What advantage does man have from all his work
Which he does under the sun (while earthbound)?

And the sun, breaketh forth, and the sun, goeth in, - yea, unto his own place, he panteth, from whence he brake forth.

The wind goeth toward the South and turneth unto the North, fetcheth his compass, whirleth about, and goeth forth and returneth again to his circuits from whence he did come.

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

All these things are wearying; a man is not able to speak, the eye is not satisfied by seeing, nor filled is the ear from hearing.

So I thought in my heart, to withdraw my flesh from wine, to apply my mind unto wisdom, and to comprehend foolishness until the time that among all the things which are under the Sun, I might see what were best for men to do, so long as they live under heaven.

I made for me pools of water, to water from them a forest shooting forth trees.

I also amassed silver and gold for myself, as well as valuable treasures taken from kingdoms and provinces. I acquired male singers and female singers for myself, and what gives a man sensual delight -- a harem of beautiful concubines!

And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour.

Yet when I reflected on everything I had accomplished and on all the effort that I had expended to accomplish it, I concluded: "All these achievements and possessions are ultimately profitless -- like chasing the wind! There is nothing gained from them on earth."

Of the wise man, as of the foolish man, there is no memory for ever, seeing that those who now are will have gone from memory in the days to come. See how death comes to the wise as to the foolish!

So I turned me to refrain my mind from all such travail, as I took under the Sun:

For what does a man get from all his labor and from the striving and sorrow of his heart with which he labors under the sun?

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 labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.

For who can eat and who can have enjoyment without Him?

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

What profit hath he that worketh from that wherein he laboureth?

He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.

And for every man to take food and drink, and have joy in all his work, is a reward from God.

I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.

Then thought I in my mind, "God shall separate the righteous from the ungodly, and then shall be the time and judgment of all counsels and works."

The whole are going unto one place, the whole have been from the dust, and the whole are turning back unto the dust.

And again I saw all the cruel things which are done under the sun; there was the weeping of those who have evil done to them, and they had no comforter: and from the hands of the evil-doers there went out power, but they had no comforter.

I have seen that every [effort in] labor and every skill in work comes from man’s rivalry with his neighbor. This too is vanity (futility, false pride) and chasing after the wind.

There is a person without a companion, without even a son or brother, and though there is no end to all his struggles, his eyes are still not content with riches. “So who am I struggling for,” he asks, “and depriving myself from good?” This too is futile and a miserable task.

Two people are better than one, because they can reap more benefit from their labor.

For from a house of prisoners he hath come out to reign, for even in his own kingdom he hath been poor.

For dreams result from much work and a fool’s voice from many words.

Because much talk comes from dreams and things of no purpose. But let the fear of God be in you.

The produce of the land is exploited by everyone; {even the king profits from the field [of the poor]}!

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

This is another misfortune: Just as he came, so will he go. What did he gain from toiling for the wind?

Furthermore, for every person to whom God has given wealth, riches, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept this allotment, and to rejoice in his work this is a gift from God.

For he does not think much about the fleeting days of his life because God keeps him preoccupied with the joy he derives from his activity.

a man to whom God has given riches and wealth and honor, so that he lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God has not given him the power or capacity to enjoy them [all those things which are gifts from God], but a stranger [in whom he has no interest succeeds him and] enjoys them. This is vanity and it is a [cause of] great distress.

If a man doth beget a hundred, and live many years, and is great, because they are the days of his years, and his soul is not satisfied from the goodness, and also he hath not had a grave, I have said, 'Better than he is the untimely birth.'

Because many words lead to pointlessness, how do people benefit from this? 12Who knows what is best for people in this life, every day of their pointless lives that they pass through like a shadow? Who informs people on earth what will come along after them?

It is better to listen to rebuke from a wise person
than to listen to the song of fools,

Do not say, "Why were the former days better than these?" For [it is] not from wisdom [that] you ask this.

Wisdom keeps a man from danger even as money does; but the value of knowledge is that wisdom gives life to its owner.

It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from this withdraw not thine hand: for he that feareth God shall come forth of them all.

There is no man on earth of such righteousness that he does good and is free from sin all his days.

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

And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her.

Which yet my soul sought, and found not; one man from a thousand I found; and a woman in all these I found not

I say to you, Keep the king's law, from respect for the oath of God.

Be not quick to go from before him. Be not fixed in an evil design, because he does whatever is pleasing to 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.

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

Whoever sinned, doing evil a hundred, and it being prolonged to him, for also I know that it will be to those fearing God, who shall be afraid from his face.

And it shall not be good to the unjust one; he shall not lengthen the days as a shadow, for he feared not from before the face of God.

When I tried to gain wisdom and to observe the activity on earth -- even though it prevents anyone from sleeping day or night --

If the anger of the ruler flares up against you, do not resign from your position, for a calm response can undo great offenses.

There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as an error which proceedeth from the ruler:

He who gets out stones from the earth will be damaged by them, and in the cutting of wood there is danger.

The words from the mouth of a wise man are gracious,
but the lips of a fool consume him.

By sloth the frame work will pine away; and by the letting down of the hands, the house will drop.

Just as you do not know how the path of the wind [goes], nor how the bones [of a fetus] form in a mother's womb, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything.

Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity.

Furthermore, they are afraid of a high place and of dangers on the road; the almond tree (hair) blossoms [white], and the grasshopper (a little thing) is a burden, and the caperberry (desire, appetite) fails. For man goes to his eternal home and the mourners go about the streets and market places.

Or dust be turned again unto earth from whence it came, and or the spirit return unto God, which gave it.

The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.

And further, from these, my son, be warned; the making of many books hath no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.