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

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.

And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this grievous labor hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised with it.

I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

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

For all his days are sorrows, and his labor grief; yes, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.

I said in my heart concerning the state of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.

All go to one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.

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.

Wherefore I praised the dead who are already dead more than the living who are yet alive.

Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labor.

For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God.

If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perversion of judgment and justice in a province, wonder not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there are higher than they.

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

If a man begetteth a hundred children, and liveth many years, so that the days of his years are many, and his soul is not filled with good, and also that he hath no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he.

Seeing there are many things that increase vanity, what is man the better?

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

Also take no heed to all words that are spoken; lest thou hear thy servant curse thee:

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

Though a sinner doeth evil a hundred times, and his days are prolonged, yet surely I know that it will be well with them that fear God, who fear before him:

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

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

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 knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them.

This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event to all: yes, 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 man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.

Then said I, wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.

The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools.

The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.

If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree falleth towards the south, or towards the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be.

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

While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, are not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:

In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows shall be darkened,

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