The words of the preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

What is the profit to a man in all his labor which he labors under the sun?

The wind goes toward the south, and it turns around to the north; it whirls around continually; and the wind returns on its circuits.

Is there a thing of which it may be said, See, this is new? It has already been in days of old, which were before us.

I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.

I spoke within my own heart, saying, Lo, I have become great and have gathered more wisdom than all that have been before me in Jerusalem; yea, my heart has seen much of wisdom and knowledge.

For in much wisdom is much grief; and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.

I said in my heart, Come now, I will test you with mirth; therefore consider and behold goodness; this also is vanity.

I sought in my heart to drag my flesh with wine, yet leading my heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, until I might see where the good for the sons of men might be, what they should do under the heavens all the days of their life.

I made gardens and orchards for myself, And I planted trees in them, of all fruit.

I bought slaves and slave women, and sons of the house were mine; also livestock, a herd and a great flock were mine, above all that were before me in Jerusalem.

I was great and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem; also my wisdom remained with me.

And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them; I did not withhold my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labor, and this was my part of all my labor.

Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done, and on the labor that I had labored to do; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit; and there is no profit under the sun.

And I turned to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly; for what can the man do who comes after the king, when they have already done it?

The wise man's eyes are in his head; but the fool walks in darkness; and I also knew that one event happens to all of them.

Then I said in my heart, As it happens to the fool, so it happens even to me; and why was I then more wise? And I said in my heart that this also is vanity.

For there is no memory of the wise more than of the fool forever, since that which is now shall all be forgotten in the days to come. And how does the wise die above the fool!

And who knows whether he shall be wise or a fool? Yet he shall have rule over all my labor in which I have labored, and acted wisely under the sun. This is also vanity.

When there is a man whose labor is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and with success; yet to a man who has not labored in it, he shall leave it for his share. This also is vanity and a great evil.

For what has man from all his labor, and from the troubling of his heart, in which he has labored under the sun?

For all his days are sorrows, and his labor sadness; yea, his heart does not take rest in the night. This is also vanity.

Is it not good that he should eat and drink and make his soul see good in his labor? This I also saw, that it was from the hand of God.

For God gives wisdom, and knowledge, and joy to a man who is good in His sight. But to the sinner He gives labor, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him who is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.

What profit does he have who works in that in which he labors?

He has made everything beautiful in His time; also He has set eternity in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God makes from the beginning to the end.

I know that there is no good in them, but to rejoice and to do good in his life.

I said in my heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.

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

For that which happens to the sons of men also happens to beasts, even one thing happens to them. As this one dies, so that one dies; yea, they all have one breath; so that a man has no advantage over a beast; for all is vanity.

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

Therefore I have seen that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion; for who can bring him to see what shall be after him?

So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun. And behold the tears of the oppressed ones, and they had no comforter! And on the side of those who oppressed them there was power, but they had no comforter.

The fool folds his hands together, and eats his own flesh.

There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he has neither son nor brother; yet there is no end to all his labor; and his eyes are not satisfied with riches; and he says, For whom do I labor and take good from my soul? This is also vanity. Yes, it is an evil business.

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

For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he does not have another to help him.

Again, if two lie together, then they have warmth; but how can one be warm alone?

And if one overthrows him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

A poor and a wise child is better than an old and foolish king, who will not be warned any more.

For out of prison he comes to reign; although in his kingdom he was born poor.

I saw all the living who walk under the sun, with the second child who shall stand up in his place.

There is no end of all the people, of all who have been before them; they also who come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and vexation of spirit.

Guard your steps when you go to the house of God, and be more ready to hear than to give the sacrifice of fools. For they do not know that they are doing evil.

Do not be rash with your mouth, and do not let your heart be hasty to say a word before God. For God is in Heaven, and you are on earth; therefore let your words be few.

When you vow a vow to God, do not wait to pay it. For He has no pleasure in fools. Pay that which you have vowed.

Do not allow your mouth to cause your flesh to sin; do not say before the angel that it was an error. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands?

