእ፡ እም፡ እንስሳ፡ ወኢምንተኒ፡ እስመ፡ ኵሉ፡ ከንቱ።\n\nኵሉ፡ ዘየሐውር፡ ውስተ፡ አሐዱ፡ መካን፡ ኵሉ፡ ኮነ፡ እመሬት፡ ወኵሉ፡ ይገብእ፡ ውስተ፡ መሬት።\n\nመኑ፡ ያአምር፡ መንፈስ፡ ለውሉድ፡ ሰብእ፡ እመ፡ ያዐርግ፡ ውእቱ፡ ላዕለ፡ ወመንፈስ፡ እንስሳ፡ እመ፡ ይወርድ፡ ውእቱ። ታሕተ፡ ውስተ፡ ምድር።","english":"And as for the work, now it exists, and everything that is from the work, now it is done. And the Lord of the land will judge him who sows.\n\nAnd I have seen that beneath the sun, in the place of the righteous, there is the wicked, and in the place of the wicked, there is the righteous.\n\nAnd I said in my heart, \"Together the righteous and the wicked will the Lord of the land judge, for there is a time for every deed, and in every deed, there is a place.\"\n\nAh, I said in my heart concerning the matter, \"It is the children of men, how the Lord of the land judges them, and how he shows that they are like beasts.\"\n\nAnd for them, dust for the children of men, and dust for the beasts; one dust for them, as they die, so die these and those; and one spirit for all of them. And what distinguishes men from beasts? Nothing, for everything is vanity.\n\nEverything that moves goes into one place; everything came from the earth, and everything returns to the earth.\n\nWho knows the spirit of the children of men, whether it ascends, it is above, and the spirit of the beasts, whether it descends, it is below, into the earth?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"እግዚኣ፡ ብሔር፡","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'Lord of the land' is a Geʿez rendering of the divine title, likely reflecting a local adaptation of the biblical 'Lord' in an agrarian context.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ከንቱ።","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez word 'ከንቱ' (kantu) means 'vanity' or 'emptiness,' echoing the thematic term from Ecclesiastes 1:2, though the passage is not a direct quotation.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ኵሉ፡ ዘየሐውር፡ ውስተ፡ አሐዱ፡ መካን፡","severity":"info","text":"The statement that everything returns to the earth echoes Ecclesiastes 3:20 (all go to one place) and the dust-to-dust motif of Genesis 3:19, though not verbatim.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ድድቅ፡","severity":"info","text":"The repeated use of 'dust' (ድድቅ) for both humans and beasts reflects a materialist view of mortality, common in Geʿez wisdom literature, possibly influenced by Hellenistic thought.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ወኢምንተኒ፡ እስመ፡ ኵሉ፡ ከንቱ።","severity":"caution","text":"The line 'nothing distinguishes men from beasts, for everything is vanity' is a radical statement that may be a scribal gloss or a theological interpolation, as it contradicts later Geʿez anthropology.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"ወእቤ፡ አነ፡ በልብየ፡","severity":"info","text":"The repeated phrase 'I said in my heart' (ወእቤ፡ አነ፡ በልብየ፡) marks a shift to internal reflection, structuring the passage as a series of personal meditations on justice and mortality.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of 'the Lord of the land' is ambiguous: it may refer to a local deity or a translation of the biblical God.","The phrase 'one spirit for all of them' could imply a shared animating principle or a specific theological claim about the soul."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":39,"ref":"p39","source":"ወርኢኩ፡ ከመ፡ አልቦ፡ ሠናየ፡ ዘእንበለ፡ ዘተፈሥሐ፡ ሰብእ፡ በተግባሩ፡ እስመ፡ ውእቱ፡ መክፈልቱ፡ መኑ፡ ያመጽኦ፡ ከመ፡ ይርአይ፡ ዘይከውን፡ እምድኅሬሁ።\n\nChapter 4\n\nወተመየጥኩ፡ አነ፡ ወርኢኩ፡ ኵሎ፡ ኅቡረ፡ ትእግልተ፡ ዘይትገበር፡ መትሕተ፡ ፀሓይ፡ ወናሁ፡ አንብዕ፡ ለእለ፡ ይትኤገልዎሙ፡ ወአልቦ፡ ዘይናዝዞሙ፡ እምእደ፡ ይትዔገልዎሙ፡ ወኃይል፡ አልቦሙ፡ ለዘይናዝዝዎሙ።\n\nወአስተኀየስክዎሙ፡ አነ፡ ኅቡረ፡ ለእለ፡ ሞቱ፡ እሉ፡ ወድኡ፡ ሞቱ፡ እምሕያዋን፡ እሉ፡ እሙንቱ፡ ሕያዋን፡ እስከ፡ ዮም።\n\nወእምእሉ፡ ክልኤሆሙ፡ ይኄይስ፡ ዓዲ፡ ኢተፈጥሮ፡ ዘኢያኣምር፡ ኵሎ፡ ገቢረ፡ እከይ፡ ዘተገብረ፡ መትሕተ፡ ፀሓይ።\n\nወርኢኩ፡ አነ፡ ኵሎ፡ ሥራሐ፡ ኅቡረ፡ ወኵሎ፡ ኅይለ፡ ምግባር፡ ከመ፡ ውእቱ፡ ቅንእ፡ ለብእሲ፡ አምኀበ፡ ቢጹ፡ ወዝኒ፡ ከንቱ፡ ወፍትወተ፡ መንፈስ።\n\nአብድ፡ ሐቀፈ፡ እዴሁ፡ ወበልዐ፡ ሥጋሁ።\n\nሠናይ፡ ምልአ፡ እድ፡ በዕረፍት፡ እምነ፡ ክልኤ፡ ዘበዐመፃ፡ ወፍትወተ፡ መንፈስ።","english":"And I have seen that there is no good without one who rejoices in his work, for his reward is that which he himself brings, that he may see what will be after him.\n\nChapter 4\n\nAnd I have considered and I have seen all the oppression that is done together under the sun, and now I have pitied those who are oppressed, and there is none who delivers them from the hand of those who oppress them, and they have no strength to deliver them.\n\nAnd I have mourned for them together, for those who have died, these are better off, for they have died, than the living, these who are living until today.\n\nAnd of these two, it is better still: he who has not been born, who does not know all the evil deed that has been done under the sun.\n\nAnd I have seen all the labor together, and all the power of action, that it is envy for a man before the face of the wind, and this is vanity and emptiness of spirit.\n\nHe has opened the palm of his hand and eaten his flesh.\n\nGood is the fullness of the hand in rest, rather than the two of iniquity and emptiness of spirit.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Chapter 4","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez text marks a chapter division here, but the Coptic Vorlage of Ecclesiastes does not contain chapter numbers; this is a later Ethiopic addition for liturgical reading.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ትእግልተ","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term ትእግልተ (təʾəggəltä) means 'oppression' or 'tyranny,' derived from the root ተአገለ (to oppress). The English draft renders it as 'oppression,' which is accurate.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"ወናሁ አንብዕ ለእለ ይትኤገልዎሙ","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'and now I have pitied those who are oppressed' expresses the speaker's emotional response to systemic injustice, a theme unique to this passage in Ecclesiastes.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ኢተፈጥሮ ዘኢያኣምር ኵሎ ገቢረ እከይ","severity":"info","text":"The sentiment that the unborn are better off because they do not know evil echoes Ecclesiastes 4:3 in some versions, though the canonical Hebrew text does not include this exact phrase; it may reflect a Geʿez interpretive expansion.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"አብድ ሐቀፈ እዴሁ ወበልዐ ሥጋሁ","severity":"info","text":"The image of opening the hand and eating one's own flesh is a vivid metaphor for self-destructive behavior, paralleling similar imagery in Proverbs and Wisdom literature.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ሠናይ ምልአ እድ በዕረፍት እምነ ክልኤ ዘበዐመፃ ወፍትወተ መንፈስ","severity":"caution","text":"The final verse contrasts 'fullness of the hand in rest' with 'two of iniquity and emptiness of spirit,' but the Geʿez syntax is ambiguous: 'two' may refer to two hands or two evils. The English draft opts for the latter reading.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'ክልኤ ዘበዐመፃ' could mean 'two of iniquity' (two evils) or 'two hands of iniquity'; the English draft interprets it as the former.","The identity of 'he who has not been born' is not specified in the Geʿez; it may be a general statement or a reference to a specific figure."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":40,"ref":"p40","source":"ወተመየጥኩ፡ አነ፡ ወርኢኩ፡ ከንቶ፡ መትሕተ፡ ፀሓይ።\n\nሀሎ፡ አሐዱ፡ ወአልቦ፡ ካልእ፡ ወውሉድ፡ ወእኈ፡ አልቦቱ፡ ወአልቦ፡ ፍጻሜ፡ ለኵሉ፡ ስራሑ፡ ወዐይኑሂ፡ ኢይመልእ፡ ብዕለ፡ ወለመኑ፡ አነ፡ እሠርሕ፡ ወእቄቅያ፡ ለነፍስየ፡ እምፍግዕ፡ ወዝኒ፡ ከንቱ፡ ወሥራሕ፡ እኩይ፡ ውእቱ።\n\nይኄይሱ፡ ክልኤቱ፡ እምአሐዱ፡ እለ፡ ቦሙ፡ ዐስበ፡ ሠናየ፡ በጸማሆሙ።\n\nእስመ፡ እመ፡ ወድቀ፡ አሐዱ፡ ያነሥኦ፡ ካልኤ፡ ወአሌ፡ ሎቱ፡ ለአሐዱ፡ ለእመ፡ ወድቀ፡ ወአልቦ፡ ካልእ፡ ዘያነሥኦ።\n\nእስመ፡ እመ፡ ኖሙ፡ ክልኤሆሙ፡ ይመውቁ፡ ወአሐዱሰ፡ እፎ፡ ይትማወቅ።\n\nወእመ፡ ተፀንዐ፡ አሐዱ፡ ክልኤሆሙ፡ ይትቀውምዎ፡ ወፈትል፡ ሥሉስ፡ ፍጡነ፡ ኢይትበተክ።\n\nይኄይስ፡ ቅኑይ፡ ነዳይ፡ ወጠቢብ፡ እምንጉሥ፡ ልሂቅ፡ ወአብድ፡ ዘኢያአመረ፡ ለነጽሮ፡ ዓዲ።\n\nከመ፡ እምቤተ፡ ሞቅሕ፡ ይወፅእ፡ ለነጊሥ፡ እስመ፡ በመንግሥቱ፡ ኮነ፡ ነዳየ።\n\nወርኢኩ፡ ኵሎ፡ ኅቡረ፡ እለ፡ ሕያዋን፡ እለ፡ ያንሶስዉ፡ መትሕተ፡ ፀሓይ፡ ምሳሌ፡ ወሬዛ፡ ካልእ፡ ይትነሣእ፡ ህየንቴሁ።","english":"And I marvelled, I, and I saw the truth beneath the sun: there is one and there is no second, and a son, and I have nothing, and there is no end to all his work, and his eye also is not filled with wealth, and for whom am I to work and to provide for my soul from want? And this is truth, and work is evil.\n\nTwo are better than one, for they have counsel for good in their thirst. For if one falls, the other raises him, and there is no one for the one if he falls and there is no second to raise him. For if both live, they die, and one alone, how shall he be mourned? And if one is strong, both support him, and a third rope is quickly not broken.\n\nA wise poor man is better than a foolish rich king, and a fool who knows not how to see further. As from a house of mourning a king goes forth, for in his kingdom he became poor.\n\nAnd I saw all the living creatures that move beneath the sun: a parable and a shadow; a second arises in his place.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"ወተመየጥኩ፡ አነ፡ ወርኢኩ፡ ከንቶ፡ መትሕተ፡ ፀሓይ።","severity":"info","text":"The passage opens with a first-person narrative frame ('I marvelled, I, and I saw'), marking a shift from the preceding reflection on oppression to a new observation about solitude and labor.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ከንቶ፡","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term 'ከንቶ' (kanto) is rendered 'truth' in the draft, but it can also mean 'reality' or 'certainty,' reflecting the Qoheleth theme of empirical observation.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"እስመ፡ እመ፡ ወድቀ፡ አሐዱ፡ ያነሥኦ፡ ካልኤ፡","severity":"info","text":"The maxim 'two are better than one' and the image of one falling and the other raising him echo Ecclesiastes 4:9–10, though the Geʿez version expands with a rope metaphor.