That which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which will be done: and there is nothing new under the sun.

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

I, the Preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.

And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom concerning all that has been done under heaven. It is a grievous task which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.

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

I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I have become great and have acquired wisdom more than all they that have been before me over Jerusalem; and my heart hath seen much of wisdom and knowledge.

I acquired servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of herds and flocks, above all that had been in Jerusalem before me.

And I became great, and increased more than all that had been before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.

And all that mine eyes asked I kept not back from them; I withheld not my heart from any joy, for my heart rejoiced because of all my labour, and this hath been my portion, from all my labour,

Then I saw all the works which my hands had made, and everything I had been working to do; and I saw that all was to no purpose and desire for 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.

Then I said to myself, “As is the fate of the fool, it will also befall me. Why then have I been extremely wise?” So I said to myself, “This too is vanity.”

For of the wise man, even as of the fool, there is no remembrance for ever; seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. And how doth the wise man die even as the fool!

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.

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 hath been to a man by all his labour, and by the thought of his heart that he laboured at under the sun?

That which is was long ago, and that which is to be hath already been; and God bringeth back again that which is past.

I said in my heart, God will be judge of the good and of the bad; because a time for every purpose and for every work has been fixed by him.

The whole are going unto one place, the whole have been from the dust, and the whole are turning back unto the dust.

Wherefore I praised the dead that have been long dead more than the living that 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.

For from a house of prisoners he hath come out to reign, for even in his own kingdom he hath been poor.

As for the people that have been before him, and that come after him, they are innumerable: yet is not their joy the greater through him. This is also a vain thing and a vexation of mind. (v17) When thou comest into the house of God, keep thy foot and draw nigh, that thou mayest hear: that is better than the offerings of fools, for they know not what evil they do

In the multiplying of good have its consumers been multiplied, and what benefit is to its possessor except the sight of his eyes?

And that wealth hath been lost in an evil business, and he hath begotten a son and there is nothing in his hand!

Whatever exists has already been named, and it is known what man is; for he cannot dispute with him who is stronger than he is.

The wisdom giveth strength to a wise man, more than wealth the rulers who have been in a city.

Your heart has knowledge how frequently others have been cursed by you.

What has been is remote and exceedingly mysterious. Who can discover it?

And I discovered that [of all irrational sins none has been so destructive in beguiling one away from God as immoral women for] more bitter than death is the woman whose heart is [composed of] snares and nets, and whose hands are chains. Whoever pleases God will escape from her, but the sinner will be taken captive by her [evil].

This only have I seen, that God made men upright, but they have been searching out all sorts of inventions.

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.

Because sentence hath not been done on an evil work speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of man is full within them to do evil.

There is a vanity that hath been done upon the earth, that there are righteous ones unto whom it is coming according to the work of the wicked, and there are wicked ones unto whom it is coming according to the work of the righteous. I have said that this also is vanity.

When I gave my heart to know wisdom and to see the task which has been done on the earth (even though one should never sleep day or night),

and I saw every work of God, I concluded that man cannot discover the work which has been done under the sun. Even though man should seek laboriously, he will not discover; and though the wise man should say, “I know,” he cannot discover.

This is an evil among all that hath been done under the sun, that one event is to all, and also the heart of the sons of man is full of evil, and madness is in their heart during their life, and after it -- unto the dead.

For the living know that they die, and the dead know not anything, and there is no more to them a reward, for their remembrance hath been forgotten.

Their love also, their hatred also, their envy also, hath already perished, and they have no more a portion to the age in all that hath been done under the sun.

Go, eat with joy thy bread, and drink with a glad heart thy wine, for already hath God been pleased with thy works.

Enjoy life with the wife you love all the days of your fleeting life, which has been given to you under the sun, all your fleeting days. For that is your portion in life and in your struggle under the sun.

and there hath been found in it a poor wise man, and he hath delivered the city by his wisdom, and men have not remembered that poor man!

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.

If the iron hath been blunt, And he the face hath not sharpened, Then doth he increase strength, And wisdom is advantageous to make right.

Yet, a foolish man, multiplieth words, - though no man knoweth that which hath been, and, that which shall be after him, who can tell him?

And doors have been shut in the street. When the noise of the grinding is low, And one riseth at the voice of the bird, And all daughters of song are bowed down.

Words of the wise are as goads, and as fences planted by the masters of collections, they have been given by one shepherd.

This is the end of the matter; all hath been heard: fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man.