What profit has a man of all his labor which he takes under the sun?

All things are full of weariness; man may not give their story: the eye has never enough of its seeing, or the ear of its hearing.

That which has been is that which will be,
And that which has been done is that which will be done.
So there is nothing new under the sun.

Is there anything of which one might say,
“See this, it is new”?
Already it has existed for ages
Which were before us.

And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom concerning all that has been done under heaven. It is a grievous task which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.

I reflected on everything that is accomplished by man on earth, and I concluded: Everything he has accomplished is futile -- like chasing the wind!

I said to myself, “Behold, I have magnified and increased wisdom more than all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my mind has observed a wealth of wisdom and knowledge.”

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?

I realized that wisdom has an advantage over folly, just as light has an advantage over darkness.

The wise man has eyes in his head,
but the fool walks in darkness.

Yet I also knew that one fate comes to them both.

When there is a man who has labored with wisdom, knowledge and skill, then he gives his legacy to one who has not labored with them. This too is vanity and a great evil.

What does a man get for all his work, and for the weight of care with which he has done his work under the sun?

All his days are sorrow, and his work is full of grief. Even in the night his heart has no rest. This again is to no purpose.

For to a person who is good in His sight He has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, while to the sinner He has given the task of gathering and collecting so that he may give to one who is good in God’s sight. This too is vanity and striving after wind.

What profit has the worker in the work which he does?

I have seen the task which God has given the sons of men with which to occupy themselves.

He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.

I know that everything God does will remain forever; there is nothing to add to it and there is nothing to take from it, for God has so worked that men should fear Him.

That which is has been already and that which will be has already been, for God seeks what has passed by.

I said in my heart, God will be judge of the good and of the bad; because a time for every purpose and for every work has been fixed by him.

I said to myself concerning the sons of men, “God has surely tested them in order for them to see that they are but beasts.”

For what happens to people also happens to animals a single event happens to them: just as someone dies, so does the other. In fact, they all breathe the same way, so that a human being has no superiority over an animal. All of this is pointless.

But better off than both of them is the one who has never existed, who has never seen the evil activity that is done under the sun.

The fool folds his hands and does no work, so he has nothing to eat but his own flesh.

It is one who is by himself, without a second, and without son or brother; but there is no end to all his work, and he has never enough of wealth. For whom, then, am I working and keeping myself from pleasure? This again is to no purpose, and a bitter work.

And if one has a fall, the other will give him a hand; but unhappy is the man who is by himself, because he has no helper.

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

When you take an oath before God, put it quickly into effect, because he has no pleasure in the foolish; keep the oath you have taken.

And the advantage of a land, it is for all; even a king has a field being tilled.

He who has a love for silver never has enough silver, or he who has love for wealth, enough profit. This again is to no purpose.

When goods are increased, the number of those who take of them is increased; and what profit has the owner but to see them?

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.

Then that wealth was lost through bad luck; although he fathered a son, he has nothing left to give him.

And this again is a great evil, that in all points as he came so will he go; and what profit has he in working for the wind?

All his days are in the dark, and he has much sorrow, pain, disease, and trouble.

Here is what I have seen to be good and fitting: to eat, to drink and enjoy oneself in all one’s labor in which he toils under the sun during the few years of his life which God has given him; for this is his reward.

Furthermore, as for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, He has also empowered him to eat from them and to receive his reward and rejoice in his labor; this is the gift of God.

a man to whom God has given riches and wealth and honor so that his soul lacks nothing of all that he desires; yet God has not empowered him to eat from them, for a foreigner enjoys them. This is vanity and a severe affliction.

If a man has a hundred children, and his life is long so that the days of his years are great in number, but his soul takes no pleasure in good, and he is not honoured at his death; I say that a birth before its time is better than he.

though it never saw the light of day nor knew anything, yet it has more rest than that man --

Even if the other man lives a thousand years twice over and yet has seen no good and experienced no enjoyment—do not both go to one place [the grave]?”

All the work of man is for his mouth, and still he has a desire for food.

What have the wise more than the foolish? and what has the poor man by walking wisely before the living?

Whatever exists has already been named, and it is known what man is; for he cannot dispute with him who is stronger than he is.

Say not thou, 'What was it, That the former days were better than these?' For thou hast not asked wisely of this.

For wisdom is a protection even as money is a protection,
But the [excellent] advantage of knowledge is that wisdom shields and preserves the lives of its possessors.

Consider the work of God,
For who is able to straighten what He has bent?

In the day of prosperity be happy,
But in the day of adversity consider—
God has made the one as well as the other
So that man will not discover anything that will be after him.

It is good to take this in your hand and not to keep your hand from that; he who has the fear of God will be free of the two.

for oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.

What has been is remote and exceedingly mysterious. Who can discover it?

And I discovered that [of all irrational sins none has been so destructive in beguiling one away from God as immoral women for] more bitter than death is the woman whose heart is [composed of] snares and nets, and whose hands are chains. Whoever pleases God will escape from her, but the sinner will be taken captive by her [evil].

Lo, this only have I found, that God has made man upright; but they have sought out many devices.

Keep the king's commandment, I warn thee, and the oath that thou hast made unto God.

The word of a king has authority; and who may say to him, What is this you are doing?

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

For there is a proper time and [appropriate] procedure for every delight,
Though mankind’s misery and trouble lies heavily upon him [who rebels against the king].

For he has absolutely no knowledge what will happen, since who can declare to him when it will come about?

No man has authority over the wind, to keep the wind; or is ruler over the day of his death. In war no man's time is free, and evil will not keep the sinner safe.

All this have I seen, and have given my heart to all the work which is done under the sun: there is a time when man has power over man for his destruction.

But it will not be well for the evil-doer; he will not make his days long like a shade, because he has no fear before God.

So I commended pleasure, for there is nothing good for a man under the sun except to eat and to drink and to be merry, and this will stand by him in his toils throughout the days of his life which God has given him under the sun.

When I gave my heart to know wisdom and to see the task which has been done on the earth (even though one should never sleep day or night),

and I saw every work of God, I concluded that man cannot discover the work which has been done under the sun. Even though man should seek laboriously, he will not discover; and though the wise man should say, “I know,” he cannot discover.

Because to all there is one event, to the upright man and to the evil, to the clean and to the unclean, to him who makes an offering and to him who makes no offering; as is the good so is the sinner; he who takes an oath is as he who has fear of it.

[There is no exemption,] but whoever is joined with all the living, has hope; surely a live dog is better than a dead lion.

At least the living know they will die, but the dead know nothing; they no longer have a reward, since memory about them has been forgotten.

As well their love, as their hatred and their envy, has perished long ago, nor have they any more a portion forever in anything that is done under the sun.

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

Enjoy life with the woman whom you love all the days of your fleeting life which He has given to you under the sun; for this is your reward in life and in your toil in which you have labored under the sun.

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.

And when the foolish man is walking in the way, he has no sense and lets everyone see that he is foolish.

If the iron has no edge, and he does not make it sharp, then he has to put out more strength; but wisdom makes things go well.

The foolish are full of words; man has no knowledge of what will be; and who is able to say what will be after him?

The work of the foolish will be a weariness to him, because he has no knowledge of the way to the town.

Say not a curse against the king, even in your thoughts; and even secretly say not a curse against the man of wealth; because a bird of the air will take the voice, and that which has wings will give news of it.

As you have no knowledge of the way of the wind, or of the growth of the bones in the body of her who is with child, even so you have no knowledge of the works of God who has made all.

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.

Also, they are afraid of heights and dangers on the road;
the almond tree blossoms,
the grasshopper loses its spring,
and the caper berry has no effect;
for man is headed to his eternal home,
and mourners will walk around in the street;

And further, by these, my son, be warned: The making of many books has no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

This is the last word. All has been said. Have fear of God and keep his laws; because this is right for every man.