What profit hath man of all his labour wherewith he laboureth under the sun?

The sun also riseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to its place where it ariseth.

The wind goeth towards the south, and turneth about towards the north: it turneth about continually, and the wind returneth again to its circuits.

All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full: unto the place whither the rivers go, thither they go again.

All things are full of toil; none can express it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.

Is there a thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? It hath been already in the ages which were before us.

And I applied my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the heavens: this grievous occupation hath God given to the children of men to weary themselves therewith.

I said of laughter, Madness! and of mirth, What availeth it?

I searched in my heart how to cherish my flesh with wine, while practising my heart with wisdom; and how to lay hold on folly, till I should see what was that good for the children of men which they should do under the heavens all the days of their life.

I made me ponds of water, to water therewith the wood, where the trees are reared.

Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that it had cost me to do them; and behold, all was vanity and pursuit of the wind, and there was no profit under the sun.

And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly; for what shall the man do that cometh after the king? that which hath already been done.

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

And I hated all my labour wherewith I had been toiling under the sun, because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me.

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

For what will man have of all his labour and of the striving of his heart, wherewith he hath wearied himself under the sun?

There is nothing good for man, but that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.

For who can eat, or who be eager, more than I?

What profit hath he that worketh from that wherein he laboureth?

He hath made everything beautiful in its time; also he hath set the world in their heart, so that man findeth not out from the beginning to the end the work that God doeth.

yea also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy good in all his labour, it is the gift of God.

I know that whatever God doeth, it shall be for ever; there is nothing to be added to it, nor anything to be taken from it; and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.

I said in my heart, It is thus with the children of men, that God may prove them, and that they should see that they themselves are but beasts.

For what befalleth the children of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other, and they have all one breath; and man hath no pre-eminence above the beast: for all is vanity.

Who knoweth the spirit of the children of men? Doth it go upwards? and the spirit of the beasts, doth it go downwards to the earth?

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

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

and more fortunate than both is he who hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.

And I saw all labour, and all success of work, that it is man's jealousy of his neighbour. This also is vanity and pursuit of the wind.

There is one alone and without a second; also he hath neither son nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour, neither is his eye satisfied with riches, and he saith not, For whom then am I labouring, and depriving my soul of good? This also is vanity and a grievous occupation.

For out of the prison-house he came forth to reign, although he was born poor in his kingdom.

When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.

Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.

Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an inadvertence. Wherefore should God be wroth at thy voice, and destroy the work of thy hands?

If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter; for a higher than the high is watching, and there are higher than they.

When goods increase, they are increased that eat them; and what profit is there to the owner thereof, except the beholding of them with his eyes?

And this also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came so doth he go away, and what profit hath he, in having laboured for the wind?

Behold what I have seen good and comely: it is to eat and to drink, and to enjoy good in all his labour wherewith man laboureth under the sun, all the days of his life which God hath given him: for that is his portion.

Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and power to eat thereof, and to take his portion and to rejoice in his labour: that is a gift of God.

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

one to whom God giveth riches, wealth, and honour, and 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 a sore evil.

For it cometh in vanity, and departeth in darkness, and its name is covered with darkness;

moreover it hath not seen nor known the sun: this hath rest rather than the other.

Yea, though he live twice a thousand years, yet hath he seen no good: do not all go to one place?

All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.

For what advantage hath the wise above the fool? what hath the poor, that knoweth to walk before the living?

That which is hath already been named; and what man is, is known, and that he cannot contend with him that is mightier than he.

For there are many things that increase vanity: what is man advantaged?

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

It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting: in that that is the end of all men, and the living taketh it to heart.

It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise, than to hear the song of fools.

Say not, How is it that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this.

For wisdom is a defence as money is a defence; but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom maketh them that possess it to live.

Consider the work of God; for who can make straight what he hath made crooked?

In the day of prosperity enjoy good, and in the day of adversity consider: God hath also set the one beside the other, to the end that man should find out nothing of what shall be after him.

It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from that withdraw not thy hand: for he that feareth God cometh forth from them all.

All this have I tried by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.

Whatever hath been, is far off, and exceeding deep: who will find it out?

I turned, I and my heart, to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom and reason, and to know wickedness to be folly, and foolishness to be madness;

See this which I have found, saith the Preacher, searching one by one to find out the reason;

which my soul yet seeketh, and I have not found: one man among a thousand have I found, but a woman among all those have I not found.

Only see this which I have found: that God made man upright, but they have sought out many devices.

Be not hasty to go out of his sight; persist not in an evil thing: for he doeth whatever pleaseth him,

because the word of a king is power; and who may say unto him, What doest thou?

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

Though a sinner do evil a hundred times, and prolong his days, yet I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, because they fear before him;

but it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days as a shadow, because he feareth not before God.

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

And I commended mirth, because there is nothing better for man under the sun than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry; for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God hath given him under the sun.

then I saw that all is the work of God, and that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because however man may labour to seek it out, yet doth he not find it; and even, if a wise man think to know it, he shall not be able to find it out.

Go, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God hath already accepted thy works.

Let thy garments be always white, and let not thy head lack oil.

I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to the intelligent, nor yet favour to men of knowledge; but time and chance happeneth to them all.

For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are taken with the snare, like them are the children of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.

This also have I seen as wisdom under the sun, and it was great unto me.

There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and encompassed it, and built great bulwarks against it:

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 heart of a wise man is at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left.

He that diggeth a pit falleth into it; and whoso breaketh down a hedge, a serpent biteth him.

Whoso removeth stones is hurt therewith; he that cleaveth wood is endangered thereby.

If the iron be blunt, and one do not whet the edge, then must he apply more strength; but wisdom is profitable to give success.

And the fool multiplieth words: yet man knoweth not what shall be; and what shall be after him, who will tell him?

Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning!

Happy art thou, O land, when thy king is a son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness!

Cast thy bread upon the waters; for thou shalt find it after many days.

Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth.

If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth; and if a tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be.

As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, how the bones grow in the womb of her that is with child, even so thou knowest not the work of God who maketh all.

Now the light is sweet, and pleasant is it to the eyes to see the sun;

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

in the day when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows are darkened,

and the doors are shut toward the street; when the sound of the grinding is subdued, and they rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of song are brought low;

they are also afraid of what is high, and terrors are in the way, and the almond is despised, and the grasshopper is a burden, and the caper-berry is without effect; (for man goeth to his age-long home, and the mourners go about the streets;)

before the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be shattered at the fountain, or the wheel be broken at the cistern;

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

And moreover, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; and he pondered, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.

The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words; and that which was written is upright, words of truth.

For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil.