All the streams, flow into the sea, yet, the sea, is not full, - unto the place whither the streams flow, thither, do they again flow.

All words, are weak, unable is any man to tell, - not satisfied is the eye by seeing, nor filled is the ear with hearing.

And I gave my heart to seek and to search out, wisely, concerning all things which are done under the heavens, - the same, is the vexatious employment God hath given to the sons of men, to work toilsomely therein,

yea I have given my heart, to know wisdom, and to know madness, and folly, - I know that, even this, is a feeding on wind.

Of laughter, I said, Madness! and, of mirth, What can it do?

I sought out with my heart, to cherish with wine, my flesh, - but, my heart, was to guide with wisdom, even in laying hold of folly, until I should see which was blessedness for the sons of men, as to that which they could do, under the heavens, during the number of the days of their life.

I made me pools of water, - to irrigate therefrom the thick-set saplings growing up into trees:

Thus turned, I, to look at wisdom, and madness and folly, - for what can the man do more who cometh after the king? save that which, already, men have done.

As for the wise man, his eyes, are in his head, whereas, the dullard, in darkness, doth walk, - but, I myself, knew that, one destiny, happeneth to them, all.

Then said, I, in my heart, As it happeneth to the dullard, even to me, will it happen, but wherefore, then, became, I, wise to excess? Therefore spake I, in my heart, Even this, is vanity.

For there is no remembrance of a wise man, more than of a dullard, unto times age-abiding, - seeing that, already, in the days to come, all hath been forgotten, how then cometh it that the wise man dieth equally with the dullard?

Then resolved I, to give my heart over to despair, - concerning all the toil, wherein I had toiled, under the sun.

For here is a man, whose toil hath been with wisdom and with knowledge and with skill, - yet, to a man who hath not toiled therein, shall he leave it as his portion, even this, was vanity and a great vexation.

For, to a man who is good before him, hath he given wisdom and knowledge and gladness, - whereas, to the sinner, he hath given employment, to gather and heap up, to give to one who is good before God, even this, was vanity, and a feeding on wind.

A time to be born, and a time to die, - A time to plant, and a time to uproot what is planted;

A time to kill, and a time to heal, - A time to break down, and a time to build up;

A time to weep, and a time to laugh, - A time to wail, and a time to dance for joy;

A time to cast away stones, and a time to heap up stones, - A time to embrace, and a time to be far from loving embrace;

A time to seek, and a time to give up as lost, - A time to keep, and a time to cast away;

A time to rend, and a time to sew, - A time to be silent, and a time to speak;

A time to love and a time to hate, - A time of war, and a time of peace.

I looked at the employment which God hath given to the sons of men, to work therein:

I know that there is no blessedness in them, - save to be glad, and to do well with one's life.

I know, that, whatsoever God doeth, the same, shall be age-abiding, unto it, there is nothing to add, and, from it, there is nothing to take away, - and, God, hath done it, that men should stand in awe before him.

Said, I, in my heart, as concerning the sons of men, That God was minded to prove them, - and that they might see, that they were beasts, of themselves.

all, go unto one place, - all, came from the dust, and all, return to the dust.

Who knoweth the spirit of the sons of men, whether it, ascendeth, above, - or the spirit of the beast, whether it, descendeth, below, to the earth?

So I saw, that there was nothing better than that a man should be glad in his works, for, that, is his portion, - for who can bring him in, to look upon that which shall be after him?

Here is one, without a second, even son or brother, he hath none, yet is there no end to all his toil, even his eye, is not satisfied with riches, - neither saith he For whom, am I toiling, and letting my soul want good? Even this, was vanity, yea a vexatious employment, it was!

Better are two, than one, - in that they have a good reward for their toil.

For, if the one should fall, the other would raise up his companion, - but alas! for him who is alone when he falleth, with no second to raise him up!

Moreover, if two lie together, then have they warmth, - but how can, one, have warmth?

And, though an enemy should prevail against one, two, might make a stand before him, - and, a threefold cord, cannot soon be broken.