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"external","lemma":"ይኄይሱ፡ ቅኑይ፡ ነዳይ፡ ወጠቢብ፡ እምንጉሥ፡ ልሂቅ፡ ወአብድ፡","severity":"info","text":"The contrast between a wise poor man and a foolish rich king reflects a traditional wisdom motif common in Ethiopic sapiential literature, possibly influenced by the Book of Proverbs.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"ወርኢኩ፡ ኵሎ፡ ኅቡረ፡ እለ፡ ሕያዋን፡","severity":"info","text":"The closing vision of all living creatures as 'a parable and a shadow' and the rise of a second in place of the first is a distinctive Ethiopic interpretive addition, emphasizing transience.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ወእመ፡ ተፀንዐ፡ አሐዱ፡ ክልኤሆሙ፡ ይትቀውምዎ፡ ወፈትል፡ ሥሉስ፡ ፍጡነ፡ ኢይትበተክ።","severity":"caution","text":"The rope metaphor ('a third rope is quickly not broken') is obscure; it may be a scribal corruption or a local proverb. The sense of mutual support is clear, but the exact imagery is uncertain.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of 'the one' and 'the second' in the opening lines is ambiguous: possibly referring to a companion or a successor. The rope metaphor in the third conditional is textually uncertain."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":41,"ref":"p41","source":"አልቦ፡ ፍጻሜ፡ ለኵሉ፡ ሕዝብ፡ ለኵሎሙ፡ እለ፡ ኮኑ፡ እምቅድሜሁ፡ እሰመ፡ ደኃርትኒ፡ ኢይትፌሥሑ፡ ቦቱ፡ እስመ፡ ዝኒ፡ ከንቱ፡ ወፍትወተ፡ መንፈስ።\n\nዕቀብ፡ እገሪከ፡ ሶበ፡ ተሐውር፡ ኀበ፡ እግዚኣ፡ ብሔር፡ ወቅረብ፡ ለሰሚዕ፡ እምነ፡ ሀብቶሙ፡ ለአብዳን፡ መሥዋዕተከ፡ እስመ፡ ኢኮኑ፡ ማእምራነ፡ ለገቢረ፡ ሠናይ።\n\nChapter 5\n\nኢትጐጒእ፡ በአፉከ፡ ወልብከ፡ ኢይጐጒእ፡ ለአውፅኦ፡ ቃል፡ እምቅድመ፡ ገጸ፡ እግዚኣ፡ ብሔር፡ እስመ፡ አግዚኣ፡ ብሔር፡ ውስተ፡ ሰማይ፡ ላዕለ፡ ወአንተሰ፡ ውስተ፡ ምድር፡ በእንተ፡ ዝንቱ፡ ይኩን፡ ነገርክ፡ ኅዳጠ።\n\nእስመ፡ ይመጽእ፡ ሕልም፡ በብዙኅ፡ መከራ፡ ወቃለ፡ እበድ፡ በብዝኀ፡ ነገር።\n\nእምከመ፡ ጸለይከ፡ ጸሎተ፡ ለእግዚኣ፡ ብሔር፡ ኢታጐንዲ፡ ውሂቦተ፡ እስመ፡ አልቦ፡ ፈቃዶ፡ ለአብዳን፡ አንተሰ፡ በከመ፡ ፀለይከ፡ ሀብ።\n\nይኄይስ፡ ኢጸልዮተከ፡ እምጸልዮተከ፡ ወኢውሂብ።\n\nኢተሀብ፡ አፉከ፡ ለአበሳ፡ ሥጋከ፡ ወኢትበል፡ በቅድመ፡ ገጹ፡ ለእግዚኣ፡ ብሔር፡ በኢያእምሮ፡ ውእቱ፡ ከመ፡ ኢይትመዐዕ፡ እግዚኣ፡ ብሔር፡ በእንተ፡ ቃልከ፡ ወያማስን፡ ግብረ፡ እደዊከ።","english":"There is no end for all the people, for all those who were before him, for even the latter ones will not rejoice, for this also is vanity and a snare of the spirit.\n\nGuard your foot when you go to the house of the Lord of the land, and bring your offering near to the hearing more than their wealth, for the destroyers are not wise in doing good.\n\nChapter 5\n\nDo not multiply with your mouth and your heart; do not multiply to bring forth a word before the face of the Lord of the land, for the Lord of the land is in heaven above, and you are on the earth; because of this, your speech will be deficient.\n\nFor a dream comes with much trouble, and a word of the desert comes with many things.\n\nAs you have prayed a prayer to the Lord of the land, do not be anxious about the giving, for there is no will for the destroyers; you, as you have prayed, give.\n\nIt is better that your prayer be from your prayer, and not give.\n\nDo not give your mouth to the sin of your flesh, and do not speak before the face of the Lord of the land without knowledge; it is as if the Lord of the land is not pleased with your word, and he will test the work of your hands.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ኢይትፌሥሑ","severity":"info","text":"The verb ኢይትፌሥሑ (ʿaytfaśśaḥu) is a negative form of ተፈሥሐ (tafaśśaḥa, 'to rejoice'), here in the third person plural. The negation indicates that even the latter ones will not find joy, reinforcing the theme of futility.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'a snare of the spirit' (ፍትወተ መንፈስ) suggests a spiritual trap, likely referring to the deceptive nature of worldly pursuits.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The repeated title 'Lord of the land' (እግዚኣ ብሔር) is a Geʿez rendering of the divine name, possibly influenced by the Coptic tradition's use of ⲡϫⲟⲉⲓⲥ ⲛ̀ⲧⲉ ⲡⲕⲁϩ (Lord of the land) for God in wisdom literature.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The passage begins with a reflection on the endlessness of human generations and vanity, then shifts to admonitions about proper conduct before God, including prayer and speech. The chapter break (Chapter 5) is marked in the Geʿez text.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'a word of the desert' (ቃለ እበድ) is ambiguous; it may refer to idle or empty speech, or to a prophetic utterance from the wilderness. The Geʿez allows both readings.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The instruction to 'guard your foot' when going to the house of the Lord reflects a Geʿez Christian emphasis on ritual purity and reverence, common in Ethiopic monastic literature.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'a word of the desert' (ቃለ እበድ) is ambiguous: it could mean empty talk or a prophetic word from the wilderness. The translation opts for 'word of the desert' without clarifying the intended sense.","The identity of 'the destroyers' (አብዳን) is unclear; it may refer to demonic forces or to those who waste offerings. The Geʿez does not specify."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":42,"ref":"p42","source":"እስመ፡ በብዝኀ፡ ሕልም፡ ወከንቱ፡ ወንበብ፡ ብዙኅ፡ ወኅቡረ፡ እግዚኣ፡ ብሔር፡ ፍራህ።\n\nእመ፡ ትእግልተ፡ ነዳይ፡ ወሀይደ፡ ፍታሕ፡ ጽድቀ፡ ርኢከ፡ በብሔር፡ ኢታንክር፡ በምግባር፡ እስመ፡ ልዑል፡ መልዕልተ፡ ልዑል፡ የዐቅብ፡ ወልዑላ፡ ዲቤሆሙ።\n\nወፈድፋደ፡ ምድር፡ ላዕለ፡ ኵሉ፡ ውእቱ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ዲበ፡ ወፍረ፡ ሐረስት።\n\nዘያፈቅር፡ ብሩር፡ ኢይጸግብ፡ ብሩረ፡ ወዘሂ፡ አፍቀረ፡ ብዙኀ፡ እክለ፡ ወዝኒ፡ ከንቱ።\n\nበብዝኅ፡ ጥሪት፡ ብዙኀ፡ እለ፡ ይበለዕዋ፡ ወምንተ፡ ጽንዑ፡ ለዘ፡ ይቀርባ፡ እስመ፡ ይኴንን፡ እሰከ፡ ርእየ፡ ዐይን።\n\nጥዑም፡ ንዋም፡ ለገብር፡ እመ፡ ኅዳጥ፡ ወእመ፡ ብዙኀ፡ በልዐ፡ ወለዘ፡ አብዝኀ፡ በሊዐ፡ አልቦ፡ ዘየኅድጎ፡ ይኑም።\n\nቦ፡ ደዌ፡ ዘርኢኩ፡ በመትሕተ፡ ፀሓይ፡ ብዕል፡ ዘይትዓቀብ፡ በኀበ፡ ዘአጥረዮ፡ ለእከይ።\n\nወይትሐጐል፡ ውእቱ፡ ብዕል፡ በንታፌ፡ እኩይ፡ ወወለደ፡ ወልደ፡ ወአልቦ፡ ውስተ፡ እዴሁ፡ ወኢምንተኒ።\n\nበከመ፡ ወፅአ፡ እምከርሠ፡ እሙ፡ ዕራቁ፡ ይትመየጥ፡ ለገቢእ፡ ከመ፡ መጽአ፡ ወአልቦ፡ ዘይነሥእ፡ እምጻማሁ፡ ከመ፡ ይሖር፡ ምስሌሁ።","english":"Because of many dreams and vanities and many words, and because the Lord of the land is fearful. If you see the foot of the poor and the way of opening justice in the land, you will be amazed at the deed, for the high one watches over the high ones, and the high ones are above them. And the earth is a bed over everything; it is a king over the fruit of the field. He who loves silver is not satisfied with silver, and he who loved much grain—this also is vanity. With much wealth, many are those who consume it, and what strength has he who approaches? For he judges until the eye sees. Sweet sleep for a man, whether little or much, he has eaten; and for him who has eaten much, there is none who leaves him to sleep. There is a disease that I have seen under the sun: wealth that is awaited by him who has prepared it for evil. And wealth itself is turned into evil, and he has begotten a son, and there is nothing in his hand, nor anything at all. As he came forth from his mother's womb naked, so he goes in; as he came, and there is none who takes from his burden, as he goes with him.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This passage continues the narrative sequence from the previous passage, with a thematic shift from warnings about vanity to reflections on wealth, sleep, and mortality.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ሕልም","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term ሕልም (ḥəlm) can mean 'dream' or 'vision,' but here it is paired with ከንቱ (kantu, 'vanity'), suggesting a metaphorical sense of illusion or transience.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ከንቱ","severity":"info","text":"ከንቱ (kantu) is a key term in Ecclesiastes, meaning 'vanity' or 'emptiness,' recurring throughout the book to underscore the futility of worldly pursuits.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'as he came forth from his mother's womb naked, so he goes in' echoes Ecclesiastes 5:15 (LXX 5:15), reflecting the biblical theme of human transience and the futility of material wealth.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The reference to 'the Lord of the land' (እግዚኣ ብሔር) may reflect a Geʿez cultural adaptation of the biblical 'Lord' as a feudal or territorial ruler, common in Ethiopic translations.","cites":[{"key":"ed:LIT1320Eccles","label":"source edition: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'the high one watches over the high ones' is ambiguous; it may refer to God's oversight of the powerful or to a hierarchical social structure, but the Geʿez syntax allows both readings.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of 'the high one' (ልዑል) is unclear: it could be God or a human authority. The phrase 'the earth is a bed over everything' may be a metaphor for death or burial, but the text does not specify.","The disease mentioned ('wealth that is awaited by him who has prepared it for evil') is ambiguous: it may refer to greed as a moral sickness or to a literal illness caused by wealth."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":43,"ref":"p43","source":"ወዝኒ፡ እኩይ፡ ደዌ፡ ውእቱ፡ እስመ፡ በከመ፡ መጽአ፡ ከማሁ፡ የሐውር፡ ወምንተ፡ ፍድፋዴሁ፡ ዘይጸሙ፡ ለነፍሱ።\n\nእስመ፡ ኵሉ፡ መዋዕሊሁ፡ ውስተ፡ ጽልመት፡ ወላሕ፡ ወበቊጥዓ፡ ብዙኅ፡ ወዴ፡ ወሐዘን።\n\nወባሕቱ፡ ናሁ፡ ዘርኢኩ፡ አነ፡ ኄርት፡ ዘይአቲ፡ ሠናይት፡ በሊዕ፡ ወሰቲይ፡ ወርኢየ፡ ፍግዕ፡ በኵሉ፡ ሥራሑ፡ ዘሠርሐ፡ በመትሕተ፡ ፀሓይ፡ ኆልቈ፡ መዋዕለ፡ ሕይወት፡ ዘወሀቦ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ እስመ፡ ውእቱ፡ መክፈልቱ።\n\nወኵሎ፡ ሰብእ፡ ዘወሀቦ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ብዕለ፡ ወጥሪተ፡ ወአሠለጦ፡ ከመ፡ ይብላዕ፡ እምውስቴቱ፡ ወይንሣእ፡ መክፈልቶ፡ ወከመ፡ ይትፈሣሕ፡ እምጻማሁ፡ ዝሀብተ፡ እግዚአ፡ ብሔር፡ ውእቱ።\n\nእስመ፡ አኮ፡ ብዘኀ፡ ዘይዜከር፡ መዋዕለ፡ ሕይወቱ፡ እስመ፡ እግዚኣ፡ ብሔር፡ ያሠርሐ፡ በፍትወተ፡ ልቡ።\n\nChapter 6\n\nቦእኩየ፡ ዘርኢኩ፡ እምታሕተ፡ ፀሓይ፡ ወብዝኅት፡ ይእቲ፡ ላዕለ፡ ሰብእ።