What is the profit to a man in all his labor which he labors under the sun?

The sun also arises, and the sun goes down, and hurries to its place where it arose.

The wind goes toward the south, and it turns around to the north; it whirls around continually; and the wind returns on its circuits.

All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; to the place from where the rivers come, there they return again.

And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all which is done under the heavens. It is a sad task God has given to the sons of men to be humbled by it.

And I gave my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly; I know that this also is vexation of spirit.

I said of laughter, It is madness; and of mirth, What does it do?

I sought in my heart to drag my flesh with wine, yet leading my heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, until I might see where the good for the sons of men might be, what they should do under the heavens all the days of their life.

I made pools of water for myself, to water the forest shooting forth trees.

I also gathered silver and gold to myself, and the treasure of kings and of the provinces. I got men singers and women singers for myself, and the delights of the sons of men, a wife and very many wives.

Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done, and on the labor that I had labored to do; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit; and there is no profit under the sun.

And I turned to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly; for what can the man do who comes after the king, when they have already done it?

The wise man's eyes are in his head; but the fool walks in darkness; and I also knew that one event happens to all of them.

Then I said in my heart, As it happens to the fool, so it happens even to me; and why was I then more wise? And I said in my heart that this also is vanity.

For there is no memory of the wise more than of the fool forever, since that which is now shall all be forgotten in the days to come. And how does the wise die above the fool!

Therefore I hated life; because the work that is done under the sun is sad to me; for all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

Yes, I hated all my labor which I had done under the sun; that I must leave it to the man who shall be after me.

And I turned to cause my heart to despair over all the labor which I did under the sun.

When there is a man whose labor is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and with success; yet to a man who has not labored in it, he shall leave it for his share. This also is vanity and a great evil.

For God gives wisdom, and knowledge, and joy to a man who is good in His sight. But to the sinner He gives labor, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him who is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.

To every thing there is a season, and a time for every purpose under the heavens:

a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pull up what is planted;

a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

a time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to throw away;

a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

I have seen the task which God has given to the sons of men to be humbled by it.

He has made everything beautiful in His time; also He has set eternity in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God makes from the beginning to the end.

I know that there is no good in them, but to rejoice and to do good in his life.

I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it; and God does it so that they fear before Him.

That which has been is now; and that which is to be has already been; and God requires that which is past.

For that which happens to the sons of men also happens to beasts, even one thing happens to them. As this one dies, so that one dies; yea, they all have one breath; so that a man has no advantage over a beast; for all is vanity.

All go to one place; all are of the dust, and all return to dust again.

Therefore I have seen that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion; for who can bring him to see what shall be after him?

Better is a hand filled with rest than two fists with travail and vexation of spirit.

There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he has neither son nor brother; yet there is no end to all his labor; and his eyes are not satisfied with riches; and he says, For whom do I labor and take good from my soul? This is also vanity. Yes, it is an evil business.

Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labor.

For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he does not have another to help him.

Again, if two lie together, then they have warmth; but how can one be warm alone?

And if one overthrows him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

For out of prison he comes to reign; although in his kingdom he was born poor.

Guard your steps when you go to the house of God, and be more ready to hear than to give the sacrifice of fools. For they do not know that they are doing evil.

Do not be rash with your mouth, and do not let your heart be hasty to say a word before God. For God is in Heaven, and you are on earth; therefore let your words be few.

When you vow a vow to God, do not wait to pay it. For He has no pleasure in fools. Pay that which you have vowed.

Do not allow your mouth to cause your flesh to sin; do not say before the angel that it was an error. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands?

If you see the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, do not marvel at the matter. For He who is higher than the highest watches; and there are some higher than they.

When the good thing increases, those who eat it increase; then what profit is it to its owners, except to see it with their eyes?

The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eats little or much; but the abundance of the rich will not allow him to sleep.

There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for their owners to their hurt.

As he came forth from his mother's womb naked, he shall return to go as he came. And from his labor he may not carry anything that may go in his hand.

