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Hebrew songs

Kol Akava Letova lyrics & English translation

כל עכבה לטובה

Every Delay Is for the Best — Ben Zion Chaim Tzur, 2024. Words by Ben Zion Chaim Tzur, Eliran Eliyahu, Omri Shlomo Dahan & Ofir Cohen. Below you get the full Hebrew lyrics with nikud, a Latin transliteration and an English translation of every line, plus the words worth memorising.

Sing it karaoke-style

The story behind the song

'Kol Akava Letova' turns a everyday Israeli saying — every delay is for the best — into a full-blown emuna (faith) anthem. Ben Zion Chaim Tzur sings about a stormy sea, an empty wallet and a soul that keeps holding on, mixing street Hebrew with lines straight out of Ecclesiastes. It's the kind of song you hear at weddings, in taxis and on repeat after a hard week.

Full lyrics, line by line

  1. אֲנִי מַאֲמִין בֶּאֱמוּנָה שְׁלֵמָהAni ma'amin be'emuna shlemaI believe with complete faith
  2. שֶׁכָּל מַה שֶׁקּוֹרֶה אִיתִּי זֶה רַק לְטוֹבָתִיShekol ma shekore iti ze rak letovatiThat everything happening to me is only for my good
  3. וּבֶאֱמֶת שֶׁאֲנִי לֹא כּוֹעֵס עַל אַף אֶחָדU've'emet she'ani lo ko'es al af echadAnd truly, I'm not angry at anyone
  4. כָּל יוֹם לוֹמֵד אֵיךְ לְשַׁחְרֵר קְצָת מֵעַצְמִיKol yom lomed eich leshachrer ktzat me'atzmiEvery day I learn how to let go of a bit of myself
  5. אֶפְחַד לֹא יוֹדֵעַ מָה יִהְיֶה בַּסּוֹףEfchad lo yode'a ma yihye basofI'll be afraid, I don't know how it ends
  6. כָּכָה הַחַיִּים שֶׁלִּי זֶה אוֹף אֶנְד אוֹףKacha hachaim shel'i ze off and offThat's how my life is — on and off
  7. מַה שֶׁמְשַׁנֶּה בֶּאֱמֶת זֶה רַק הַנְּשָׁמָהMa shemeshane be'emet ze rak haneshamaWhat really matters is only the soul
  8. שִׂמְחָה בְּרִיאוּת וְהַפַּרְנָסָהSimcha bri'ut vehaparnasaJoy, health, and livelihood
  9. הַיָּם סוֹעֵר וַאֲנִי בְּתוֹךְ סִירָהHayam so'er va'ani betoch siraThe sea is stormy and I'm inside a boat
  10. אֲנִי מִיטַּלְטֵל אֲבָל תּוֹפֵס חָזָקAni mitaltel aval tofes chazakI'm tossed around but I hold on tight
  11. אַחֲרֵי הַכֹּלAcharei hakolAfter all
  12. אֲנִי חֵלֶק אֱלוֹקַ מִמַּעַלAni chelek Eloka mima'alI am a part of God above
  13. כָּל עַכָּבָה לְטוֹבָהKol akava letovaEvery delay is for the best
  14. מְקַבֵּל הַכֹּל בְּאַהֲבָהMekabel hakol be'ahavaI accept everything with love
  15. גַּם אִם לֹא נִשְׁאַר לִי שֶׁקֶלGam im lo nish'ar li shekelEven if I don't have a shekel left
  16. יוֹדֵעַ הַכֹּל זֶה הֲבֵל הֲבָלִיםYode'a hakol ze havel havalimI know it's all vanity of vanities
  17. מַה שֶׁלֹּא יָבוֹא אֵין יֵאוּשׁ בָּעוֹלָםMa shelo yavo ein ye'ush ba'olamWhatever comes — there is no despair in the world
  18. כָּל עַכָּבָה לְטוֹבָהKol akava letovaEvery delay is for the best
  19. כָּל בֶּן אָדָם נוֹפֵל וְאָז הוּא קָםKol ben adam nofel ve'az hu kamEvery person falls and then gets up
  20. קוֹל בֶּן אָדָם הוֹלֵךְ וְנֶעֱלָםKol ben adam holech vene'elamA person's voice fades and disappears
  21. כָּל בֶּן אָדָםKol ben adamEvery person
  22. כָּל בֶּן אָדָםKol ben adamEvery person
  23. הוּא חֵלֶק אֱלוֹקַ מִמַּעַלHu chelek Eloka mima'alIs a part of God above
  24. תְּנִי לִי לְדַבֵּר תַּקְשִׁיבִיTni li ledaber takshiviLet me talk, listen
  25. גַּם כָּכָה אֲנִי הִיפֶּרְאַקְטִיבִיGam kacha ani hiperaktiviI'm hyperactive anyway
  26. אֲנִי מִשְׁתַּדֵּל אֲנִי מִתְפַּלֵּלAni mishtadel ani mitpalelI try my best, I pray
  27. שֶׁאַבָּא יִהְיֶה גֵּאֶה בִּיShe'aba yihye ge'e biThat dad will be proud of me
  28. עִם מֶסֶר נָכוֹן בַּשִּׁירִיםIm meser nachon bashirimWith the right message in the songs
  29. בַּסּוֹף עוֹד נִהְיֶה עֲשִׁירִיםBasof od nihye ashirimIn the end we'll still be rich
  30. לֹא נְחַכֶּה לָעֲשִׂירִיLo nechake la'asiriWe won't wait for the tenth
  31. נְשָׁמָה שֶׁלִּי בַּסּוֹף תִּרְאִיNeshama sheli basof tir'iMy soul, in the end you'll see
  32. כָּל עַכָּבָה לְטוֹבָהKol akava letovaEvery delay is for the best
  33. מְקַבֵּל הַכֹּל בְּאַהֲבָהMekabel hakol be'ahavaI accept everything with love
  34. גַּם אִם לֹא נִשְׁאַר לִי שֶׁקֶלGam im lo nish'ar li shekelEven if I don't have a shekel left
  35. יוֹדֵעַ הַכֹּל זֶה הֲבֵל הֲבָלִיםYode'a hakol ze havel havalimI know it's all vanity of vanities
  36. מַה שֶׁלֹּא יָבוֹא אֵין יֵאוּשׁ בָּעוֹלָםMa shelo yavo ein ye'ush ba'olamWhatever comes — there is no despair in the world
  37. כָּל עַכָּבָה לְטוֹבָהKol akava letovaEvery delay is for the best
  38. כָּל בֶּן אָדָם נוֹפֵל וְאָז הוּא קָםKol ben adam nofel ve'az hu kamEvery person falls and then gets up
  39. קוֹל בֶּן אָדָם הוֹלֵךְ וְנֶעֱלָםKol ben adam holech vene'elamA person's voice fades and disappears
  40. כָּל בֶּן אָדָםKol ben adamEvery person
  41. כָּל בֶּן אָדָםKol ben adamEvery person
  42. הוּא חֵלֶק אֱלוֹקַ מִמַּעַלHu chelek Eloka mima'alIs a part of God above
  43. אֶפְחַד לֹא יוֹדֵעַ מָה יִהְיֶה בַּסּוֹףEfchad lo yode'a ma yihye basofI'll be afraid, I don't know how it ends
  44. כָּכָה הַחַיִּים הָאֵלֶּה אוֹף אֶנְד אוֹףKacha hachaim shel'i ze off and offThat's how my life is — on and off
  45. מַה שֶׁמְשַׁנֶּה בֶּאֱמֶת זֶה רַק הַנְּשָׁמָהMa shemeshane be'emet ze rak haneshamaWhat really matters is only the soul
  46. שִׂמְחָה בְּרִיאוּת וְהַפַּרְנָסָהSimcha bri'ut vehaparnasaJoy, health, and livelihood
  47. הַיָּם סוֹעֵר וַאֲנִי בְּתוֹךְ סִירָהHayam so'er va'ani betoch siraThe sea is stormy and I'm inside a boat
  48. אֲנִי מִיטַּלְטֵל אֲבָל תּוֹפֵס חָזָקAni mitaltel aval tofes chazakI'm tossed around but I hold on tight
  49. אַחֲרֵי הַכֹּלAcharei hakolAfter all
  50. אֲנִי חֵלֶק אֱלוֹקַ מִמַּעַלAni chelek Eloka mima'alI am a part of God above