\n\nብእሲ፡ ዘወሀቦ፡ እግዚኣ፡ ብሔር፡ ብዕለ፡ ወጥሪተ፡ ወክብረ፡ ወአልቦ፡ ዘይከልኣ፡ ለነፍሱ፡ እምኵሉ፡ ዘፈተወት፡ ወኢያስለጦ፡ እግዚኣ፡ ብሒር፡ ከመ፡ ይብላዕ፡ እምኔሁ፡ እስመ፡ ብእሲ፡ ነግድ፡ ይበልዖ፡ ወዝኒ፡ ከንቱ፡ ውእቱ፡ ወደዌ፡ እኪት።","english":"And this is an evil disease, for as it came, so it goes, and what are its remedies that it may be healed for his soul? For all his days are in darkness and emptiness, and in affliction, much weeping and sorrow and grief. But only this I have seen: good, that which brings good things, eating and drinking, and seeing the light of the sun in all his labor which he has wrought under the sun, the number of the days of life which the Lord has given him, for it is his portion. And every man to whom the Lord has given wealth and abundance and has allowed him to eat from it and to take his portion, and to rejoice from his labor, it is the gift of the Lord. For it is not many who remember the days of his life, for the Lord has made him according to the desire of his heart.\n\nChapter 6\n\nThere is evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is great over man. A man to whom the Lord has given wealth and abundance and honor, and there is none who can restrain his soul from all that it desires, and the Lord has not allowed him to eat from it, for a man of business consumes it, and this is vanity and an evil disease.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Chapter 6","severity":"info","text":"The passage ends with the heading 'Chapter 6', marking a new structural division in the Geʿez text, though the English draft does not reflect this break.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"መክፈልቱ","severity":"info","text":"The term 'mäkfältu' (portion) is a key theological concept in this passage, denoting the divinely allotted share of life and enjoyment, distinct from mere material wealth.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ወዝኒ፡ እኩይ፡ ደዌ፡","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'this is an evil disease' echoes the language of Ecclesiastes 6:3, where the futility of human desire is described as a sickness, though the Geʿez text expands the metaphor.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"ብእሲ፡ ነግድ፡","severity":"info","text":"The figure of the 'man of business' (bəʿəsi nəgd) reflects a social type in Aksumite and later Ethiopian commerce, where a merchant might consume the wealth of another, illustrating the theme of misplaced gain.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"ወባሕቱ፡ ናሁ፡ ዘርኢኩ፡ አነ፡ ኄርት፡","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'only this I have seen: good' parallels Ecclesiastes 2:17, where the speaker limits affirmation to simple pleasures, but the Geʿez version adds 'eating and drinking' as explicit goods.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ወኢያስለጦ፡ እግዚኣ፡ ብሒር፡","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'the Lord has not allowed him to eat from it' is textually uncertain; the negative particle 'ኢ' may be a scribal error, as the context suggests a contrast with the earlier permission to eat.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the 'man of business' (ብእሲ፡ ነግድ፡) is ambiguous: it may refer to a specific social role or be a generic figure for a wasteful person.","The phrase 'the Lord has not allowed him to eat from it' (ወኢያስለጦ፡ እግዚኣ፡ ብሒር፡) is ambiguous due to the negative particle, which may be a scribal error or intentional irony."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":44,"ref":"p44","source":"ለእመ፡ ወለደ፡ ብአሲ፡ ምእተ፡ ወዓመታተ፡ ብዙኀ፡ ሐይወ፡ ወብዙኀ፡ ኮነ፡ መዋዕለ፡ ዓመቲሁ፡ ወነፍሱሂ፡ ኢትጸግብ፡ እምሠናያት፡ ወግንዘቱኒ፡ ኢኮኖ፡ እቤ፡ ይኄይስ፡ እምኔሁ፡ ዳህጸ።\n\nእስመ፡ በከንቱ፡ መጽአ፡ ወውስተ፡ ጽልመት፡ የሐውር፡ ወበጽልመት፡ ስሙ፡ ይትከደን።\n\nወፀሓይኒ፡ ኢርእየ፡ ወኢያእመረ፡ ዕረፍቱ፡ ለዝ፡ እምዝ።\n\nወሶበ፡ ሐይወ፡ ዐሠርተ፡ ምእተ፡ ምሕዋረ፡ ዓመት፡ ወሠናይት፡ ኢርእየ፡ አኮሁ፡ ውስተ፡ መካን፡ አሐዱ፡ የሐውር፡ ኵሉ።\n\nኵሉ፡ ሥራሑ፡ ለሰብእ፡ ውስተ፡ አፉሁ፡ ወነፍሱሰ፡ ኢትመልእ።\n\nምንት፡ ፍድፋዴሁ፡ ለጠቢብ፡ እምአብድ፡ በእንተ፡ ነዳይ፡ ያአምር፡ ሐዊረ፡ ቅድመ፡ ሕይወት።\n\nይኄይስ፡ ርእይ፡ በዓይን፡ እምሐዊር፡ በነፍስ፡ ወዝኒ፡ ከንቱ፡ ወፍትወተ፡ መንፈስ።\n\nኵሉ፡ ዘኮነ፡ ናሁ፡ ተሠምየ፡ ስሙ፡ ወተአምረ፡ ዘውእቱ፡ ሰብእ፡ ወኢይክል፡ ተጋእዞ፡ ምስለ፡ ዘይጸንዕ፡ እምኔሁ።\n\nእስመ፡ ቦ፡ ነገር፡ ብዙኅ፡ ዘያበዝኅ፡ ከንቶ።\n\nChapter 7","english":"If a man lives a hundred years and many years, he lives many days and many years of his life, and his soul is not satisfied with good things, and his funeral is not like that which is fitting for him, but is more miserable than that of a poor man.\n\nFor he came in vain, and in darkness he passes, and in darkness his name is hidden.\n\nAnd the sun does not see, and does not know his rest, this one from that one.\n\nAnd when he lived a hundred and ten circuits of years, he did not see good things, nor does he go in one place at all.\n\nAll the work of man is in his mouth, and his soul is not filled.\n\nWhat is the difference for the wise man from the fool, concerning the poor man who knows how to pass before life?\n\nIt is better to see with the eye than to pass with the soul, and this is vain and a desire of the spirit.\n\nAll that has happened, now his name is heard, and the wonder of what man is, and he cannot compare himself with one who is stronger than he.\n\nFor there is much talk that increases vanity.\n\nChapter 7","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The passage reflects on the futility of a long life, where even after many years the soul remains unsatisfied and the funeral is ignoble.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ጽልመት","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term ጽልመት (ṣəlmat) means 'darkness' and here carries both literal and metaphorical senses of obscurity and death.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'came in vain, and in darkness he passes' echoes Ecclesiastes 1:2-3, where vanity and transience are central themes.","cites":[{"key":"ed:LIT1320Eccles","label":"source edition: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The passage is part of a narrative section in the Geʿez Ecclesiastes, marked by a chapter break (Chapter 7) at the end.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez version of Ecclesiastes is part of the broader Ethiopic biblical tradition, often transmitted with commentary and liturgical use.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'ይኄይስ ርእይ በዓይን እምሐዊር በነፍስ' is ambiguous: it may contrast physical sight with spiritual passage, or sensory experience with inner reflection."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":45,"ref":"p45","source":"ምንተ፡ ፈድፋዱ፡ ለሰብእ፡ መኑ፡ ውእቱ፡ ዘያአምር፡ ምንት፡ ውእቱ፡ ሠናይ፡ ለሰብእ፡ በሕይወቱ፡ እንዘ፡ ይኄልቍ፡ መዋዕለ፡ ሕይወቱ፡ ከንቱ፡ ወገብሮን፡ በጽላሎት፡ መኑ፡ ያየድዖ፡ ለሰብአ፡ ዘይከውን፡ እምድኅሬሁ፡ በመትሕተ፡ ፀሓይ።\n\nይኄይስ፡ ስም፡ ሠናይ፡ እምቅብእ፡ መዐዛ፡ ወዕለተ፡ ሞት፡ እምዕለተ፡ ልደት።\n\nይኄይስ፡ ሐዊረ፡ ቤተ፡ ላሕ፡ እምሐዊረ፡ ቤተ፡ ግዝእ፡ እስመ፡ ውእቱዝ፡ ደኃሪቱ፡ ለኵሉ፡ ሰብእ፡ ወዘሕያው፡ የሀብ፡ ሠናየ፡ ውስተ፡ ልቡ።\n\nይኄይስ፡ መዐት፡ እምሥሂቅ፡ እስመ፡ በእከየ፡ ገጽ፡ ትሤኒ፡ ልብ።\n\nልበ፡ ጠቢባን፡ ውስተ፡ ቤተ፡ ላሕ፡ ወልበ፡ አብዳን፡ ውስተ፡ ቤተ፡ ፍሥሐ።\n\nይኄይስ፡ ሰሚዐ፡ ተግሣጸ፡ ጥቡበ፡ እምብእሲ፡ ዘይሰምዕ፡ ማኅሌተ፡ አብድ።\n\nከመ፡ ቃለ፡ አሥዋክ፡ ታሕተ፡ ጽሀርት፡ ከማሁ፡ ሰሐቆሙ፡ ለአብዳን፡ ወዝኒ፡ ከንቱ።\n\nእስመ፡ ትእግልት፡ ያንጎግዎ፡ ለጠቢብ፡ ወያሐጕል፡ ትፍሥሕተ፡ ልቡ።\n\nይኄይስ፡ ደኃሪት፡ ቃል፡ እምቀዳሚሁ፡ ይኄይስ፡ መስተዓግስ፡ እምዕቡየ፡ መንፈስ።","english":"What is the multitude of men? Who is he who knows what is good for a man in his life, while he counts the days of his life? Vanity, and his deeds are in shadow. Who knows for a man what will be after him under the sun?\n\nBetter a good name than fine oil, and a day of death than a day of birth.\n\nBetter to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for that is the end of every man, and he who lives gives good in his heart.\n\nBetter weeping than laughter, for by an evil face the heart is taught.\n\nThe heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, and the heart of fools is in the house of joy.\n\nBetter one who hears the admonition of the wise than a man who hears the song of a fool.\n\nAs the word of a thorn under a pot, so are the words of fools, and their ear is vanity.\n\nFor affliction humbles the wise and causes the joy of his heart to cease.\n\nBetter the last word than the first; better the patient than the proud of spirit.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"ይኄይስ","severity":"info","text":"The passage is structured as a series of proverbial comparisons, each introduced by ይኄይስ ('better...than'), a rhetorical pattern typical of wisdom literature.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"በጽላሎት","severity":"info","text":"በጽላሎት ('in shadow') echoes the Geʿez term for 'shadow' or 'shade,' connoting transience and obscurity, consistent with the theme of human vanity.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ዕለተ ሞት እምዕለተ ልደት","severity":"info","text":"The comparison 'a day of death than a day of birth' reflects a sentiment found in Ecclesiastes (e.g., 7:1-2) but is not a direct quotation; it adapts the biblical theme of mortality.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ቤተ ላሕ","severity":"info","text":"ቤተ ላሕ ('house of mourning') refers to a place of funeral lamentation, contrasting with ቤተ ፍሥሐ ('house of joy'), reflecting Geʿez cultural practices of communal mourning.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"ከመ ቃለ አሥዋክ ታሕተ ጽሀርት","severity":"info","text":"The simile 'as the word of a thorn under a pot' parallels a known Ethiopic proverb about hidden danger or sharp speech, though no direct source is cited.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ሰሐቆሙ","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase ሰሐቆሙ ('their words') in the context of fools may be textually uncertain; the Geʿez could be read as 'their speech' or 'their deceit,' affecting interpretation.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase ሰሐቆሙ could be interpreted as 'their words' or 'their deceit,' leading to different nuances in the proverb about fools.","The reference to 'thorn under a pot' is idiomatic and its exact cultural referent is unclear."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":46,"ref":"p46","source":"ኢትጐጕእ፡ በመንፈስከ፡ ለተምዕዖ፡ እስመ፡ መዐት፡ ውስተ፡ ሕፅነ፡ አብዳን፡ ተዐርፍ።\n\nኢትበል፡ ምንተ፡ ኮነ፡ እስመ፡ መዋዕለ፡ ትከት፡ ይኄይስ፡ እምእላንቱ፡ እስመ፡ አኮ፡ በጥበብ፡ ዘተስእልከ፡ በእንተዝ።\n\nሠናይ፡ ጥበብ፡ ምስለ፡ ዑቃቤ፡ ወፈድፋደ፡ ምስለ፡ እለ፡ ይሬእዩ፡ ፀሓየ።\n\nእስመ፡ ጽላሎታ፡ ለጥበብ፡ ከመ፡ ጽላሎታ፡ ለብሩር፡ ወፈድፋደ፡ አእምሮ፡ ለጥበብ፡ ወታሐይዎ፡ ለዘ፡ አጥረያ።\n\nርኢ፡ ተግበሮ፡ ለእግዚኣ፡ ብሔር፡ መኑ፡ ውእቱ፡ ዘይክል፡ አሠንዮቶ፡ ለዘ፡ እግዚኣ፡ ብሔር፡ አጥወዮ።