Behold that which I have seen. it is good and right for one to eat and to drink, and to see good in all his labor that he labors under the sun all the days of his life, which God gives him; for it is his portion.

Also every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, and has given him power to eat of it and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labor; this is the gift of God.

a man to whom God has given riches, wealth, and honor, so that he lacks nothing for his soul of all that he desires, yet God does not give him power to eat of it, but a stranger eats it. This is vanity, and it is an evil disease.

Yea, though he live twice a thousand years, yet he has seen no good. Do not all go to one place?

For what has the wise more than the fool? What gain has the poor who knows how to walk before the living?

That which has been is named already, and it is known that he is man. And he is not able to contend with Him who is mightier than he.

A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of one's birth.

It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting; for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart.

It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise than for a man to hear the song of fools.

Do not be hasty in your spirit to be angry; for anger rests in the bosom of fools.

Do not say, Why was it that the former days were better than these? For you do not ask wisely in regard to this.

Wisdom is good with an inheritance; but it is gain to those who see the sun.

For wisdom is a defense, and money is a defense; but the excellency of knowledge is that wisdom gives life to those who have it.

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

Do not be righteous overmuch, neither make yourself overwise; why destroy yourself?

Do not be very wicked, and do not be a fool; why should you die before your time?

It is good that you should take hold of this; yea, also from this do not withdraw your hand; for he who fears God shall come forth from all of them.

Also do not listen to all words that are spoken; lest you hear your servant curse you.

I set my heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness;

Behold, this I have found, says the Preacher, counting one by one, to find out the sum,

Who is as the wise? And who knows the meaning of a thing? A man's wisdom makes his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed.

Do not be hasty to leave his presence. Do not take a stand in an evil thing, for he does whatever pleases him.

Because the word of a king is that which has power; and who may say to him, What are you doing?

Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great on him.

There is no man who has power over the spirit to keep the spirit; nor power in the day of death; and there is no discharge in that war; nor shall wickedness deliver its owners.

All this I have seen, and I gave my heart to every work that is done under the sun. There is a time in which one man rules over another to his own hurt.

Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.

There is a vanity which is done on the earth: There are just ones to whom it happens according to the work of the wicked; again, there are wicked ones to whom it happens according to the work of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity.

Then I praised gladness, because a man has no better thing under the sun than to eat and to drink and to be glad; for that shall go with him of his labor for the days of his life which God gives him under the sun.

When I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done on the earth; for neither day nor night do men see sleep with their eyes.

Then I looked at all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun; because though a man labors to seek it out, yet he shall not find it. Yea, further, though a wise one speaks of knowing, yet he shall not be able to find it.

For all this I took to heart, even to make all this clear, that the righteous and the wise and their works are in the hand of God. No man knows either love or hatred by all that is before them.

All happens 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 who sacrifices, and to him who does not sacrifice. As is the good, so is the sinner. He who swears is as he who fears an oath.

This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event to all. Yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

For whoever is chosen, to all those living, there is hope; for a living dog is better than a dead lion.

For the living know that they shall die; but the dead do not know anything, nor do they have any more a reward; for their memory is forgotten.

Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; nor do they any longer have a part forever in all that is done under the sun.

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might; for there is no work, nor plan, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave where you go.

I returned and saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance happens to them all.

This wisdom I have seen also under the sun, and it seemed great to me.

As dead flies cause the perfumer's ointment to stink and ferment; so a little folly is more rare than wisdom and than honor.

Yes also, in the way a fool walks, his heart fails; and he says to all that he is a fool.

If the spirit of the ruler rises up against you, do not leave your place; for yielding quiets great sinners.

If the iron is blunt, and he does not whet the edge, then he must put more strength to it. But wisdom is profitable to direct.

The labor of fools wearies him, because he does not know how to go to the city.

Woe to you, O land, when your king is a child and your leaders eat in the morning.

Blessed are you, O land, when your king is the son of nobles, and your leaders eat in due time, for strength, and not for drunkenness!

Do not curse a king, no, not in your thought; and do not curse the rich in your bedroom; for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which has wings shall tell the matter.