I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I have gotten me great wisdom above all that were before me in Jerusalem; yea, my heart hath had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.

I bought men-servants and maid-servants, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of herds and flocks, above all that were before me in Jerusalem;

And I became great; increasing more than all who had been before me in Jerusalem, and my wisdom was still with me.

And look whatsoever mine eyes desired, I let them have it: and wherein soever my heart delighted, or had any pleasure, I withheld it not from it. Thus my heart rejoiced in all that I did, and this I took for the portion of all my travail.

Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labor that I had labored to do; and, behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was no profit under the sun.

For a wise man beareth his eyes about in his head, but the fool goeth in the darkness. I perceived also that they both had one end.

So I hated life, for the work which had been done under the sun was grievous to me; because everything is futility and striving after wind.

Yea, I hated all my labor in which I had toiled under the sun: because I must leave it unto the man that shall be after me.

and who could know whether a, wise man, he would be or a foolish, and yet he would lord it over all my toil, wherein I had toiled and wherein I had acted wisely, under the sun, - even this, was vanity.

Therefore I turned about to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labor wherein I had labored under the sun.

That which was, already, had been, and, that which shall be, already, shall have been, - but, God, seeketh that which hath been chased away.

Then I returned and saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and, behold, the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.

So I commended the dead who had already died as being happier than the living who are still alive.

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.

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

There was no end to all of his subjects or to all of the people who had come before them. But those who come along afterward will not be happy with him. This is also pointless and a chasing after wind.

Here was an incurable evil, I had seen under the sun, riches kept by the owner thereof, to his hurt;

And I saw the destruction of his wealth by an evil chance; and when he became the father of a son he had nothing in his hand.

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.

Here was an evil, I had seen under the sun, - and it is, common, among men:

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.'

Yes, it saw not the sun, and it had no knowledge; it is better with this than with the other.

And though he had lived a thousand years twice over, yet good he hath not seen; to the same place doth not every one go?

Everything, had I seen, in my days of vanity, - Here was a righteous man, perishing in his righteousness, and there was a lawless man, continuing long in his wickedness.

I turned around and directed my heart to know, to investigate and to seek [skillful and godly] wisdom and the reason for things, and to know that wickedness is folly and that foolishness is madness [leading to stupidity and recklessness].

(that still my soul had sought, and I had not found), One man, a teacher, I have found, and a woman among all these I have not found.

All this, had I seen, and tried to apply my heart to every work which was done under the sun, - at such time as one man had power over another man, to his hurt.

So I saw the wicked buried, and they came to the grave ; and they that had done right went away from the holy place, and were forgotten in the city: this also is vanity.

Yet is there a vanity upon earth: there be just men, unto whom it happeneth, as though they had the works of the ungodly; Again, there be ungodly, with whom it goeth as though they had the works of the righteous. This me think also a vain thing.

Then extolled I, gladness, in that there was nothing better for a man, under the sun, than to eat and to drink, and to be glad, - since, that, should tarry with him in his toil, for the days of his life which God had given him under the sun.

Every one, was like every one else, one destiny, had the righteous and the lawless, the good and the pure and the impure, and he that sacrificed, and he that did not sacrifice, - as the good man, so, the sinner, he that took an oath, as he who, of an oath, stood in fear.

This was a misfortune in all that was done under the sun, that, one destiny, had they all, - yea also, the heart of the sons of men, was full of wickedness, and, madness, was in their heart, while they lived, and, after that, they went unto the dead.

For, the living, knew that they should die, - -but, the dead, knew not, anything, neither had they any longer a reward, because forgotten was their memory.

Both their love and their hatred and their envy, already had perished, - and, portion, had they none any longer, unto times age-abiding, in aught that was done under the sun.

So I turned me unto other things under the Sun, and I saw that in running it helpeth not to be swift; in battle it helpeth not to be strong; to feeding it helpeth not to be wise; to riches, it helpeth not to be suttle; to be had in favour, it helpeth not to be cunning: but that all lieth in time and fortune.

Even this, had I seen of wisdom, under the sun, - and, of great import, was the same unto me: -

Now there was in the town a poor, wise man, and he, by his wisdom, kept the town safe. But no one had any memory of that same poor man.

Dead flies corrupt sweet ointment and make it to stink. Even so, oft times, he that hath been had in estimation for wisdom and honour is abhorred because of a little foolishness.

Here was a misfortune I had seen under the sun, - a veritable mistake that was going forth from the presence of one who had power:

I had seen, servants, upon horses, - and, rulers, walking like servants, on the ground.

Moreover, besides being wise himself, the Teacher taught people what he had learned by listening, making inquiries, and composing many proverbs.