\n\nበመዋዕል፡ ሠናይ፡ ሕየው፡ በፍሥሐ፡ ወርኢ፡ በዕለት፡ እኪት፡ ወዝኒ፡ ናሁ፡ ምስለዝ፡ ውእቱ፡ ገብረ፡ እግዚኣ፡ ብሔር፡ በእንተ፡ ነገር፡ ከመ፡ ኢይርከብ፡ ሰብእ፡ ዘእምድኅሬሁ፡ ወኢምንተ።\n\nኵሎ፡ ኅቡረ፡ ርኢኩ፡ በመዋዕለ፡ ሥራሕየ፡ ቦጸድቅ፡ ዘይትሐጐል፡ በጽድቁ፡ ወቦረሲዐ፡ ዘይሄሉ፡ በእከዩ።\n\nወኢትኩን፡ ጻደቀ፡ ፈድፋደ፡ ወኢትጠበብ፡ ፈድፋደ፡ ከመ፡ ኢትጌጊ።","english":"Do not go out in your spirit to the multitude, for a hundred are in the bosom of destruction, they pass away.\n\nDo not say, \"What has happened?\" for the days of the multitude are better than those, for it is not in wisdom that you have asked concerning this.\n\nGood wisdom is with the aged, and friendship is with those who see the sun.\n\nFor the shadow of wisdom is like the shadow of a mirror, and friendship is the understanding of wisdom, and it preserves the one who has acquired it.\n\nSee the work of the Lord of the land: who is he who can make equal to the one whom the Lord of the land has made?\n\nIn good days, live in joy, and see in a bad day; and this now is with this: he is the servant of the Lord of the land, because of the matter that a man will not find what is after him, nor anything.\n\nAll together I have seen in the days of my labor: the righteous one who walks in his righteousness, and the wicked one who lives in his evil.\n\nAnd do not be righteous with a friend, and do not be wise with a friend, as if you were mocking.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The opening admonition 'Do not go out in your spirit to the multitude' warns against engaging with the crowd, which is consigned to destruction.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ጥበብ","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term ጥበብ (ṭəbāb) means 'wisdom' and is a key concept in this passage, contrasted with mere knowledge or cleverness.","cites":[{"key":"ed:LIT1320Eccles","label":"source edition: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'shadow of a mirror' is paradoxical; in Geʿez tradition, a mirror has no shadow, so wisdom's shadow is insubstantial, emphasizing its intangible nature.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The passage shifts from admonitions (vv. 1–2) to proverbial comparisons (vv. 3–4), then to a rhetorical question about divine work (v. 5), and concludes with ethical directives (vv. 6–8).","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The final verse 'do not be righteous with a friend, and do not be wise with a friend, as if you were mocking' is ambiguous: it may warn against feigned virtue or against imposing one's standards on others.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of 'the Lord of the land' (እግዚኣ፡ ብሔር) is unclear: it may refer to God or to a human ruler.","The phrase 'the days of the multitude are better than those' (v. 2) is elliptical; the referent of 'those' is uncertain."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":47,"ref":"p47","source":"ወኢትኅጣእ፡ ፈድፋደ፡ ወኢትኩን፡ ድሩከ፡ ከመ፡ ኢትሙት፡ ዘእንበለ፡ ጊዜከ።\n\nይኄይስ፡ ሀልዎተከ፡ በዝ፡ ወእምዝኒ፡ ኢታርኵስ፡ እዴከ፡ እስመ፡ ዘይፈርሆ፡ ለእግዚኣ፡ ብሔር፡ ይወፅእ፡ እምኵሉ።\n\nጥበብ፡ ትረድኦ፡ ለጠቢብ፡ እምዐሠርቱ፡ መኳንንተ፡ እለ፡ ሀለዉ፡ ውስተ፡ ሀገር።\n\nእስመ፡ አልቦ፡ ሰብእ፡ ጻድቀ፡ ውስተ፡ ምድር፡ ዘይገብር፡ ሠናየ፡ ወኢይኤብስ።\n\nወውስተ፡ ኵሉ፡ ነገር፡ ዘይትናገሩ፡ ኢትሰድ፡ ልበከ፡ ከመ፡ ኢትስማዕ፡ ገብርከ፡ እንዘ፡ ይረግመከ።\n\nእስመ፡ ብዙኀ፡ ይትሜአከከ፡ ወበፍናው፡ ብዙኅ፡ ያአክያ፡ ለልብከ፡ እስመ፡ ከመ፡ አንተኒ፡ ረገምክ፡ ባዕደ።\n\nዘንተ፡ ኵሎ፡ አመከርኩ፡ በጥበብ፡ አቤ፡ እጠበብ፡ ወይእቲ፡ ርሕቅት፡ እምኔየ።\n\nርኁቀ፡ እንዘ፡ ሀለወት፡ ወዕመቀ፡ ዕሙቅ፡ መኑ፡ ይረክባ።\n\nኦድኩ፡ አነ፡ ወልብየ፡ በአእምሮ፡ ወከመ፡ አሐሊ፡ ወእኅሥሣ፡ ለጥበብ፡ ወለሐሳብ፡ ወከመ፡ አእምር፡ ለረሲዓን፡ እበዶሙ፡ ወአጽህቆ፡ ወስፍጠታተ።\n\nወእርከባ፡ አነ፡ መራር፡ እሞት፡ ብእሲት፡ እንተ፡ ይእቲ፡ መሣግር፡ ወመርበብት፡ ልባ፡ ማእሰር፡ ውስተ፡ እዴሃ፡ ኄር፡ በቅድመ፡ እግዚኣ፡ ብሔር፡ ዘይትባበላሕ፡ እምኔሃ፡ ወዘይኤብስ፡ ይስገር፡ ባቲ።","english":"And do not err one after another, and do not become a slave like one who dies before your time.\n\nYour existence is bitter in this, and moreover, do not stretch out your hand, for he who fears the Lord of the land will come forth from everything.\n\nWisdom guides the wise man more than the ten governors who are in the city.\n\nFor there is no righteous person on earth who does good and does not wither.\n\nAnd in all the discourse that is spoken, do not let your heart be led astray, so that you do not hear your servant while he curses you.\n\nFor many will flatter you, and in the end many will weary your heart, for you too have cursed another.\n\nAll this I have considered in wisdom; would that I were wise, but she is far from me.\n\nFar away while she exists, and deep, profound—who can find her?\n\nI have humbled myself and my heart in understanding, and like one who desires and longs for wisdom and thought, and like one who knows the wicked, I hate them and have silenced their falsehoods.\n\nAnd I myself have found a bitter death: a woman who is a harlot and a procuress, her heart a fetter in her hand, good before the Lord of the land, who is boastful because of her, and he who withers will be imprisoned by her.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The passage shifts from general admonitions to a personal reflection on wisdom, culminating in a vivid metaphor of a woman as a harlot and procuress, which may symbolize the dangers of worldly entanglement.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ኢትኅጣእ፡ ፈድፋደ፡","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'do not err one after another' uses the Geʿez verb 'ኢትኅጣእ፡' (from ḥṭʾ, 'to err, sin') with the distributive 'ፈድፋደ፡' (fadfāda, 'one after another'), emphasizing sequential moral failure.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"እስመ፡ አልቦ፡ ሰብእ፡ ጻድቀ፡ ውስተ፡ ምድር፡ ዘይገብር፡ ሠናየ፡ ወኢይኤብስ።","severity":"info","text":"The statement 'there is no righteous person on earth who does good and does not wither' echoes the sapiential theme of Ecclesiastes 7:1-2 on the transience of human virtue, though not a direct quotation.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"እስመ፡ ብዙኀ፡ ይትሜአከከ፡","severity":"info","text":"The warning against flattery ('many will flatter you') reflects the courtly context of the Geʿez translation, where flattery was a recognized danger for rulers, as seen in Ethiopian royal literature.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The passage moves from third-person maxims to first-person reflection ('I have humbled myself'), then to a concrete example (the woman), creating a rhetorical arc from general wisdom to personal testimony.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ወእርከባ፡ አነ፡ መራር፡ እሞት፡ ብእሲት፡","severity":"caution","text":"The final verse's description of a woman as 'bitter death' and 'harlot' is ambiguous: it may be a literal warning against immoral women or a metaphorical figure for worldly folly, as in Proverbs 7.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of 'the Lord of the land' (እግዚኣ፡ ብሔር፡) is ambiguous: it could refer to God or a secular ruler; the translation opts for a secular reading.","The final woman figure is ambiguous: literal harlot or allegory for vice; the translation leaves it open."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":48,"ref":"p48","source":"ናሁ፡ ዘንተ፡ ረከብኩ፡ ይቤ፡ መክብብ፡ አሐተ፡ እምአሐቲ፡ ለረኪበ፡ ሕሊና።\n\nዘኀሠሠት፡ ነፍስየ፡ ወኢረኩበኩ፡ ወብእሲ፡ አሐደ፡ እምዐሠርቱ፡ ምእት፡ ረከብኩ፡ ወብእሲት፡ እምእሉ፡ ኵሎሙ፡ ኢረከብኩ።\n\nባሕቱ፡ ናሁ፡ ዘንተ፡ ረከብኩ፡ ዘገብረ፡ እግዚኣ፡ ብሔር፡ ወበጊዜሁ፡ ብእሲ፡ ራትዕ፡ ወእሙንቱ፡ የኀሡ፡ ሕሊና፡ ብዙኀ፡ መኑ፡ ያአምሮሙ፡ ለጠቢባን፡ ወመኑ፡ ያአምሮ፡ ፍካሬ፡ ቃሎሙ።\n\nChapter 8\n\nጥበቡ፡ ለብእሲ፡ ያበርህ፡ ገጾ፡ ወዘአልቦ፡ ኃፍረተ፡ ውስተ፡ ገጹ፡ ይጸላእ።\n\nአፈ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ዕቀብ፡ ወለቃለ፡ ማሐላ።\n\nኢትጐጕእ፡ ወእምቅድመ፡ ገጹ፡ ኅልፍ፡ ኢትቁም፡ በነገር፡ እኩይ፡ እስመ፡ ኵሉ፡ ዘፈቀደ፡ ይገብር።\n\nወከመ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ስሉጥ፡ ይትናገር፡ ወመኑ፡ ይብሎ፡ ምንተ፡ ገበርከ።\n\nዘየዐቅብ፡ ትእዛዘ፡ ኢያአምር፡ ቃለ፡ እከይ፡ ወጊዜሁ፡ ለፍትሕ፡ ያአምር፡ ልበ፡ ጠቢብ።\n\nእስመ፡ ለኵሉ፡ ግብር፡ ቦ፡ ጊዜ፡ ፍትሕ፡ እስመ፡ አእምሮቱ፡ ለብእሲ፡ ጽኑዕ፡ ላዕሌሁ።","english":"Now this I have found, says Ecclesiastes: one thing from another for one who has found wisdom.\n\nWhat my soul desired, I did not find. And one man out of a hundred I found, and a woman among all of them I did not find.\n\nOnly this I have found: what the Lord of the land has done, and in his time a man is righteous, and the faithful will be silent. Wisdom is abundant; who will understand the wise, and who will understand the interpretation of their words?\n\nChapter 8\n\nThe wisdom of a man brightens his face, and one who has no shame in his face is hateful.\n\nGuard the mouth of a king and the word of an oath.\n\nDo not be hasty, and before his face pass by; do not stand in an evil matter, for everyone does what he wills.\n\nAnd like a king, speak with authority, and who will say to you, \"What have you done?\"\n\nHe who keeps a command does not know an evil word, and at the time of judgment, the heart of the wise knows.\n\nFor every deed has a time of judgment, for the understanding of a man is strong over him.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"ናሁ፡ ዘንተ፡ ረከብኩ፡ ይቤ፡ መክብብ፡","severity":"info","text":"The passage opens with a first-person formula, 'Now this I have found, says Ecclesiastes,' which marks a structural transition from the preceding narrative to a new reflective unit. The subsequent 'Chapter 8' heading further divides the text.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ራትዕ፡","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term ራትዕ፡ (rāṭəʿ) is rendered 'righteous' in the English draft, but its semantic range includes 'upright, just, or proper.' In this context, it likely denotes moral rectitude in a temporal framework.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ዘገብረ፡ እግዚኣ፡ ብሔር፡","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'what the Lord of the land has done' echoes the divine sovereignty theme found in Ecclesiastes 2:26 (LXX) and similar wisdom literature, though no direct quotation is present. It reflects the Geʿez tradition's adaptation of Qoheleth.