A generation goes and a generation comes,
But the earth remains forever.

The sun comes up and the sun goes down, and goes quickly back to the place where he came up.

The wind goeth toward the South and turneth unto the North, fetcheth his compass, whirleth about, and goeth forth and returneth again to his circuits from whence he did come.

All floods run into the sea, and yet the sea is not filled: for look, unto what place the waters run, thence they come again.

There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be remembrance of things that are to come with those who shall live afterwards.

Thus I have considered all the things that come to pass under the Sun, and lo, they are all but vanity and vexation of mind.

I communed with mine own heart, saying, "Lo, I am come to a great estate, and have gotten more wisdom, than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem." Yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge,

For with great wisdom comes great frustration; whoever increases his knowledge merely increases his heartache.

I said in my heart, Come now, I will try thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure. But behold, this also is vanity.

So I turned to consider wisdom, madness and folly; for what will the man do who will come after the king except what has already been done?

The wise man's eyes are in his head, but the foolish man goes walking in the dark; but still I saw that the same event comes to them all.

Then said I in my heart: As it comes to the foolish man, so will it come to me; so why have I been wise overmuch? Then I said in my heart: This again is to no purpose.

For there shall be no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; because everything is already forgotten in the days which come. And how dieth the wise even as the fool?

Thus I hated all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun, for I must leave it to the man who will come after me.

There is nothing better for people than to eat and drink, and to find enjoyment in their work. I also perceived that this ability to find enjoyment comes from God.

The thing that hath been, is now; and the thing that is for to come, hath been afore time: for God restoreth again the thing that was past.

Both go to the same place, both come from the dust, and to dust both return.

So I saw that there is nothing better than for a man to have joy in his work--because that is his reward. Who will make him see what will come after him?

and, as better than both, him who had not yet come into being, - who had not seen the vexatious work, which was done under the sun.

I have seen that every [effort in] labor and every skill in work comes from man’s rivalry with his neighbor. This too is vanity (futility, false pride) and chasing after the wind.

A poor child being wise, is better than an old king that doteth, and cannot beware in time to come.

For he has come out of prison to become king, even though he was born poor in his kingdom.

There is no end to all the people, to all who were before them, and even the ones who will come later will not be happy with him, for this too is vanity and striving after wind.

Watch your step whenever you visit God's house, and come more ready to listen than to offer a fool's sacrifice, since fools never think they're doing evil.

For the dream comes through much effort and the voice of a fool through many words.

Because much talk comes from dreams and things of no purpose. But let the fear of God be in you.

The sleep of a working man is sweet, if he has little food or much; but to him who is full, sleep will not come.

As he had come naked from his mother’s womb, so will he return as he came. He will take nothing from the fruit of his labor that he can carry in his hand.

This is also a painful tragedy: However a person comes, he also departs; so what does he gain as he labors after the wind?

for it comes in futility and goes into obscurity; and its name is covered in obscurity.

Yea, though he lived two thousand years, yet hath he no good life. Come not all to one place?

Because many words lead to pointlessness, how do people benefit from this? 12Who knows what is best for people in this life, every day of their pointless lives that they pass through like a shadow? Who informs people on earth what will come along after them?

Say not, Why were the days which have gone by better than these? Such a question comes not from wisdom.

In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also has set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing that will come after him.

Be not given overmuch to righteousness and be not over-wise. Why let destruction come on you?

Be not evil overmuch, and be not foolish. Why come to your end before your time?

It is good that you grasp one thing and also not let go of the other; for the one who fears God comes forth with both of them.

Behold - sayeth the preacher - this have I diligently searched out and proved, that I might come by knowledge: which as yet I seek, and find it not.

Whoever keeps the law will come to no evil: and a wise man's heart has knowledge of time and of decision.

And why? A man knoweth not what is for to come: for who will tell him?

And so I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of the holy, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done: this is also vanity.

Because punishment for an evil work comes not quickly, the minds of the sons of men are fully given to doing evil.

There is vanity which was done upon the earth; that there is the just which it comes upon them according to the work of the unjust: and there is the unjust, it comes upon them according to the work of the just. I said, Also this is vanity.

So all this I laid to my heart, and I concluded that the righteous and the wise, as well as their deeds, [are] in the hand of God. So no one knows anything that will [come] to them, whether [it will be] love or hatred.

All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not; as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.

Among all things that come to pass under the Sun, this is a mystery, that it happeneth unto all alike. This is the cause also that the hearts of men are full of wickedness, and mad foolishness is in their hearts, as long as they live, until they die.

The living are conscious that death will come to them, but the dead are not conscious of anything, and they no longer have a reward, because there is no memory of them.

Come, take your bread with joy, and your wine with a glad heart. God has taken pleasure in your works.

Whatever comes to your hand to do with all your power, do it because there is no work, or thought, or knowledge, or wisdom in the place of the dead to which you are going.

And again I saw under the sun that the reward goes not to him who is quick, or the fruits of war to the strong; and there is no bread for the wise, or wealth for men of learning, or respect for those who have knowledge; but time and chance come to all.

Even man has no knowledge of his time; like fishes taken in an evil net, or like birds taken by deceit, are the sons of men taken in an evil time when it comes suddenly on them.

A little city, and few men in it, and a great king hath come unto it, and hath surrounded it, and hath built against it great bulwarks;

The words of the wise which come quietly to the ear are noted more than the cry of a ruler among the foolish.

There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, like an error which comes by chance from a ruler:

Yet the fool multiplies words. No man knows what will happen, and who can tell him what will come after him?

But well is thee, O thou realm and land, whose king is come of nobles, and whose princes eat in due season, for strength and not for lust.

When no work is done the roof goes in, and when the hands do nothing water comes into the house.

Put out your bread on the face of the waters; for after a long time it will come back to you again.

Give part sven days, and also upon the eighth, for thou knowest not what misery shall come upon earth.

If the clouds are full of rain, they send it down on the earth; and if a tree comes down to the south, or the north, in whatever place it comes down, there it will be.

Just as you do not know the way and path of the wind or how the bones are formed in the womb of a pregnant woman, even so you do not know the activity of God who makes all things.

But even if a man's life is long and he has joy in all his years, let him keep in mind the dark days, because they will be great in number. Whatever may come is to no purpose.

Remember also thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before the evil days come, and the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;

While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, are not dark, and the clouds come not back after the rain;

when that day comes, the palace guards will tremble, strong men will stoop down, women grinders will cease because they are few, and the sight of those who peer through the lattice will grow dim.