Words from this song

  • מַאֲמִיןbelieve
  • אֱמוּנָהfaith
  • שְׁלֵמָהcomplete (f.)
  • קוֹרֶהhappens
  • לְטוֹבָתִיfor my good
  • בֶּאֱמֶתtruly
  • כּוֹעֵסangry
  • לוֹמֵדlearn
  • לְשַׁחְרֵרto release
  • עַצְמִיmyself
  • אֶפְחַדI will fear
  • סוֹףend
  • חַיִּיםlife
  • מְשַׁנֶּהmatters / changes
Practise these words

What does “Kol Akava Letova” mean?

כל עכבה לטובה translates as “Every Delay Is for the Best”. It was released in 2024, performed by Ben Zion Chaim Tzur with words by Ben Zion Chaim Tzur, Eliran Eliyahu, Omri Shlomo Dahan & Ofir Cohen. Read the line-by-line English translation above, or sing it with the words highlighted in time with the music.

About Ben Zion Chaim Tzur

Ben Zion Chaim Tzur belongs to the new wave of Israeli 'emuna pop' — young artists who write about faith, therapy, money worries and family in the same breath, in the Hebrew people actually speak.

He wrote 'Kol Akava Letova' together with Eliran Eliyahu, Omri Shlomo Dahan and Ofir Cohen, one of the songwriting teams behind many of today's Israeli radio hits.