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ኢረከብኩ።","severity":"caution","text":"The line 'and a woman among all of them I did not find' is textually uncertain; the Geʿez ኢረከብኩ (ʾi-rakabku) may be a scribal error for a negated form, as the expected reading would be 'I did not find' (ኢረከብኩ). The English draft follows this interpretation.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"አፈ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ዕቀብ፡","severity":"info","text":"The advice to 'guard the mouth of a king and the word of an oath' reflects the courtly wisdom tradition common in Ethiopic sapiential literature, emphasizing discretion and loyalty in a monarchical setting.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"ወከመ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ስሉጥ፡ ይትናገር፡","severity":"info","text":"The exhortation to 'speak with authority like a king' parallels Proverbs 16:1 and Sirach 8:1, where authoritative speech is linked to wisdom and power. This motif is adapted in the Geʿez tradition to reinforce the sage's social standing.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'ኢረከብኩ' (ʾi-rakabku) is ambiguous: it may be a scribal error for a negated form, or it could represent a rare affirmative construction. The reading taken is 'I did not find,' consistent with the English draft.","The identity of 'the Lord of the land' (እግዚኣ፡ ብሔር፡) is ambiguous: it may refer to a temporal ruler or to God as sovereign, depending on the interpretive tradition. The reading taken is a divine reference, following the Geʿez wisdom context."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":49,"ref":"p49","source":"እስመ፡ አልቦ፡ ዘያአምር፡ ምንተ፡ ዘይከውን፡ እስመ፡ ዘይከውን፡ መኑ፡ ዘይነግሮ።\n\nአልቦ፡ ዘይሤልጥ፡ በመንፈሱ፡ ለከሊዓ፡ መንፈስ፡ ኅቡረ፡ ወአልቦ፡ ዘይሤልጥ፡ በዕለተ፡ ሞቱ፡ ወአልቦ፡ መልዕክት፡ በዕለተ፡ ቀትል፡ ወኢታድኅን፡ ረሢዓ፡ ዘኀቤሃ።\n\nወኵሉ፡ ኅቡረ፡ ዘንተ፡ ርኢኩ፡ ወወሀብኩ፡ ልብየ፡ ውስተ፡ ኵሉ፡ ፍጥረት፡ ዘተፈጥረ፡ በመትሕተ፡ ፀሓይ፡ ዘመጠነ፡ ተሠልጠ፡ ሰብእ፡ ለአእክዮተ፡ ሰብእ።\n\nአሜሃ፡ ርኢኩ፡ ረሢዓነ፡ እንዘ፡ ይበውዑ፡ ውስተ፡ መቃብር፡ ቅዱስ፡ ወዘእምቅዱሳን፡ ሖሩ፡ ወተወደሱ፡ በውስተ፡ ሀገር፡ እስመ፡ ከመዝ፡ ገብሩ፡ ወዝኒ፡ ከንቱ።\n\nእስመ፡ አልቦ፡ ዘይከውን፡ ቅስተ፡ እምእለ፡ ይገብሩ፡ አኩየ፡ በፍጡን፡ በእንተዝ፡ አእረፈ፡ ልበ፡ ውሉደ፡ ሰብእ፡ ቦሙ፡ ለገቢረ፡ እከይ።\n\nዘአበሰ፡ ገብረ፡ ኃጢአተ፡ እምትከት፡ ወእምቅድሜሁ፡ እስመ፡ አነ፡ ኣአምር፡ ከመ፡ ቦሙ፡ ሠናይ፡ ለእለ፡ ይፈርህዎ፡ ለእግዚአ፡ ብሔር፡ ከመ፡ ይፍርሁ፡ እምቅድመ፡ ገጹ።","english":"For there is no one who knows what will happen, for who can tell what will be?\n\nThere is no one who can rule over another spirit in union with his own spirit, and there is no one who can rule on the day of his death, and there is no messenger on the day of slaughter, and the maiden does not save what is with her.\n\nAnd all this I have seen in union, and I have given my heart into all creation that was created under the sun, for man has been found to be perfected for the wickedness of man.\n\nThen I saw our maiden while they were weeping in the holy tomb, and those from among the saints went and were glorified in the city, for they did as such, and this is vanity.\n\nFor there is no one who can be a bow against those who do evil with swiftness, because of this the heart of the children of man rests in them for the doing of evil.\n\nHe who has done a sin has done more than a worm and than his own face, for I know that there is good for those who fear the Lord of the land, as they fear before his face.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The passage reflects on human inability to control fate, death, or others' spirits, leading to a resigned observation of vanity.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ረሢዓ (rālaʿā)","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term ረሢዓ (rālaʿā) is translated as 'maiden' in the English draft, but may also connote a young woman or virgin, possibly alluding to a symbolic figure in wisdom literature.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ከንቱ (kantu)","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'ወዝኒ፡ ከንቱ' ('and this is vanity') echoes the thematic refrain of Ecclesiastes (e.g., Eccl 1:2), aligning the Geʿez version with the biblical book's emphasis on transience.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The mention of 'holy tomb' and 'saints' suggests a Christianized interpretation, possibly referencing monastic or martyrdom traditions in Ethiopian Orthodox context.","cites":[],"named_sources":["Ethiopian Orthodox tradition"],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The passage shifts from general aphorisms (lines 1-2) to personal observation (line 3), then to a narrative vignette (line 4), and concludes with moral reflection (lines 5-6), typical of Ecclesiastes' style.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'ዘአበሰ፡ ገብረ፡ ኃጢአተ፡ እምትከት፡ ወእምቅድሜሁ' ('He who has done a sin has done more than a worm and than his own face') is obscure; 'worm' may be a corruption or metaphor for something base.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of 'the maiden' (ረሢዓ) is unclear—whether a literal figure, a symbol, or a textual corruption.","The phrase 'more than a worm' (እምትከት) is ambiguous; it may be a scribal error or a unique metaphor."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":50,"ref":"p50","source":"ወአልቦ፡ ሠናይት፡ ለረሢዕ፡ ወኢይነውኅ፡ መዋዕለ፡ ጽላሎቱ፡ ለዘኢይፈርህ፡ እምቅድመ፡ ገጹ፡ ለእግዚአብሔር።\n\nቦከንቱ፡ ዘተገብረ፡ ውስተ፡ ምድር፡ እስመ፡ ቦጻድቃን፡ ዘይበጽሕ፡ ላዕሌሆሙ፡ ግብረ፡ ረሢዓን፡ ወቦ፡ ረሢዓን፡ ዘይበጽሕ፡ ላዕሌሆሙ፡ ግብረ፡ ጸድቃን፡ ወእቤ፡ ዝኒ፡ ከንቱ፡ ውእቱ።\n\nወወደስክዋ፡ አነ፡ ለኵላ፡ ፍግዕ፡ እስመ፡ አልቦ፡ ሠናይ፡ ለሰብእ፡ እምታሕተ፡ ፀሓይ፡ ዘእንበለ፡ ዘበልዓ፡ ወሰትየ፡ ወተፈሥሐ፡ ወውእቱ፡ ዘሎቱ፡ አምፃማሁ፡ በመዋዕለ፡ ሕይወቱ፡ ዘወሀቦ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ እምታሕተ፡ ፀሓይ።\n\nበከመ፡ ወሀብኩ፡ ልብየ፡ ለአእምሮ፡ ጥበብ፡ ወከመ፡ እርአይ፡ ሥራሐ፡ ዘተገብረ፡ ዲበ፡ ምድር፡ እስመ፡ በዕለትኒ፡ ወበሌሊትኒ፡ ንዋም፡ ውስተ፡ አዕይንቲሁ፡ ዘይሬኢ፡ አልቦ።\n\nወርኢኩ፡ ኵሎ፡ ግብሮ፡ ለእግዚአብሔር፡ ከመ፡ ኢይክል፡ ሰብእ፡ ረኪበ፡ ኅቡረ፡ ዘተገብረ፡ በመትሕተ፡ ፀሓይ፡ እመ፡ ሚመጠነ፡ ኅሠሠ፡ ሰብእ፡ ኢይክል፡ ረኪበ፡ ወእመ፡ ሚመጠነ፡ ይቤ፡ ጠቢብ፡ ከመ፡ ያእምር፡ ኢይክል፡ ረኪበ፡ እስመ፡ ኅቡረ፡ ዘንተ፡ ኵሎ፡ ወሀብኩ፡ ልብየ፡ ወልብየ፡ ኅቡረ፡ ዘንተ፡ ኵሎ፡ ርእየት።","english":"And there is no good for the wicked, and the days of his shadow do not last for one who does not fear before the face of the Lord.\n\nVanity is what is done in the world, for there are the righteous who attain the deeds of the wicked, and there are the wicked who attain the deeds of the righteous; and I say this also is vanity.\n\nAnd I have praised all that is perfect, for there is no good for man under the sun except what he eats and drinks and rejoices, and that is what he has in his lifetime, which the Lord has given him under the sun.\n\nAs I have given my heart to the understanding of wisdom, and as I have seen the work that is done upon the earth, for by day and by night there is no one who sleeps in his eyes who sees.\n\nAnd I have seen all the works of the Lord, that man cannot find the secret of what is done under the sun; if man desires as much as he can, he cannot find it; and if the wise man says that he knows, he cannot find it, for the secret of all this I have given my heart, and my heart has seen all this.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"ወአልቦ፡ ሠናይት፡ ለረሢዕ፡","severity":"info","text":"The opening statement denies any good for the wicked, echoing the theme of moral inversion in the passage.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ከንቱ","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term 'ከንቱ' (kantu) means 'vanity' or 'emptiness,' a key concept in Ecclesiastes, here applied to the paradox of righteous and wicked exchanging deeds.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"ወእቤ፡ ዝኒ፡ ከንቱ፡ ውእቱ።","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'I say this also is vanity' forms a refrain, marking a structural unit that concludes the observation of moral reversal.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"እምታሕተ፡ ፀሓይ፡","severity":"info","text":"The repeated phrase 'under the sun' (እምታሕተ፡ ፀሓይ፡) parallels the biblical Hebrew 'תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ' in Ecclesiastes, emphasizing the earthly scope of the observations.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"background","lemma":"ወወደስክዋ፡ አነ፡ ለኵላ፡ ፍግዕ፡","severity":"info","text":"The praise of 'all that is perfect' (ፍግዕ፡) may reflect a Geʿez interpretive tradition that tempers the skepticism of Ecclesiastes with a positive affirmation of divine order.","cites":[{"key":"ed:LIT1320Eccles","label":"source edition: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ዘይሬኢ፡ አልቦ።","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'there is no one who sleeps in his eyes who sees' is obscure; it may be a corruption or a unique Geʿez idiom for lack of insight, requiring further textual comparison.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'ዘይሬኢ፡ አልቦ።' (who sees, there is none) is ambiguous: it could mean no one sees while sleeping, or no one sees at all, depending on the reading of 'ዘይሬኢ፡' as a relative clause.","The term 'ፍግዕ፡' (perfect) may be a scribal variant or a specific theological term; its exact sense in this context is uncertain."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":51,"ref":"p51","source":"Chapter 9\n\nከመ፡ ጻድቃን፡ ወጠበብት፡ ወምግባሮሙ፡ ውስተ፡ እደ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ፍቅረ፡ ወጸልአ፡ አልቦ፡ ዘያአምር፡ ሰብእ፡ ኵሉ፡ ቅድመ፡ ገጾሙ።\n\nወከንቱ፡ ውስተ፡ ኵሉ፡ አሐዱ፡ ድድቁ፡ ለጸድቅ፡ ወለረሲዕ፡ ለኄር፡ ወለእኩይ፡ ለንጹሕ፡ ወለርሱሕ፡ ለዘ፡ ይሠውዕ፡ ወለዘ፡ ኢይሠውዕ፡ ከመ፡ ኄር፡ ወለዘሂ፡ የኃጥእ፡ ከመ፡ ዘይምሕል፡ ወከመ፡ ዘሂ፡ ይፈርህ፡ ማሕላ።\n\nዝክቱ፡ በኵሉ፡ ዘተገብረ፡ መትሕተ፡ ፀሓይ፡ እስመ፡ አሐዱ፡ ድድቁ፡ ለኵሉ፡ ወልቦሙ፡ ለውሉደ፡ ሰብእ፡ ፈጸመ፡ እከየ፡ ወበሁከተ፡ ልቦሙ፡ ሕይወቶሙ፡ ወእምድኅሬሆሙ፡ ኀበ፡ ምውታን።\n\nእስመ፡ መኑ፡ ውእቱ፡ ዘይሳተፍ፡ ምስለ፡ ኵሉ፡ ሕያዋን፡ በተስፋ፡ ከመ፡ ከልብ፡ ሕያው፡ ውእቱ፡ ይኄይስ፡ እምአንበሳ፡ ምዉት።\n\nእስመ፡ ሕያዋን፡ ያአምሩ፡ ከመ፡ ይመውቱ፡ ወምውታንሰ፡ ኢያእሙሩ፡ ወኢምንተ፡ ወአልቦው፡ እንከ፡ ዐስበ፡ እስመ፡ ተረስዐ፡ ዝክሮሙ።\n\nወፍቅሮሙኒ፡ ወጽልኦሙኒ፡ ወቅንአቶሙኒ፡ ናሁ፡ ተሐጕለ፡ ወመክፈልት፡ አልቦሙ፡ እንከ፡ ውስተ፡ ዓለም፡ በኵሉ፡ ዘተገብረ፡ መትሕተ፡ ፀሓይ።","english":"Chapter 9\n\nAs for the righteous, the wise, and their deeds, they are in the hand of the Lord; love and hate have no one who knows them, all men, before their faces.