Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher, Vanity of vanities: the whole is vanity.

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.

I said in my heart, 'Pray, come, I try thee with mirth, and look thou on gladness;' and lo, even it is vanity.

Of laughter I said, 'Foolish!' and of mirth, 'What is this it is doing?'

and I said in my heart, 'As it happeneth with the fool, it happeneth also with me, and why am I then more wise?' And I spake in my heart, that also this is vanity:

And I have hated life, for sad to me is the work that hath been done under the sun, for the whole is vanity and vexation of spirit.

I said in my heart, 'The righteous and the wicked doth God judge, for a time is to every matter and for every work there.'

I said in my heart concerning the matter of the sons of man that God might cleanse them, so as to see that they themselves are beasts.

There is one, and there is not a second; even son or brother he hath not, and there is no end to all his labour! His eye also is not satisfied with riches, and he saith not, 'For whom am I labouring and bereaving my soul of good?' This also is vanity, it is a sad travail.

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

Sweet is the sleep of the labourer whether he eat little or much; and the sufficiency of the wealthy is not suffering him to sleep.

If a man doth beget a hundred, and live many years, and is great, because they are the days of his years, and his soul is not satisfied from the goodness, and also he hath not had a grave, I have said, 'Better than he is the untimely birth.'

Better is the sight of the eyes than the going of the soul. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.

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

See, this I have found, said the Preacher, one to one, to find out the reason

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.

And I said, 'Better is wisdom than might, and the wisdom of the poor is despised, and his words are not heard.' --

And also, when he that is a fool Is walking in the way, his heart is lacking, And he hath said to every one, 'He is a fool.'

He hath set the fool in many high places, And the rich in a low place do sit.

In the morning sow thy seed, And at even withdraw not thy hand, For thou knowest not which is right, this or that, Or whether both of them alike are good.

Sweet also is the light, And good for the eyes to see the sun.

Rejoice, O young man, in thy childhood, And let thy heart gladden thee in days of thy youth, And walk in the ways of thy heart, And in the sight of thine eyes, And know thou that for all these, Doth God bring thee into judgment.

Vanity of vanities, said the preacher, the whole is vanity.