I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and striving after wind.

And I set my mind to know wisdom and to know madness and folly; I realized that this also is striving after wind.

Thus I considered all my activities which my hands had done and the labor which I had exerted, and behold all was vanity and striving after wind and there was no profit under the sun.

So I turned to consider wisdom, madness and folly; for what will the man do who will come after the king except what has already been done?

So I hated life, for the work which had been done under the sun was grievous to me; because everything is futility and striving after wind.

Thus I hated all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun, for I must leave it to the man who will come after me.

For to a person who is good in His sight He has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, while to the sinner He has given the task of gathering and collecting so that he may give to one who is good in God’s sight. This too is vanity and striving after wind.

I have seen that nothing is better than that man should be happy in his activities, for that is his lot. For who will bring him to see what will occur after him?

I have seen that every labor and every skill which is done is the result of rivalry between a man and his neighbor. This too is vanity and striving after wind.

One hand full of rest is better than two fists full of labor and striving after wind.

There is no end to all the people, to all who were before them, and even the ones who will come later will not be happy with him, for this too is vanity and striving after wind.

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

What the eyes see is better than what the soul desires. This too is futility and a striving after wind.

For who knows what is good for a man during his lifetime, during the few years of his futile life? He will spend them like a shadow. For who can tell a man what will be after him under the sun?

In the day of prosperity be happy,
But in the day of adversity consider—
God has made the one as well as the other
So that man will not discover anything that will be after him.

Yet the fool multiplies words. No man knows what will happen, and who can tell him what will come after him?

Cast your bread on the surface of the waters, for you will find it after many days.

before the sun and the light, the moon and the stars are darkened, and clouds return after the rain;