\n\nAnd the same is for all: one grave for the righteous and the wicked, for the good and the evil, for the pure and the defiled, for the one who offers sacrifice and for the one who does not offer sacrifice, as for the good, and for the one who sins as for the one who swears an oath, and as for the one who fears an oath.\n\nThis is all that was done under the sun, for there is one grave for all, and the hearts of the children of men have ended thus, and in the confusion of their hearts is their life, and after them, to the place of the dead.\n\nFor who is it that associates with all the living in hope? As a living dog is better than a dead lion.\n\nFor the living know that they will die, but the dead do not know anything, and they have no consciousness, for their memory has been forgotten.\n\nAnd their love and their hate and their envy—now they have passed away, and they have no portion or share at all in the world, in all that was done under the sun.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Chapter 9","severity":"info","text":"The passage begins a new chapter, continuing the theme of universal mortality and the futility of distinctions among humans.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ድድቁ","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term ድድቁ (dǝdǝqǝ) means 'grave' or 'tomb,' emphasizing the equalizing finality of death for all, regardless of moral status.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ከመ፡ ከልብ፡ ሕያው፡ ውእቱ፡ ይኄይስ፡ እምአንበሳ፡ ምዉት።","severity":"info","text":"The proverb 'a living dog is better than a dead lion' echoes a common wisdom motif found in other ancient Near Eastern texts, though not a direct biblical quotation.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ወከንቱ፡ ውስተ፡ ኵሉ፡ አሐዱ፡ ድድቁ፡","severity":"info","text":"The repeated assertion of a single grave for all reflects a fatalistic worldview common in Hellenistic and early Christian wisdom literature, emphasizing the vanity of worldly distinctions.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"ወፍቅሮሙኒ፡ ወጽልኦሙኒ፡ ወቅንአቶሙኒ፡","severity":"info","text":"The mention of love, hate, and envy as having passed away aligns with the Geʿez Christian ascetic tradition that views worldly passions as transient and ultimately meaningless.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"እስመ፡ ሕያዋን፡ ያአምሩ፡ ከመ፡ ይመውቱ፡","severity":"caution","text":"The statement that the dead 'do not know anything' may appear to contradict Christian eschatological beliefs; however, in context it likely refers to earthly consciousness, not the afterlife.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'before their faces' (ቅድመ፡ ገጾሙ) is ambiguous: it may mean 'in their presence' or 'in their judgment,' and the translation opts for the latter.","The reference to 'the one who offers sacrifice' (ዘይሠውዕ) may allude to Jewish or Christian sacrificial practice, but the text does not specify."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":52,"ref":"p52","source":"ነዓ፡ ብላዕ፡ በፍሥሐ፡ ኅብስተከ፡ ወስተይ፡ በልብከ፡ ኄር፡ ወይነከ፡ እስመ፡ ሠምረ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ምግበሪከ።\n\nበኵሉ፡ ጊዜ፡ ይኩን፡ ኦልባሲከ፡ ንጹሐ፡ ወቅብዕ፡ አምርእስከ፡ ኢይርኀቅ።\n\nወርኢ፡ ሕይወተ፡ ምስለ፡ ብእሲትከ፡ እንተ፡ አፍቀርከ፡ ኵሎ፡ መዋፅለ፡ ሕይወትከ፡ እለ፡ ተውህባከ፡ እምታሕተ፡ ፀሓይ፡ ኵሎ፡ መዋዕለ፡ መዋዕል፡ እለ፡ ኮና፡ ለከ፡ እስመ፡ ውእቱ፡ መክፈልትከ፡ በሕይወትከ፡ ወበሥራኅከ፡ ዘትሰርኅ፡ መትሕተ፡ ፀሓይ።\n\nኵሎ፡ ዘትክል፡ እዴከ፡ ለገቢር፡ መጠነ፡ ኃይልከ፡ ግበር፡ እስመ፡ አልቦ፡ ግብር፡ ወህሊና፡ መጥበብ፡ ወአእምሮ፡ ውስተ፡ ገሃነም፡ ኀበ፡ ተሐውር፡ አንተ፡ ህየ።\n\nተመየጥኩ፡ ወርኢኩ፡ መትሕተ፡ ፀሓይ፡ ከመ፡ አኮ፡ ለቀሊላን፡ ረዊፅ፡ ወአኮ፡ ለጽኑዓን፡ ቀትል፡ ወአኮ፡ ለጠቢባን፡ እክል፡ ወአኮ፡ ለማእምራን፡ ብፅል፡ ወአኮ፡ ለእለ፡ ይሌብዉ፡ ጸጋ፡ እስመ፡ ጊዜ፡ ወድድቅ፡ ይዳድቆሙ፡ ለኵሎሙ።\n\nእስመ፡ ኢያአምሩ፡ ጊዜሁ፡ ከመ፡ ዓሣት፡ እለ፡ ይሠገሩ፡ በመርበብት፡ እኩይ፡ ወከመ፡ አዕዋፍ፡ ዘይትኣኃዙ፡ በመሥገርት፡ ወከማሁ፡ ይሠገሩ፡ ውሉደ፡ ሰብእ፡ በጊዜ፡ እኩይ፡ ሶበ፡ ይወድቅ፡ ዲቤሆሙ፡ ግብተ።","english":"Come, eat your bread with joy, and drink your good wine with your heart, for the Lord has approved your deeds.\n\nAt all times, let your garments be clean, and let the crown on your head not be removed.\n\nAnd behold the life with your wife, whom you have loved, all the days of your life, which were given to you from beneath the sun, all the times of times which were for you, for it is your portion in your life and in your old age, which you spend beneath the sun.\n\nAll that your hand can plant, do according to the measure of your strength, for there is no deed or thought or wisdom or knowledge in Gehenna, where you will go.\n\nI have examined and seen beneath the sun that it is not for the swift to flee, nor for the strong to kill, nor for the wise to eat, nor for the intelligent to be satiated, nor for those who wear grace, for when the time of the net falls, it catches them all.\n\nFor they do not know their time, like fish that are caught in a bad net, and like birds that are caught in a snare, and likewise the children of men are caught in a bad time when misfortune falls upon them.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The passage shifts from the preceding reflection on death to a series of exhortations to enjoy life's simple pleasures, a common theme in Ecclesiastes.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ገሃነም","severity":"info","text":"Gehenna (ገሃነም) here refers to the afterlife realm of punishment, not the physical valley; the Geʿez usage reflects later Jewish and Christian eschatology.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The imagery of fish caught in a net and birds in a snare is a traditional wisdom trope, found in other ancient Near Eastern texts, illustrating the unpredictability of fate.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The passage is structured as a series of imperatives (eat, drink, let garments be clean) followed by a reflective observation on the universality of death and capture by misfortune.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'crown on your head' (ቅብዕ አምርእስከ) is ambiguous: it may refer literally to a headdress or metaphorically to dignity; the Geʿez does not clarify.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of 'the swift' and 'the strong' in the list of those who cannot escape is unspecified; the text may be proverbial. The phrase 'those who wear grace' (እለ ይሌብዉ ጸጋ) is obscure and may refer to the favored or the blessed."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":53,"ref":"p53","source":"ወናሁ፡ ዘንተኒ፡ ርኢኩ፡ ጥበበ፡ መትሕተ፡ ፀሓይ፡ ወዓባይ፡ ይእቲ፡ በኀቤየ።\n\nሀገር፡ ንስቲት፡ ወሰብእ፡ እለ፡ ውስቴታ፡ ኅዳጣን፡ ወአመ፡ መጽአ፡ ላዕሌሃ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ዐቢይ፡ ወዓገታ፡ ወየሐንጽ፡ ላዕሌሃ፡ ጥቅመ፡ ዓቢየ።\n\nረከበ፡ በውስቴታ፡ ብእሴ፡ ነዳየ፡ ወጠቢበ፡ ወያድኅን፡ ሀገረ፡ ውእቱ፡ ነዳይ፡ በጥበቡ፡ ወአልቦ፡ ዘተዘከሮ፡ ሰብእ፡ ኅቡረ፡ ለውእቱ፡ ብእሲ።\n\nወእቤ፡ አነ፡ ትኄይስ፡ ጥበብ፡ እምኀይል፡ ወጥበቡ፡ ለነዳይ፡ እንተ፡ ትትሜነን፡ ወነገሩ፡ ኢኮኑ፡ እለ፡ ይሰምዑ።\n\nነገረ፡ ጠበብት፡ በዕረፍት፡ ይሰማዕ፡ እምነ፡ ጽራኆሙ፡ ለእለ፡ ይኴንኑ፡ በእበድ።\n\nትኄይስ፡ ጥበብ፡ እምንዋየ፡ ሐቅል፡ ወእንዘ፡ የኃጥእ፡ አሐደ፡ የሐጕል፡ በረከተ፡ ብዙኃ።\n\nChapter 10\n\nጽንጽንያ፡ ምውት፡ ያማስን፡ አፈወ፡ ቅብእ፡ ጥዑም፡ ይከብር፡ ንስቲት፡ ጥበብ፡ እምነ፡ ክብር፡ ዐቢይ፡ በእበድ።\n\nልበ፡ ጠቢብ፡ ውስተ፡ የማኑ፡ ወልቡ፡ ለአብድ፡ ውስተ፡ ፀጋሙ።\n\nወሶበ፡ የሐውር፡ አብድ፡ በፍኖት፡ ልቡ፡ የሐጾ፡ ወዘይኄሊ፡ ኵሎ፡ አብድ፡ ውእቱ።","english":"And behold, I have seen this wisdom under the sun, and it is great in my sight.\n\nA small city, and the people within it are few. And when a great king came against it, he besieged it and built a great rampart against it.\n\nHe found within it a poor man, wise, who saved the city. That poor man, by his wisdom, and there is no one among the people who remembered that man.\n\nAnd I say, wisdom is better than strength, and the wisdom of the poor, which is despised, and their story, how those who hear it!\n\nThe word of the wise is heard in rest more than the shouting of those who rule with folly.\n\nWisdom is better than the noise of a field, and while one sins, another cultivates a great blessing.\n\nChapter 10\n\nA dead fly spoils the taste of sweet oil. A little wisdom is more honorable than great glory in folly.\n\nThe heart of the wise is on his right, and the heart of the fool is on his left.\n\nAnd when the fool walks on the road, his heart is troubled, and everything that is beautiful is the fool himself.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Chapter 10","severity":"info","text":"The passage begins with a narrative section (the poor man saving a city) and then transitions to a new chapter, Chapter 10, which introduces a series of proverbial sayings.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"ወናሁ፡ ዘንተኒ፡ ርኢኩ፡ ጥበበ፡ መትሕተ፡ ፀሓይ፡","severity":"info","text":"The opening line echoes the refrain 'under the sun' from earlier in Ecclesiastes, reinforcing the theme of earthly, temporal wisdom.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ሀገር፡ ንስቲት፡","severity":"info","text":"The story of a poor wise man saving a small city from a great king is a parable not found in the Hebrew or Greek versions of Ecclesiastes, suggesting a Geʿez expansion or allegorical addition.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ጥበብ","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term ጥበብ (ṭəbāb) means 'wisdom' and is used throughout the passage, contrasting with ኀይል (strength) and ክብር (glory), emphasizing the value of wisdom over power.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"ጽንጽንያ፡ ምውት፡ ያማስን፡ አፈወ፡ ቅብእ፡ ጥዑም፡","severity":"info","text":"The proverb 'A dead fly spoils the taste of sweet oil' parallels a common saying in other wisdom traditions (e.g., 'a fly in the ointment'), illustrating the universal theme that a small flaw can ruin something valuable.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ወእቤ፡ አነ፡ ትኄይስ፡ ጥበብ፡ እምኀይል፡","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'wisdom is better than strength' may be a later gloss or interpolation, as it breaks the narrative flow and introduces a direct authorial comment, which is atypical for the original Ecclesiastes.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the 'great king' and the 'small city' is unclear; they may be allegorical rather than historical.","The transition from narrative to proverbs at Chapter 10 is abrupt, possibly indicating a compilation of disparate sayings."