Better a boy poor and wise, - than a king, old and stupid, who knoweth not how to take warning any longer.

For, out of prison, came he forth to reign, yea, even in his own kingdom, was he born poor.

I saw all the living, who were going hither and thither under the sun, - that they were with the boy who was to be the second, who was to stand in the other's place: -

There was no end to all the people, to all before whom he came, yet, they who should come later, would not rejoice in him, - surely, even this, was vanity, and a feeding on wind.

Keep thy foot, when thou goest unto the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than dullards to offer sacrifice, - for they make no acknowledgment of doing wrong.

Be not rash with thy mouth, and, with thy heart, be not in haste to bring forth a word, before God, - for, God, is in the heavens, and, thou, upon the earth, for this cause, let thy words be few.

When thou vowest a vow unto God, do not defer to pay it, for there is no pleasure in dullards, - what thou vowest, pay!

Do not let thy mouth cause thy flesh to sin, - neither say thou, before the messenger, that it was, a mistake, - wherefore should God be indignant at thy voice, and destroy the work of thy hands?

If, the oppression of the poor, and the wresting of justice and righteousness, thou see in the province, do not be astonished over the matter, - for, one high above the highest, is watching, yea, the Most High, is over them.

When blessings are increased, increased are the eaters thereof, - what profit, then, to the owner of them saving the sight of his eyes?

Sweet the sleep of the labourer, whether, little or much, he eat, - but, the surfeit of the rich man, will not suffer him to sleep.

Here was an incurable evil, I had seen under the sun, riches kept by the owner thereof, to his hurt;

Lo! what, I myself, have seen - Better that it should be excellent to eat and to drink and to see blessedness, in all one's toil wherein one toileth under the sun, for the number of the days of his life, in that God hath given it him, for, that, is his portion:

yet, as regardeth every man, to whom God hath given wealth and goods, and granted him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to find gladness in his toil, this, is, the gift of God.

A man to whom God giveth riches and gains and honour, so that nothing doth he lack for his soul - of all that he craveth, and yet God doth not give him power to eat thereof, but, a man unknown, eateth it, - this, was vanity, and, an incurable evil, it was.

For what profit hath the wise man, over the dullard? What can, the poor man, know - so as to walk before the living?

Better a name, than precious ointment, - and the day of death, than the day of one's birth.

Better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of banqueting, for, that, is the end of all men, - and, the living, should take it to his heart.

Better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for any man to hear the song of dullards,

Do not be rash in thy spirit, to be indignant, - for, indignation, in the bosom of dullards, doth remain.

Do not say, What hath happened, that, the former days, were better than these? for, not wisely, askest thou concerning this.

Good is wisdom, with an inheritance, - and a profit, to such as see the sun.

For, a protection, is wisdom, and, a protection, is silver, - but, the advantage of knowledge, is, that, wisdom, giveth life to the possessors thereof.

In the day of prosperity, be joyful, but, in the day of misfortune, consider, - Even the one equally with the other, hath God made, to the end man might find out - after him - nothing.

Do not become so very righteous, neither count thyself wise beyond measure, - wherefore shouldst thou destroy thyself?

Do not be so very lawless, neither become thou foolish, - wherefore shouldst thou die, before thy time?

It is well that thou shouldst lay fast hold of this, but, even from the other, do not withdraw thy hand, - for, he that revereth God, shall come forth out of them all.

Wisdom, bringeth more strength to a wise man, than ten heroes, that are in the city.

Moreover, not to all the words which men speak, do thou apply thy heart, - lest thou hear thine own servant reviling thee!

Resolved, I, in my heart, to know and search out, and to seek wisdom, and a conclusion, - and to know lawlessness to be stupidity, and folly to be madness.

I, could indeed find, to be, more bitter than death, the woman, whose heart is, snares and nets, and her hands, bonds, - whoso is pleasing before God, shall escape from her, but, he that sinneth, shall be captured by her.

