Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities! all is vanity.

All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full: unto the place whither the rivers go, thither they go again.

All things are full of toil; none can express it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.

That which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which will be done: and there is nothing new under the sun.

Is there a thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? It hath been already in the ages which were before us.

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

And I applied my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the heavens: this grievous occupation hath God given to the children of men to weary themselves therewith.

I have seen all the works that are done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and pursuit of the wind.

That which is crooked cannot be made straight; and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.

And I applied my heart to the knowledge of wisdom, and to the knowledge of madness and folly: I perceived that this also is a striving after the wind.

For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.

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

And I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as light excelleth darkness.

The wise man's eyes are in his head, and the fool walketh in darkness; but I myself also perceived that one event happeneth to them all.

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

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?

And I hated life; for the work that is wrought under the sun was grievous unto me; for all is vanity and pursuit of the wind.

And who knoweth whether he will be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour at which I have laboured, and wherein I have been wise under the sun. This also is vanity.

For there is a man whose labour hath been with wisdom, and with knowledge, and with skill, and who leaveth it to a man that hath not laboured therein, to be his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.

For all his days are sorrows, and his travail vexation: even in the night his heart taketh no rest. This also is vanity.

There is nothing good for man, but that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.

For he giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner he giveth travail to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good in God's sight. This also is vanity and pursuit of the wind.

To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heavens:

A time to be born, and a time to die; A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

I know that there is nothing good for them but to rejoice and to do well in their life;

yea also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy good in all his labour, it is the gift of God.

I know that whatever God doeth, it shall be for ever; there is nothing to be added to it, nor anything to be taken from it; and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.

That which is was long ago, and that which is to be hath already been; and God bringeth back again that which is past.

I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.

I said in my heart, It is thus with the children of men, that God may prove them, and that they should see that they themselves are but beasts.

For what befalleth the children of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other, and they have all one breath; and man hath no pre-eminence above the beast: for all is vanity.

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

and more fortunate than both is he who hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.

And I saw all labour, and all success of work, that it is man's jealousy of his neighbour. This also is vanity and pursuit of the wind.

Better is a handful with quietness, than both hands full with labour and pursuit of the wind.

There is one alone and without a second; also he hath neither son nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour, neither is his eye satisfied with riches, and he saith not, For whom then am I labouring, and depriving my soul of good? This also is vanity and a grievous occupation.

For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him that is alone when he falleth, and who hath not another to lift him up!

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

Better is a poor but wise youth than an old and foolish king, who knoweth no more how to be admonished.

There is no end of all the people, of all that stood before them; those however that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a striving after the wind.

Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be hasty to utter anything before God: for God is in the heavens, and thou upon earth; therefore let thy words be few.

Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.

If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter; for a higher than the high is watching, and there are higher than they.

Moreover the earth is every way profitable: the king himself is dependent upon the field.

He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver, nor he that loveth abundance with increase. This also is vanity.

When goods increase, they are increased that eat them; and what profit is there to the owner thereof, except the beholding of them with his eyes?

The sleep of the labourer is sweet, whether he have eaten little or much; but the fulness of the rich doth not suffer him to sleep.

There is a grievous evil that I have seen under the sun: riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt;

or those riches perish by some evil circumstance, and if he have begotten a son, there is nothing in his hand.

As he came forth from his mother's womb, naked shall he go away again as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.

And this also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came so doth he go away, and what profit hath he, in having laboured for the wind?

Behold what I have seen good and comely: it is to eat and to drink, and to enjoy good in all his labour wherewith man laboureth under the sun, all the days of his life which God hath given him: for that is his portion.

Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and power to eat thereof, and to take his portion and to rejoice in his labour: that is a gift of God.

There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it is frequent among men:

one to whom God giveth riches, wealth, and honour, and he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it: this is vanity, and a sore evil.

If a man beget a hundred sons, and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, but his soul be not filled with good, and also he have no burial, I say an untimely birth is better than he.

For it cometh in vanity, and departeth in darkness, and its name is covered with darkness;

All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.

For what advantage hath the wise above the fool? what hath the poor, that knoweth to walk before the living?

Better is the seeing of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this also is vanity and pursuit of the wind.

That which is hath already been named; and what man is, is known, and that he cannot contend with him that is mightier than he.

For there are many things that increase vanity: what is man advantaged?

For who knoweth what is good for man in life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can tell man what shall be after him under the sun?

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: in that that is the end of all men, and the living taketh it to heart.

Vexation is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.

The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools in the house of mirth.

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

For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity.

Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad, and a gift destroyeth the heart.

Better is the end of a thing than its beginning; better is a patient spirit than a proud spirit.

Say not, How is it that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this.

Wisdom is as good as an inheritance, and profitable to them that see the sun.

For wisdom is a defence as money is a defence; but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom maketh them that possess it to live.

All this have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a righteous man that perisheth by his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his days by his wickedness.

It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from that withdraw not thy hand: for he that feareth God cometh forth from them all.

Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men that are in a city.

Surely there is not a righteous man upon earth, that doeth good and sinneth not.

All this have I tried by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.

Whatever hath been, is far off, and exceeding deep: who will find it out?

and I found more bitter than death the woman whose heart is nets and snares, and whose hands are bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be caught by her.

Who is as the wise? and who knoweth the explanation of things? A man's wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face is changed.

because the word of a king is power; and who may say unto him, What doest thou?

Whoso keepeth the commandment shall know no evil thing; and a wise man's heart knoweth time and manner.

For to every purpose there is time and manner. For the misery of man is great upon him;

There is no man who hath control over the spirit to retain the spirit; and no one hath control over the day of death; and there is no discharge in that war, neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it.

All this have I seen, and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun: there is a time when man ruleth man to his hurt.

And I have also seen the wicked buried and going away; and such as had acted rightly went from the holy place, and were forgotten in the city. This also is vanity.

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

but it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days as a shadow, because he feareth not before God.

There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there are righteous men unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; and there are wicked men to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity.

And I commended mirth, because there is nothing better for man under the sun than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry; for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God hath given him under the sun.

When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth (for also there is that neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes),

then I saw that all is the work of God, and that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because however man may labour to seek it out, yet doth he not find it; and even, if a wise man think to know it, he shall not be able to find it out.

For all this I laid to my heart and indeed to investigate all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God; man knoweth neither love nor hatred: all is before them.

All things come alike to all: 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; he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.

This is an evil among all that is done under the sun, that one thing befalleth all: yea, also the heart of the children of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live; and after that, they have to go to the dead.

For to him that is joined to all the 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 know not anything, neither have they any more a reward, for the memory of them is forgotten.

Their love also, and their hatred, and their envy is already perished; neither have they any more for ever a portion in all that is done under the sun.