What advantage is to man by all his labour that he laboureth at under the sun?

Going unto the south, and turning round unto the north, turning round, turning round, the wind is going, and by its circuits the wind hath returned.

All these things are wearying; a man is not able to speak, the eye is not satisfied by seeing, nor filled is the ear from hearing.

And I have given my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that hath been done under the heavens. It is a sad travail God hath given to the sons of man to be humbled by it.

A crooked thing one is not able to make straight, and a lacking thing is not able to be numbered.

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?

A time to cast away stones, And a time to heap up stones. A time to embrace, And a time to be far from embracing.

A time to rend, And a time to sew. A time to be silent, And a time to speak.

I have seen the travail that God hath given to the sons of man to be humbled by it.

yea, even every man who eateth and hath drunk and seen good by all his labour, it is a gift of God.

I have known that all that God doth is to the age, to it nothing is to be added, and from it nothing is to be withdrawn; and God hath wrought that they do fear before Him.

What is that which hath been? already it is, and that which is to be hath already been, and God requireth that which is pursued.

The two are better than the one, in that they have a good reward by their labour.

Better is a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king, who hath not known to be warned any more.

Cause not thy mouth to hasten, and let not thy heart hasten to bring out a word before God, for God is in the heavens, and thou on the earth, therefore let thy words be few.

For the dream hath come by abundance of business, and the voice of a fool by abundance of words.

Better is sorrow than laughter, For by the sadness of the face the heart becometh better.

Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry, For anger in the bosom of fools resteth.

In a day of prosperity be in gladness, And in a day of evil consider. Also this over-against that hath God made, To the intent that man doth not find anything after him.

Be not over-righteous, nor show thyself too wise, why art thou desolate?

Do not much wrong, neither be thou a fool, why dost thou die within thy time?

All this I have tried by wisdom; I have said, 'I am wise,' and it is far from me.

And I am finding more bitter than death, the woman whose heart is nets and snares, her hands are bands; the good before God escapeth from her, but the sinner is captured by her.

Be not troubled at his presence, thou mayest go, stand not in an evil thing, for all that he pleaseth he doth.

For he knoweth not that which shall be, for when it shall be who declareth to him?

When I gave my heart to know wisdom and to see the business that hath been done on the earth, (for there is also a spectator in whose eyes sleep is not by day and by night),

At all times let thy garments be white, and let not perfume be lacking on thy head.

For even man knoweth not his time; as fish that are taken hold of by an evil net, and as birds that are taken hold of by a snare, like these are the sons of man snared at an evil time, when it falleth upon them suddenly.

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 cause a perfumer's perfume To send forth a stink; The precious by reason of wisdom -- By reason of honour -- a little folly!

Whoso is removing stones is grieved by them, Whoso is cleaving trees endangered by them.

By slothfulness is the wall brought low, And by idleness of the hands doth the house drop.

While that the silver cord is not removed, And the golden bowl broken, And the pitcher broken by the fountain, And the wheel broken at the well.

The preacher sought to find out pleasing words, and, written by the upright, words of truth.

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

And further, from these, my son, be warned; the making of many books hath no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.