See! this, have I found, saith the Proclaimer counting one by one, to find a conclusion;

I said , The bidding of the king, observe thou, even out of regard to the oath of God.

Not rashly from his presence, shouldst thou go: do not take thy stand in a vexatious thing, - for, whatsoever he pleaseth, he will do.

Where the word of a king is, there is power, - who then may say to him, What wouldst thou do?

For, to every pursuit, there is a time and a manner, - when, the vexation of man, is great concerning it.

No man, hath power over the spirit, to retain the spirit, and, none, hath power over the day of death, and there is no furlough in war, - neither shall lawlessness deliver them who are given thereto.

All this, had I seen, and tried to apply my heart to every work which was done under the sun, - at such time as one man had power over another man, to his hurt.

And, thereupon, I considered the lawless when buried, when they had entered, their graves , that, from the place of the Holy One, they used to go and boast in the city that they had so done, - even this, was vanity.

Because sentence against a wicked work is not executed speedily - on this account, the heart of the sons of men is fully set within them, to commit wickedness.

Though a sinner be committing wickedness a hundred times, and continuing long in his own way, yet I surely know that it shall be well to them who revere God, who stand in awe before him;

but, well, shall it not be to the lawless man, neither shall he lengthen out his days like a shadow, - because he standeth not in awe before God.

Here was a vain thing which was done upon the earth - that there were righteous men unto whom it happened according to the work of the lawless, and there were lawless men, unto whom it happened according to the work of the righteous, - I said, that, even this, was vanity.

Then extolled I, gladness, in that there was nothing better for a man, under the sun, than to eat and to drink, and to be glad, - since, that, should tarry with him in his toil, for the days of his life which God had given him under the sun.

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.

For, whosoever was united to all the living, for him, there was hope, - -inasmuch as, a living dog, fared better than a dead lion.

For, the living, knew that they should die, - -but, the dead, knew not, anything, neither had they any longer a reward, because forgotten was their memory.

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, with thy might, do, - for there is no work nor calculation nor knowledge nor wisdom, in hades, whither, thou, art going.

I again saw under the sun, that not, to the swift, was the race, nor, to the strong, the battle, nay! nor, to the wise, food, nor yet, to the intelligent, riches, nor, even to the well-informed, comeliness, - for, time and accident, happened to them all.

Dead flies, cause to stink and ferment, the oil of the perfumer, - More costly than wisdom or honour, is a little folly.

If, the spirit of a ruler, riseth up against thee, thy place, do not leave, for gentleness, pacifieth such as have greatly erred.

The toil of dullards, shall weary a man, that he knoweth not how to go into the city.

Alas! for thee, O land, when thy king is a boy, - and, thy rulers, in the morning, do eat:

How happy art thou, O land, when thy king is a son of nobles, - and, thy rulers, in season, do eat, for strength, and not for debauchery.

By two lazy arms, the framework sinketh in, - and, by the hanging down of the hands, the house may leak.

Even in thy thought, do not revile, the king, nor, within thy bed-chambers, revile thou the rich, - for, a bird of the heavens, might carry the voice, yea, an owner of wings, might tell the matter.

Give a portion to seven, yea even to eight, - for thou canst not know, what there shall be of misfortune, upon the earth.

In the morning, sow thy seed, and, until evening, do not withhold thy hand, - for thou knowest not - whether shall thrive, either this or that, or whether, both alike, shall be fruitful.

Truly sweet is the light, - and, pleasant to the eyes, to see the sun:

In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the men of might bow themselves, - and the grinders cease because they are few, and they who look through the windows are darkened;

Yea, at what is high, they be in fear, and there be, terrors, in the way, and the almond be rejected, and the grasshopper drag itself along, and desire perish, - for man is going to his age-abiding home, when the wailers shall go round in the streets;

And the dust return to the earth, as it was, - and, the spirit, return unto God, who gave it.

The Proclaimer sought to find out words giving delight, and to note down rightly, the words of truth.