Surely there is not a righteous man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.

Also, do not take seriously all words which are spoken, so that you will not hear your servant cursing you.

For you also have realized that you likewise have many times cursed others.

All this, have I proved by wisdom, - I said, I will be wise, but, that, was far from me.

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

I turned about, and my heart was set to know and to search out, and to seek wisdom and the reason of things , and to know that wickedness is folly, and that foolishness is madness.

And I found, that a woman is bitterer than death: for she is a very angle, her heart is a net, and her hands are chains. Who so pleaseth God shall escape from her, but the sinner will be taken with her.

Behold - sayeth the preacher - this have I diligently searched out and proved, that I might come by knowledge: which as yet I seek, and find it not.

(that still my soul had sought, and I had not found), One man, a teacher, I have found, and a woman among all these I have not found.

Behold, I have found only this, that God made men upright, but they have sought out many devices.”

I counsel thee , Keep the king's command, and that in regard of the oath of God.

Be not hasty to go out of his sight, and see thou continue in no evil thing: for whatsoever it pleaseth him, that doeth he.

Because the word of a king is that which has power; and who may say to him, What are you doing?

He that observeth the commandment, will not notice a vexatious thing, - and, of time and manner, will the heart of the wise take note.

For everything will have opportunity and judgment, and this the thing that maketh men full of carefulness and sorrow.

for he knoweth not that which shall be; for who can tell him how it shall be?

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

All this I have seen and applied my mind to every deed that has been done under the sun wherein a man has exercised authority over another man to his hurt.

So I saw the wicked buried, and they came to the grave ; and they that had done right went away from the holy place, and were forgotten in the city: this also is vanity.

Because now that evil works are not hastily punished, the heart of man giveth himself over unto wickedness.

Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and his life is long, I am certain that it will be well for those who go in fear of God and are in fear before him.

Again, as for the ungodly, it shall not be well with him, neither shall he prolong his days: but even as a shadow, so shall he be that feareth not God.

There is a thing which is to no purpose done on the earth: that there are good men to whom is given the same punishment as those who are evil, and there are evil men who get the reward of the good. I say that this again is to no purpose.

So I gave praise to joy, because there is nothing better for a man to do under the sun than to take meat and drink and be happy; for that will be with him in his work all the days of his life which God gives him under the sun.

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

Then I saw all the work of God, and that man may not get knowledge of the work which is done under the sun; because, if a man gives hard work to the search he will not get knowledge, and even if the wise man seems to be coming to the end of his search, still he will be without knowledge.

All this I took to heart, and my heart saw it all: that the upright and the wise and their works are in the hand of God; and men may not be certain if it will be love or hate; all is to no purpose 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 sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not; as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.

This is evil in all things which are done under the sun: that there is one fate for all, and the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil; while they have life their hearts are foolish, and after that--to the dead.

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

The living are conscious that death will come to them, but the dead are not conscious of anything, and they no longer have a reward, because there is no memory of them.

Indeed their love, their hate and their zeal have already perished, and they will no longer have a share in all that is done under the sun.

Have joy with the woman of your love all the days of your foolish life which he gives you under the sun. Because that is your part in life and in your work which you do under the sun.

Whatsoever thou takest in hand to do, that do with all thy power: for among the dead, where thou goest unto, there is neither work, counsel, knowledge nor wisdom.

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 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, even so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.

I have observed that this also is wisdom under the sun, and it is significant to me:

Now there was in the town a poor, wise man, and he, by his wisdom, kept the town safe. But no one had any memory of that same poor man.

But I say that wisdom is better than strength, though the poor man’s wisdom is despised and his words are not heeded.

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

Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner can destroy much that is good.

Dead flies corrupt sweet ointment and make it to stink. Even so, oft times, he that hath been had in estimation for wisdom and honour is abhorred because of a little foolishness.

And when the foolish man is walking in the way, he has no sense and lets everyone see that he is foolish.

Another plague is there, which I have seen under the sun; namely, the ignorance that is commonly among princes:

in that a fool sitteth in great dignity, and the rich are set down beneath.

He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh through a wall, a serpent shall bite him.

Whoso heweth out stones shall be hurt therewith; and he that cleaveth wood is endangered thereby.

When an iron is blunt, and the point not sharpened, it must be whet again, and that with might. Even so doth wisdom follow diligence.

A babbler of his tongue is no better than a serpent that stingeth without hissing.

A fool also multiplieth words: yet man knoweth not what shall be; and that which shall be after him, who can tell him?

The toil of a fool so wearies him that he does not even know how to go to a city.

That land is blessed whose king is of noble birth, whose princes feast at the right time, for strength, and not to become drunk.

Revile not the king, no, not in thy thought; and revile not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the heavens shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.

He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.

As thou knowest not what is the way of the wind, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child; even so thou knowest not the work of God who doeth all.

In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thy hand; for thou knowest not which shall prosper, whether this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.

Yea, if a man live many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity.

Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth, and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thy heart, and in the sight of thine eyes; but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.

Therefore, remove sorrow and anger from your heart and put away pain from your body, for childhood and the prime of life are fleeting.

Remember also thy Creators in days of thy youth, While that the evil days come not, Nor the years have arrived, that thou sayest, 'I have no pleasure in them.'

While that the sun is not darkened, and the light, And the moon, and the stars, And the thick clouds returned 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,

yea, they shall be afraid of that which is high, and terrors'shall be in the way; and the almond-tree shall blossom, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail; because man goeth to his everlasting home, and the mourners go about the streets:

While that the silver cord is not removed, And the golden bowl broken, And the pitcher broken by the fountain, And the wheel broken at the well.

Besides that, the Proclaimer being wise, - still further taught knowledge unto the people, and weighed and searched, arranged proverbs in abundance.

The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words, and that which was written uprightly, even words of truth.

For the words of the wise are like pricks and nails that go through, wherewith men are kept together: for they are given of one shepherd only.

Therefore beware, my son, that above these thou make them not many and innumerable books, nor take divers doctrines in hand, to weary thy body withal.

Let us hear the conclusion of all things: Fear God, and keep his commandments, for that toucheth all men;