For in the multitude of dreams, both words and vanities abound; but fear God.

If you see the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, do not marvel at the matter. For He who is higher than the highest watches; and there are some higher than they.

When the good thing increases, those who eat it increase; then what profit is it to its owners, except to see it with their eyes?

But those riches perish by evil use. And he brings forth a son, and nothing is in his hand.

As he came forth from his mother's womb naked, he shall return to go as he came. And from his labor he may not carry anything that may go in his hand.

And this also is a sore evil, that in all, as he came, so shall he go; and what profit does he have who has labored for the wind?

Also all his days he eats in darkness, and he has much sorrow and wrath with his sickness.

Behold that which I have seen. it is good and right for one to eat and to drink, and to see good in all his labor that he labors under the sun all the days of his life, which God gives him; for it is his portion.

Also every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, and has given him power to eat of it and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labor; this is the gift of God.

For he shall not much remember the days of his life, because God answers him in the joy of his heart.

There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is great among men:

a man to whom God has given riches, wealth, and honor, so that he lacks nothing for his soul of all that he desires, yet God does not give him power to eat of it, but a stranger eats it. This is vanity, and it is an evil disease.

For he comes in with vanity and goes out in darkness, and his name shall be covered with darkness.

Also he has not seen the sun, nor known anything. This one has more rest than the other.

Yea, though he live twice a thousand years, yet he has seen no good. Do not all go to one place?

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

A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of one's birth.

The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of laughter.

Better is the end of a thing than the beginning of it; the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

Do not be hasty in your spirit to be angry; for anger rests in the bosom of fools.

Do not say, Why was it that the former days were better than these? For you do not ask wisely in regard to this.

Wisdom is good with an inheritance; but it is gain to those who see the sun.

In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity take note that God also has set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.

All things I have seen in the days of my vanity; there is a just one who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked one who prolongs life in his wickedness.

Wisdom makes the wise stronger than ten mighty ones who are in the city.

For there is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin.

For also your own heart knows that you yourself have also cursed others many times.

Behold, this I have found, says the Preacher, counting one by one, to find out the sum,

which my soul still sought, but I find not: one man among a thousand I have found, but a woman among all those I have not found.

Do not be hasty to leave his presence. Do not take a stand in an evil thing, for he does whatever pleases him.

Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great on him.

For he does not know what shall be; for who can tell him when it shall be?

There is no man who has power over the spirit to keep the spirit; nor power in the day of death; and there is no discharge in that war; nor shall wickedness deliver its owners.

All this I have seen, and I gave my heart to every work that is done under the sun. There is a time in which one man rules over another to his own hurt.

And so I saw the wicked buried, and they came and went from the holy place. And they were forgotten in the city, these things that they had done. This is also vanity.

Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.

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

When I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done on the earth; for neither day nor night do men see sleep with their eyes.

Then I looked at all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun; because though a man labors to seek it out, yet he shall not find it. Yea, further, though a wise one speaks of knowing, yet he shall not be able to find it.

For all this I took to heart, even to make all this clear, that the righteous and the wise and their works are in the hand of God. No man knows either love or hatred by all that is before them.

All happens 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 who sacrifices, and to him who does not sacrifice. As is the good, so is the sinner. He who swears is as he who fears an oath.

This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event to all. Yea, 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.

Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; nor do they any longer have a part forever in all that is done under the sun.

Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God now is pleased with your works.

Look on life with the wife whom you love all the days of the life of your vanity, which He has given you under the sun, all the days of your vanity. For that is your share in this life, and in your labor which you labor under the sun.

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might; for there is no work, nor plan, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave where you go.

For man also does not know 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 falls suddenly on them.

There was a little city, and few men in it; and a great king came against it and besieged it, and built huge bulwarks against it.

And a poor wise man was found in it, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that poor man.

The words of the wise are heard in quiet more than the cry of him who rules among fools.

Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner destroys much good.

Yes also, in the way a fool walks, his heart fails; and he says to all that he is a fool.

There is an evil I have seen under the sun, like a sin which comes from a ruler's presence;