There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be remembrance of things that are to come with those who shall live afterwards.

I -- I spake with my heart, saying, 'I, lo, I have magnified and added wisdom above every one who hath been before me at Jerusalem, and my heart hath seen abundantly wisdom and knowledge.

for, in abundance of wisdom is abundance of sadness, and he who addeth knowledge addeth pain.'

I got men-servants, and maid-servants, and sons of the house were to me; also, I had much substance -- herd and flock -- above all who had been before me in Jerusalem.

And I became great, and increased above every one who had been before me in Jerusalem; also, my wisdom stood with me.

And I turned to see wisdom, and madness, and folly, but what is the man who cometh after the king? that which is already -- they have done it!

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!

And I have hated all my labour that I labour at under the sun, because I leave it to a man who is after me.

And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity.

For there is a man whose labour hath been with wisdom, and with knowledge, and with skill, and who leaveth it to a man that hath not laboured therein, to be his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.

There is nothing good in a man who eateth, and hath drunk, and hath shewn his soul good in his labour. This also I have seen that it is from the hand of God.

For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto, more than I?

For to a man who is good before Him, He hath given wisdom, and knowledge, and joy; and to a sinner He hath given travail, to gather and to heap up, to give to the good before God. Even this is vanity and vexation of spirit.

What profit has he who works in that in which he labors?

yea, even every man who eateth and hath drunk and seen good by all his labour, it is a gift of God.

Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?

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

I looked again, and I saw all the oppression that occurs under the sun. {I saw the tears of the oppressed-- no one comforts them! Those who oppress them are powerful-- no one can comfort them}!

Then I praised the dead who are already dead more than the living who are yet alive;

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

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

For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him that is alone when he falleth, and who hath not another to lift him up!

And though one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

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

I have seen all the living, who are walking under the sun, with the second youth who doth stand in his place;

There was no end of all the people, even of all them over whom he was: yet they that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a striving after wind.

When you make a vow or a pledge to God, do not put off paying it; for God takes no pleasure in fools [who thoughtlessly mock Him]. Pay what you vow.

If you see the oppression of the poor and the denial of justice and righteousness in the province, do not be shocked at the sight [of corruption]; for a higher official watches over another official, and there are higher ones over them [looking out for one another].

After all, a king who cultivates the field is an advantage to the land.

Whoso is loving silver is not satisfied with silver, nor he who is in love with stores with increase. Even this is vanity.

When good things increase, those who consume them increase. So what advantage is there to their owners except to see them with their eyes?

The sleep of a working man is sweet, if he has little food or much; but to him who is full, sleep will not come.

And this also is a painful evil, just as he came, so he goeth, and what advantage is to him who laboureth for wind?

Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God.

A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honour, so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it: this is vanity, and it is an evil disease.

If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, however many they may be, but his soul is not satisfied with good things and he is not respected and is not given a proper burial [he is not laid to rest in the sepulcher of his fathers], then I say, “Better the miscarriage than he,

It has not seen the sun nor had any knowledge; yet it has more rest and is better off than he.

For what advantage is to the wise above the fool? What to the poor who knoweth to walk before the living?

What is that which hath been? already is its name called, and it is known that it is man, and he is not able to contend with him who is stronger than he.

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?

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

It is better for a person to receive a rebuke from those who are wise than to listen to the song of fools.

Wisdom along with an inheritance is good
And an [excellent] advantage for those who see the sun.

For wisdom is a protection even as money is a protection,
But the [excellent] advantage of knowledge is that wisdom shields and preserves the lives of its possessors.

Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?

I have seen everything during my [fleeting] days of futility; there is a righteous man who perishes in [spite of] his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who lives a long life in [spite of] his wickedness.

It is good that you take hold of one thing (righteousness) and also not let go of the other (wisdom); for the one who fears and worships God [with awe-filled reverence] will come forth with both of them.

The wisdom giveth strength to a wise man, more than wealth the rulers who have been in a city.

Indeed, there is not a righteous man on earth who always does good and who never sins.

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

I myself found [that] more bitter than death [is] the woman who [is] a trap, whose heart [is] a snare, and whose hands [are] bonds. The one who pleases God escapes from her, but the sinner is caught by her.

Who is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? a man's wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed.

Where the word of a king is, there is power: and who may say unto him, What doest thou?

The one who keeps a command will not experience anything harmful, and a wise heart knows the right time and procedure.

For there is a proper time and [appropriate] procedure for every delight,
Though mankind’s misery and trouble lies heavily upon him [who rebels against the king].

For he knoweth not that which shall be: for who can tell him when it shall be?

There is no man who hath control over the spirit to retain the spirit; and no one hath control over the day of death; and there is no discharge in 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.

Though a sinner is doing evil a hundred times, and prolonging himself for it, surely also I know that there is good to those fearing God, who fear before Him.

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

When I gave my heart, to know wisdom, and to consider the business that was done upon the earth, then surely, by day and by night, there was one who suffered not his eyes, to sleep.

The whole is as to the whole; one event is to the righteous and to the wicked, to the good, and to the clean, and to the unclean, and to him who is sacrificing, and to him who is not sacrificing; as is the good, so is the sinner, he who is swearing as he who is fearing an oath.

But to him who is joined unto all the living there is confidence, for to a living dog it is better than to the dead lion.

Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.

And again I saw under the sun that the reward goes not to him who is quick, or the fruits of war to the strong; and there is no bread for the wise, or wealth for men of learning, or respect for those who have knowledge; but time and chance come to all.

For man does not know his time. Just as fish are caught in a cruel net and like birds who are seized in a snare, so also {humans} are ensnared at a cruel time when it falls suddenly upon them.

and there was found in it a poor wise man, who by his wisdom delivered the city; but no man remembered that poor man.

The words of wise men heard in quietness are better than the shouting of one who rules among fools.

Dead flies make the oil of the perfumer give off a foul odor; so a little foolishness [in one who is esteemed] outweighs wisdom and honor.

Even when a fool walks along the road, his [common] sense and good judgment fail him and he demonstrates to everyone that he is a fool.

If the wrath of the ruler is against you, keep in your place; in him who keeps quiet even great sins may be overlooked.

Here was a misfortune I had seen under the sun, - a veritable mistake that was going forth from the presence of one who had power:

He who digs a pit [for others] may fall into it, and a serpent may bite him who breaks through a [stone] wall.

He who quarries stones may be hurt with them, and he who splits logs may be endangered by them.

A fool also is full of words: a man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him?

He who watches the wind [waiting for all conditions to be perfect] will not sow [seed], and he who looks at the clouds will not reap [a harvest].

As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.

in the day when the keepers of the house (hands, arms) tremble, and the strong men (feet, knees) bow themselves, and the grinders (molar teeth) cease because they are few, and those (eyes) who look through the windows grow dim;

And he is in fear of that which is high, and danger is in the road, and the tree is white with flower, and the least thing is a weight, and desire is at an end, because man goes to his last resting-place, and those who are sorrowing are in the streets;

Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.