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":54,"ref":"p54","source":"እመ፡ መንፈሱ፡ ለዘ፡ ይሤለጥ፡ ዐርገ፡ ላዕሌከ፡ መካነከ፡ ኢትሕድግ፡ እስመ፡ ፈውስ፡ ያሐድግ፡ ኃጣይአ፡ ዐቢየ።\n\nበእኩይ፡ ዘርኢኩ፡ መትሕተ፡ ፀሓይ፡ ከመ፡ ዘበኢያእምሮ፡ ወፅአ፡ ቅድመ፡ ይሴለጥ።\n\nተውህበ፡ አብድ፡ ለሉዓሌ፡ ዐቢይ፡ ወአብዕልት፡ መትሕተ፡ ይነብሩ።\n\nርኢኩ፡ እግብርት፡ ዲበ፡ አፍራስ፡ ወመኴንንት፡ እንዘ፡ የሐውሩ፡ ዲበ፡ ምድር፡ ከመ፡ አግብርት።\n\nዘይከሪ፡ ግበ፡ ውስቴቱ፡ ይወድቅ፡ ወዘይነሥት፡ ፀቈነ፡ ይነስኮ፡ አርዌ፡ ምድር።\n\nዘያስተፌልስ፡ እብነ፡ የሐምም፡ ቦሙ፡ ወዘይሤርጽ፡ ዕፀ፡ ይትመነደብ፡ ቦሙ።\n\nአመ፡ ተመልኀ፡ ሐፂኑ፡ ወውእቱኒ፡ ግጾ፡ አስተዋለወለ፡ ወኀይል፡ ታኄይል፡ ወፍድፍድናሁ፡ ለጽኑዕ፡ ጥበብ።\n\nእመ፡ ነሰከ፡ እርዌ፡ ምድር፡ ወኢፈወሰ፡ ረቃዪ፡ አልቦ፡ ዘይበቍዕ፡ ዘይረቂ።\n\nንባቡ፡ አፉሁ፡ ለጠቢብ፡ ሞገስ፡ ወከናፍሪሁ፡ ለአብድ፡ ያሰጥማሁ።\n\nቀዳሚ፡ ንባበ፡ አፉሁ፡ ዕበድ፡ ወደኃሪተ፡ አፉሁ፡ ፀዋግ።\n\nአብድ፡ ያበዝኅ፡ ነገረ፡ ኢያአምር፡ ብእሲ፡ ምንተ፡ ዘኮነ፡ ወምንተ፡ ዘይከውን፡ እስመ፡ እምድኅሬሁ፡ መኑ፡ ይዜንዎ።","english":"If the spirit of one who climbs a wall goes up over you, your place will be abandoned, for a serpent abandons its great sin.\n\nIn evil I have seen under the sun, as from folly it went out before the wall.\n\nA servant was given to a great master, and maidservants dwell beneath.\n\nI have seen servants upon horses and governors while they walk upon the earth like servants.\n\nHe who throws a stone into it falls, and he who lifts a spear is bitten by a serpent of the earth.\n\nHe who rolls a stone is pained by it, and he who cuts wood is broken by it.\n\nWhen the wise man is angry, even he is troubled, and strength is weakened, and his subtlety is for the strong wisdom.\n\nIf a serpent of the earth bites you and there is no healer, there is no one who heals, no one who cures.\n\nThe speech of the mouth of the wise is grace, and the lips of the servant cause him to drink.\n\nFirst, the speech of his mouth is loss, and last, his mouth is a liar.\n\nA servant multiplies words; a man does not know what was and what will be, for after him who will remember him?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"እመ፡ መንፈሱ፡ ለዘ፡ ይሤለጥ፡ ዐርገ፡ ላዕሌከ፡ መካነከ፡ ኢትሕድግ፡ እስመ፡ ፈውስ፡ ያሐድግ፡ ኃጣይአ፡ ዐቢየ","severity":"info","text":"The opening image of a serpent abandoning its sin after climbing a wall is a cryptic metaphor, likely for the abandonment of a place or state due to folly or danger. The Geʿez text is obscure, and the English draft reflects a literal reading.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"አብድ","severity":"info","text":"The term አብድ (ʿabd) means 'servant' or 'slave', recurring throughout the passage to contrast social roles. It is used in the Geʿez text to describe both a servant given to a master and servants elevated to horses, while governors walk like servants.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The passage shifts from a series of proverbial or metaphorical statements (lines 1–6) to a narrative-like reflection on wisdom and folly (lines 7–11), ending with a servant's verbosity and human ignorance of past and future. This structural break aligns with the Coptic cue of 'narrative'.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"እርዌ፡ ምድር","severity":"info","text":"The 'serpent of the earth' (እርዌ ምድር) appears twice, echoing the earlier serpent motif. This may parallel the serpent in the opening line, reinforcing a theme of hidden danger or poison that requires a healer, a motif found in other wisdom literature.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez text of Ecclesiastes in the Ethiopic tradition is part of the broader 'Ṣǝḥǝf' canon, often transmitted with commentary. This passage's dense, proverbial style may reflect monastic or scribal interpretation, though no specific commentary is cited here.","cites":[{"key":"ed:LIT1320Eccles","label":"source edition: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ኢትሕድግ፡ እስመ፡ ፈውስ፡ ያሐድግ፡ ኃጣይአ፡ ዐቢየ","severity":"caution","text":"The Geʿez phrase 'ኢትሕድግ እስመ ፈውስ ያሐድግ ኃጣይአ ዐቢየ' is syntactically ambiguous: it may mean 'the serpent abandons its great sin' or 'the serpent abandons, for its great sin'. The English draft opts for the former, but the latter is possible.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The opening line's syntax allows either 'the serpent abandons its great sin' or 'the serpent abandons because of its great sin'.","The identity of 'the wall' (ዐርገ) in line 1 and its relation to the 'wall' in line 2 is unclear; they may be the same or different.","The phrase 'ዘይከሪ ግበ ውስቴቱ' (he who throws a stone into it) has an ambiguous antecedent for 'it' (ውስቴቱ), possibly the wall or a pit."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":55,"ref":"p55","source":"ፃማሁ፡ ለእብድ፡ ያሐምሞ፡ እስመ፡ ኢያአምር፡ ሐዊረ፡ ውስተ፡ ሀገር።\n\nአሌ፡ ለኪ፡ ሀገር፡ እንተ፡ ንጉሥኪ፡ ወሬዛ፡ ወመኳንንትኪ፡ በነግህ፡ ይበልዑ።\n\nብፅዕት፡ እንቲ፡ ምድር፡ እንተ፡ ንጉሥኪ፡ ወልደ፡ አግዓዚ፡ ወመኳንንትኪ፡ በጊዜ፡ ይበልዑ፡ በኃይል፡ ወኢይትኃፈሩ።\n\nበሐኬት፡ በጽርዓተ፡ እደው፡ ይወድቅ፡ ቤተ፡ ወያወጽሕ፡ ቤት፡ በእድው፡ ሐካያን።\n\nለሰሐቅ፡ ይሬስይዎ፡ ኅብስተ፡ ወወይን፡ ያስተፌሥሕ፡ ሕያዋነ፡ ለወርቅ፡ ይትኤዘዝ፡ ኵሉ፡ ኅቡረ።\n\nወአንተኒ፡ በህሊናከ፡ ንጉሠ፡ ኢትርግም፡ ወበውሳጢተ፡ ቤትከ፡ በዑላነ፡ ኢትርግም፡ እስመ፡ ዖፈ፡ ሰማይ፡ ያወፅእ፡ ቃለከ፡ ወዘቦ፡ ክንፍ፡ ይዜኑ፡ ንባበከ።\n\nChapter 11\n\nፈኑ፡ ኅብስተከ፡ ውስተ፡ ገጸ፡ ማይ፡ እስመ፡ በብዙኅ፡ መዋዕል፡ ትረክቦ።\n\nሀብ፡ መክፈልተ፡ ለስብዐቱ፡ ወለሰማንቱ፡ እስመ፡ ኢታአምር፡ ዘይከውን፡ እኩይ፡ ውስተ፡ ምድር።\n\nእመ፡ መልአት፡ ደመና፡ ዝናመ፡ ውስተ፡ ምድር፡ ይክዑ፡ ወእመ፡ ወድቀ፡ ዕፅ፡ እመኒ፡ ደቡበ፡ ወእመኒ፡ ሰሜነ፡ ወእደ፡ ወድቀ፡ ዕፅ፡ ህየ፡ ይሄሉ።","english":"His servant is silent, for he does not know how to go into the city.\n\nWoe to you, O city whose king and nobles eat in the morning.\n\nBlessed is the land whose king and the son of Agʿazi and your nobles eat at the proper time by force and are not ashamed.\n\nBy deceit and by the sowing of hands, a house falls, and a house is brought out by the hands of sorcerers.\n\nTo Isaac they bequeath bread and wine; they make the living rejoice; for gold, all is troubled.\n\nAnd you, in your wisdom, do not judge the king, and in the midst of your house, do not judge the elders, for a bird of the sky will carry forth your voice, and one who has a wing will tell your speech.\n\nChapter 11\n\nSend your bread upon the face of the water, for after many days you will find it.\n\nGive a portion to seven and eight, for you do not know what evil will happen in the land.\n\nIf the clouds are full, rain will fall upon the land; and if a tree falls, whether to the south or to the north, where the tree falls, there it will lie.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Chapter 11","severity":"info","text":"The passage begins with a chapter heading, 'Chapter 11', which marks a structural division in the Geʿez text. This heading is not present in the Masoretic Hebrew but is a feature of the Ethiopic manuscript tradition.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"አግዓዚ (Agʿazi)","severity":"info","text":"The term 'Agʿazi' (አግዓዚ) is a proper name or title, possibly referring to a clan or lineage. In the Geʿez context, it may denote a noble or a specific group, but its exact referent is uncertain.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"To Isaac they bequeath bread and wine","severity":"info","text":"The reference to 'Isaac' (ሰሐቅ) likely alludes to the biblical patriarch Isaac, suggesting a typological or allegorical reading. The bequeathing of bread and wine may evoke Eucharistic or covenantal themes, though the text does not specify a liturgical context.","cites":[{"key":"ed:LIT1320Eccles","label":"source edition: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"By deceit and by the sowing of hands, a house falls","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'sowing of hands' (በጽርዓተ እደው) is obscure; it may be a metaphor for bribery or magical practices. The Geʿez text is ambiguous, and the English translation 'sowing of hands' is a literal rendering that may not capture the intended sense.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"Send your bread upon the face of the water","severity":"info","text":"This proverb about sending bread on water and later finding it parallels a common wisdom motif found in other ancient Near Eastern texts, such as the Instruction of Amenemope. It emphasizes the virtue of generosity and delayed reward.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"for a bird of the sky will carry forth your voice","severity":"info","text":"This warning about birds carrying speech echoes a biblical trope found in Ecclesiastes 10:20 (Hebrew: 'A bird of the air shall carry the matter'). The Geʿez version closely follows the Septuagint tradition.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of 'Agʿazi' is unclear; it may be a proper name or a title. The phrase 'sowing of hands' is obscure and may be a corruption or a rare idiom. The reference to 'Isaac' could be typological or literal, but the text does not clarify."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":56,"ref":"p56","source":"ዘየዐቅብ፡ ነፋሰ፡ ኢይዘርእ፡ ወዘይኔጽር፡ ደመናተ፡ ኢየዐጽድ።\n\nእስመ፡ አልቦ፡ ዘያአምር፡ ምንት፡ ውእቱ፡ ፍኖተ፡ መንፈስ፡ ከመ፡ አዕፅምት፡ ውስተ፡ ከርሠ፡ ፅንስት፡ ከማሁ፡ ኢታአምር፡ ግብሮ፡ ለእግዚአብሔር፡ መጠነ፡ ገብረ፡ ኅቡረ፡ ከሎ።\n\nበነግህ፡ ዝራእ፡ ዘርአከ፡ ወበምሴትኒ፡ ኢይኅድግ፡ እዴከ፡ እስመ፡ ኢታአምር፡ ዘይከውን፡ እመዝ፡ ውስተዝ፡ ወእመ፡ ክልኤሆሙ፡ ኅቡረ፡ ሠናይ።\n\nጥዑም፡ ብርሃን፡ ወሠናይ፡ ለአዕይንት፡ ለርኢየ፡ ኅብረ፡ ፀሓይ።\n\nእስመ፡ እመኒ፡ ዓመታተ፡ ብዙኀ፡ ሐይወ፡ ሰብእ፡ በኵሎን፡ ይትፌሣሕ፡ ወይዜከር፡ መዋዕል፡ ጽልመት፡ ከመ፡ ብዙኃተ፡ ይከውና፡ ኵሉ፡ ዘይመጽእ፡ ከንቶ።\n\nተፈሣሕ፡ ብአሲ፡ በውርዙትከ፡ ወትሠኒ፡ ልበከ፡ በመዋዕለ፡ ውርዙትከ፡ ወሖር፡ በፍኖተ፡ ልብከ፡ ዘበንጹሕ፡ ወኢበርኢየ፡ ዐይንከ፡ ወአእምር፡ ከመ፡ በእንተዝ፡ ኵሉ፡ ዘያቀርበከ፡ እግዚኣ፡ ብሔር፡ ለኵነኔ።