What exists now is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; there is nothing truly new on earth.

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

I decided to carefully and thoroughly examine all that has been accomplished on earth. I concluded: God has given people a burdensome task that keeps them occupied.

For the wise man, like the fool, will not be remembered for very long, because in the days to come, both will already have been forgotten. Alas, the wise man dies -- just like the fool!

Whatever exists now has already been, and whatever will be has already been; for God will seek to do again what has occurred in the past.

But better than both is the one who has not been born and has not seen the evil things that are done on earth.

For he came out of prison to become king, even though he had been born poor in what would become his kingdom.