Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.

All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from where the rivers come, there they return again.

All things are full of weariness; man cannot express it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.

The thing that has been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.

Is there any thing of which it may be said, See, this is new? it has been already of old time, which was before us.

There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.

I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and like grasping the wind.

That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is lacking cannot be numbered.

And I set my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is like grasping the wind.

For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increases knowledge increases sorrow.

I said in my heart, Come now, I will test you with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.

I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What use is it?

Then I saw that wisdom excels folly, as far as light excels darkness.

The wise man's eyes are in his head; but the fool walks in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one fate happens to them all.

Then said I in my heart, As it happens to the fool, so it happens even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity.

For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool forever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how does the wise man die? as the fool.

Therefore I hated life; because the work that is done under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and like grasping the wind.

And who knows whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labor in which I have labored, and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity.

For there is a man whose labor is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that has not labored in it shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.

For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart takes not rest in the night. This is also vanity.

There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labor. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.

For God gives to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he gives the work of gathering and heaping up, only that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and grasping of the wind.

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.

And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labor, it is the gift of God.

That which has been is now; and that which is to be has already been; and God requires that which is past.

I said in my heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time for every purpose and for every work.

For that which befalls the sons of men befalls beasts; the same thing befalls them: as the one dies, so dies the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man has no advantage over a beast: for all is vanity.

Therefore I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his lot: for who can bring him to see what shall be after him?

So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.

Yea, better is he than both, who has not yet been, who has not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.

Again, I considered all toil, and every skillful work, that for this a man is envied by his neighbor. This is also vanity and grasping after the wind.

Better is a handful with quietness, than both hands full with toil and grasping for the wind.

There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he has neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labor; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither says he, For whom do I labor, and deprive my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a heavy travail.

For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falls; for he has not another to help him up.

And if one prevails against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Better is a poor and wise child than an old and foolish king, who will no longer be admonished.

For out of prison he comes to reign; yet he that is born in his kingdom might become poor.

There is no end of all the people, even of all that have been before them: they also that come after him shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and grasping after the wind.

Be not rash with your mouth, and let not your heart be hasty to utter anything before God: for God is in heaven, and you upon earth: therefore let your words be few.

For a dream comes through much business; and a fool's voice is known by a multitude of words.

Better is it that you should not vow, than that you should vow and not pay.

If you see the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of justice and righteousness in a province, marvel not at the matter: for the high official is watched by a higher one; and there are yet higher ones over them.

Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served from the field.

He that loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loves abundance, with increase: this is also vanity.

When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: so what good is there to the owners, except the beholding of them with their eyes?

The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eats little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not allow him to sleep.

There is a great evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept by their owners to their hurt.

But those riches are lost by a bad venture: when he begets a son, there is nothing in his hand.

As he came forth of his mother's womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing from his labor, which he may carry away in his hand.

And this also is a great evil, that just as he came, so shall he go: and what profit has he who has labored for the wind?

Behold that which I have seen: it is good and fitting for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labor that he takes under the sun all the days of his life, which God gives him: for this is his lot.

Every man also to whom God has given riches and wealth, and has given him power to eat of it, and to accept his lot, and to rejoice in his labor; this is the gift of God.

There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men:

A man to whom God has given riches, wealth, and honor, so that he wants nothing for his soul of all that he desires, yet God gives him not power to eat of it, but a stranger eats it: this is vanity, and it is an evil affliction.

If a man begets a hundred children, and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, and his soul is not filled with good, and also that he has no burial; I say, that a stillborn birth is better than he.

All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.

For what has the wise more than the fool? what has the poor, who knows to walk before the living?

Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this is also vanity and grasping after the wind.

Whatever has been is named already, and it is known that this is man: neither may he contend with him that is mightier than he.

Since there are many things that increase vanity, how is man the better?

For who knows what is good for man in this life, all the days of his vain life which he spends like a shadow? for who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?

A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth.

It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart.

Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.

The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.

For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool: this also is vanity.

Surely oppression makes a wise man mad; and a bribe destroys the heart.

Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

Say you not, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for you do not inquire wisely concerning this.

Wisdom is good with an inheritance: and by it there is profit to them that see the sun.

For wisdom is a defense, and money is a defense: but the excellence of knowledge is, that wisdom gives life to them that have it.

All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just man that perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongs his life in his wickedness.

Be not overly righteous; neither make yourself overly wise: why should you destroy yourself?

It is good that you should take hold of this; yea, also from this withhold not your hand: for he that fears God shall come forth of them all.

Wisdom strengthens the wise more than ten mighty men who are in the city.

For there is not a just man upon earth, that does good, and sins not.

All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.

That which is far off, and exceedingly deep, who can find it out?

And I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands are fetters: whosoever pleases God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her.

Who is as the wise man? and who knows the interpretation of a thing? a man's wisdom makes his face to shine, and the hardness of his face is changed.

Where the word of a king is, there is power: and who may say unto him, What are you doing?

Whosoever keeps the commandment shall experience no evil thing: and a wise man's heart discerns both time and judgment.

Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is heavy upon him.

There is no man that has power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither has he power in the day of death: and there is no release from that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it.

All this have I seen, and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun: there is a time in which one man rules over another to his own hurt.

And so I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the holy place, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done: this is also vanity.

Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.

But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he fears not before God.

There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there are just men, unto whom it happens according to the work of the wicked; again, there are wicked men, to whom it happens according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also is vanity.

When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth: (for also there is one who neither day nor night sees sleep with his eyes:)

Then I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because though a man labors to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea moreover; though a wise man thinks to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it.

For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knows either love or hatred by all that is before them.

All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrifices, and to him that sacrifices not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that swears, as he that fears an oath.

This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.

For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.

Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion forever in any thing that is done under the sun.