\n\nወአርሕቅ፡ መዐተ፡ እምልብከ፡ ወአግሕስ፡ እከየ፡ እምሥጋከ፡ እስመ፡ ውርዙት፡ ወኢያእምሮ፡ ከንቱ።","english":"He who restrains the wind does not sow, and he who watches the clouds does not reap. For there is no one who knows what the path of the wind is, like the bones in the womb of a pregnant woman. Likewise, you do not know the work of God, as much as the work of a companion of a loaf. In the morning, sow your seed, and in the evening, do not let your hand rest, for you do not know what will be from this or from both together, good. Sweet is the light and good for the eyes to see the companion of the sun. For if a man has lived many years, in all of them he rejoices and remembers the days of darkness, as if many things will be, everything that comes, vain. Rejoice in your youth with your mouth, and strengthen your heart in the days of your youth, and walk on the path of your heart that is pure, and do not see with your eye, and know that because of this, everything that brings you near to God, the land, for judgment. And remove anger from your heart, and cleanse evil from your body, for youth and ignorance are vain.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The opening lines contrast restraint of wind and cloud-watching with sowing and reaping, suggesting futility in passive observation.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ኅቡረ ከሎ","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'companion of a loaf' (ኅቡረ ከሎ) is idiomatic, likely referring to a shared meal or simple fellowship, contrasting human work with divine inscrutability.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The imagery of wind, clouds, and bones in the womb reflects a naturalistic metaphor common in wisdom literature, emphasizing human ignorance of divine workings.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The passage shifts from agricultural metaphor to direct exhortation: sow in morning, rest not at evening, then to reflection on light and joy, ending with moral counsel against anger and evil.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez version of Ecclesiastes often amplifies moralizing and ascetic tones, as seen in the call to 'remove anger' and 'cleanse evil,' aligning with Ethiopian monastic traditions.","cites":[{"key":"ed:LIT1320Eccles","label":"source edition: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'companion of the sun' (ኅብረ ፀሓይ) is ambiguous; it may refer to daylight or a solar metaphor for clarity, but the exact referent is uncertain.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of 'son of Agʿazi' in the previous passage is unclear; the current passage's 'companion of a loaf' and 'companion of the sun' are idiomatic and may have multiple interpretations."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":57,"ref":"p57","source":"Chapter 12\n\nተዘከሮ፡ ለፈጣሪከ፡ በመዋዕለ፡ ውርዙትከ፡ ዘእንበለ፡ ይምጻእ፡ መዋዕል፡ እኩይ፡ ወይበጽሕ፡ ዓመታተ፡ በእለ፡ ትብል፡ ኢኮነኒ፡ ቦቶን፡ ፈቃድየ።\n\nዘእንበለ፡ ይጽልም፡ ፀሓይ፡ ወብርሃነ፡ ወርኅ፡ ወከዋክብት፡ ወዘእንበለ፡ ይትመየጡ፡ ደመናት፡ ድኅረ፡ ዝናማት።\n\nአመ፡ ዕለተ፡ ያንቀለቅሉ፡ ዐቃቢያነ፡ ቤት፡ ይትዐወለዉ፡ ሰብእ፡ ኀየልት፡ ወተፀርዓ፡ እለ፡ የሐርጻ፡ እስመ፡ ውሕዳ፡ ወይጸልማ፡ እለ፡ ይሬእያ፡ በጸዳል።\n\nወየዐፅዉ፡ ኆኃተ፡ በምሥያጣት፡ በድውይ፡ ቃል፡ እንተ፡ ተሐርጽ፡ ወትትነሣእ፡ በቃለ፡ ዖፍ፡ ወያሐስራ፡ ኵሎን፡ አዋልደ፡ ማኅሌት።\n\nእስመ፡ እመልዕልት፡ ይሬእዩ፡ ወድንጋፄ፡ ውስተ፡ ፍኖት፡ ወይጸጊ፡ ከርካዕ፡ ወይገዝፍ፡ አንበጣ፡ ወይትፈረዘዝ፡ ቈልሕ፡ እስመ፡ ኆረ፡ ብእሲ፡ ውስተ፡ ቤተ፡ ዓለሙ፡ ወኦዱ፡ ጸጐ፡ እለ፡ የሐብሉ።\n\nእስከ፡ ሶበ፡ እንበለ፡ ይትገፋዕ፡ ሕብሩ፡ ለብሩር፡ ወተቀጥቀጠ፡ አስተርእዮቱ፡ ለወርቅ፡ ወይትቀጠቀጥ፡ መሳብክ፡ ውስተ፡ ዐዘቅት፡ ወያንኰረኵር፡ መንኰራኵር፡ ውስተ፡ ዐዘቅት።","english":"Chapter 12\n\nRemember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil day comes and the years arrive when you will say, \"It is not my will.\"\n\nBefore the sun and the light of the moon and the stars grow dim, and before the clouds are scattered after the rains.\n\nWhen the day dawns, the guardians of the house are troubled; men of strength and of sowing are those who hasten, because of the one who is alone, and those who see in the shadow grow dark.\n\nAnd they close the windows with bolts, with a hidden voice that is concealed and rises with the voice of a bird, and they diminish all the children of the choir.\n\nFor the lofty see and stumble on the path, and the frog leaps, and the locust flies, and the lamb is terrified, because a man has entered the house of his world, and those who weave have given their reward.\n\nUntil, without the crystal being shattered, and the gold's appearance being shaken, and the sieve being shaken in the well, and the wheel rolling in the well.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This passage is the final chapter of Ecclesiastes in the Geʿez version, marked as Chapter 12. The preceding passage ended mid-sentence, and this one opens with a new thematic unit on remembering the Creator.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ተዘከሮ","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez verb 'ተዘከሮ' (tazakkaro) means 'remember' in the imperative, with a reflexive or passive nuance. It is a key term here, urging active recollection of the Creator.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The imagery of the sun, moon, and stars growing dim, and clouds scattering after rains, reflects natural cycles used in Geʿez wisdom literature to evoke the unpredictability of life and divine will.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'those who see in the shadow grow dark' parallels the earlier passage's theme of ignorance about God's work, echoing the idea that human perception is limited.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The English draft translates 'ወይጸልማ' as 'grow dark,' but the Geʿez could also mean 'they become dark' or 'they are darkened,' leaving ambiguity about whether the subject is the guardians or the men of strength.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"In Ethiopic tradition, this chapter is often read as a call to repentance and mindfulness of mortality, aligning with the ascetic emphasis in Geʿez monastic commentaries.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of 'the one who is alone' (ውሕዳ) is ambiguous; it may refer to a solitary person or metaphorically to God. The reading taken follows the English draft's interpretation as a lone individual.","The phrase 'those who weave have given their reward' (ኦዱ ጸጐ እለ የሐብሉ) is obscure; it may mean that weavers have received their due, or that they have given away their reward."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":58,"ref":"p58","source":"ወይገብእ፡ መሬት፡ ውስተ፡ ምድር፡ ከመ፡ ሀሎ፡ ወመንፈስ፡ ይገብእ፡ ኀበ፡ አግዚኣ፡ ብሔር፡ ዘወሀቦ።\n\nከንቱ፡ ከንቱ፡ ይቤ፡ መኩበብ፡ ኵሉ፡ ከንቱ።\n\nወፈድፋደ፡ እስመ፡ ኮነ፡ መክብብ፡ ጠቢበ፡ ወእስመ፡ ይሜህር፡ አእምሮ፡ ኵሎ፡ ሰብአ፡ ወእዝን፡ ይፈትን፡ ሰርጐ፡ ምስል።\n\nብዙኀ፡ ኀሠሠ፡ መክብብ፡ ከመ፡ ይርከብ፡ ነገረ፡ ፈቃድ፡ ወጽሑፍ፡ ርትዐ፡ ንበበ፡ ጽድቅ።\n\nነገረ፡ ጠቢባን፡ ከመ፡ መድጕጽ፡ ላህም፡ ወከመ፡ ቅትራት፡ ርሡን፡ እለ፡ እምኀበ፡ ትምህርት፡ ተውህቡ፡ እምአሐዱ፡ ኖላዊ።\n\nወፈድፋደ፡ እምውስቴቶሙ፡ ወልድየ፡ ኢትግበር፡ መጻሕፍተ፡ ብዙኀ፡ ዘአልቦ፡ ፍጻሜ፡ ወትምህርት፡ ብዙኅ፡ ጻማ፡ ለሥጋ።\n\nንበበ፡ ኵሉ፡ ነገር፡ ስማዕ፡ ወእግዚኣ፡ ብሔር፡ ፍራህ፡ ወትእዛዘቲሁ፡ ዕቀብ፡ እስመዝ፡ ውእቱ፡ ኵሉ፡ ብእሲ።\n\nእስመ፡ ኵሉ፡ ፍጥረት፡ የዐቅብ፡ እግዚኣ፡ ብሔር፡ ለኵሉ፡ ዘኢያስተርአየ፡ እመ፡ ሠናየ፡ ወእመ፡ እኩየ።     ፡ ስባሔ፡ ስባሔያት፡ ዘይሰመይ፡ ሰርድስሪን፡ ተፈጸመ፡ ቃለ፡ መክብብ፡ ወልደ፡ ዳዊት።","english":"And the body enters the earth, as it was, and the spirit enters to the Lord of the land who gave it.\n\nVanity, vanity, says the Preacher; all is vanity.\n\nAnd moreover, because the Preacher became wise, and because he teaches knowledge to all people, and the ear tests the hidden proverb.\n\nThe Preacher desired much, as one who finds the word of will, and the upright reading of righteousness.\n\nThe word of the wise is like a soothing medicine and like a healing incision for those who, from the place of learning, were given by one teacher.\n\nAnd moreover, from among them, my son, do not make many books that have no end, and much learning is a thirst for the body.\n\nHear every word, and fear the Lord of the land, and keep his commandments, for he is the whole man.\n\nFor all creation keeps the Lord of the land for all that is not revealed, whether good or evil. The Sabbath of Sabbaths, which is called Sardsarin, is completed: the word of the Preacher, son of David.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"ተፈጸመ፡ ቃለ፡ መክብብ፡ ወልደ፡ ዳዊት","severity":"info","text":"The final line marks the end of the book of Ecclesiastes, identifying the Preacher as the son of David, i.e., Solomon, in line with the traditional attribution.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ሰርድስሪን","severity":"info","text":"The term 'Sardsarin' is a transliteration of the Greek 'Σαρδάριν' or 'Σαρδάριον', possibly referring to a specific Sabbath or a liturgical term; its exact meaning is uncertain.","cites":[{"key":"ed:LIT1320Eccles","label":"source edition: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"external","lemma":"ስባሔ፡ ስባሔያት","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'Sabbath of Sabbaths' may allude to the Jewish concept of the Jubilee or a high holy day, adapted in the Geʿez tradition to conclude the book.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ወእግዚኣ፡ ብሔር፡ ፍራህ፡","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'fear the Lord of the land' is ambiguous: 'Lord of the land' may refer to God or a local ruler; the Geʿez allows both readings, but context favors God.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1320Eccles","label":"betmas: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"ከንቱ፡ ከንቱ፡ ይቤ፡ መኩበብ፡ ኵሉ፡ ከንቱ","severity":"info","text":"The repeated 'Vanity, vanity' echoes Ecclesiastes 1:2, a key theme in the biblical book, here adapted into the Geʿez homiletic conclusion.","cites":[{"key":"ed:LIT1320Eccles","label":"source edition: Ecclesiastes","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1320Eccles"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"external","lemma":"ወልድየ፡ ኢትግበር፡ መጻሕፍተ፡ ብዙኀ፡ ዘአልቦ፡ ፍጻሜ","severity":"info","text":"The warning against making many books without end reflects a monastic concern for brevity and spiritual focus, common in Ethiopic ascetic literature.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of 'Lord of the land' (ግዚኣ ብሔር) is ambiguous: it could be a divine title or a secular authority, but the context of spirit returning suggests God.","The term 'Sardsarin' (ሰርድስሪን) is obscure; it may be a corruption or transliteration of a Greek or Hebrew term, but its precise meaning is unclear."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]}]}