And I gave my heart to seek and to search out, wisely, concerning all things which are done under the heavens, - the same, is the vexatious employment God hath given to the sons of men, to work toilsomely therein,

Spake, I, in my heart, saying, As for me, lo! I have become great, and have gathered wisdom, beyond any one who hath been before me over Jerusalem, - and, my heart, hath seen much wisdom and knowledge:

yea I have given my heart, to know wisdom, and to know madness, and folly, - I know that, even this, is a feeding on wind.

Said, I, in my heart, Come now! I will prove thee with gladness, and look thou on blessedness, - but lo! even that, was vanity.

I sought out with my heart, to cherish with wine, my flesh, - but, my heart, was to guide with wisdom, even in laying hold of folly, until I should see which was blessedness for the sons of men, as to that which they could do, under the heavens, during the number of the days of their life.

I enlarged my works, - I built me houses, I planted me vineyards;

I made me gardens, and parks, - I planted in them trees of every kind of fruit;

I made me pools of water, - to irrigate therefrom the thick-set saplings growing up into trees:

I acquired, men-servants and women-servants, and, the children of the household, were mine, - also possessions, herds and flocks in abundance, were mine, beyond all who had been before me in Jerusalem;

I heaped me up, both silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings, and provinces, - I provided me singing-men and singing-women, and the delights of the sons of men, a wife and wives.

So I became great, and increased, more than any one who had been before me in Jerusalem, - moreover, my wisdom, remained with me;

and, nothing that mine eyes asked, withheld I from them, - I did not keep back my heart from any gladness, for, my heart, obtained gladness out of all my toil, and so, this, was my portion, out of all my toil.

When, I, looked upon all my works, which my hands had made, and on my toil, whereon I had toilsomely wrought, then lo! all, was vanity, and feeding on wind, and there was no profit under the sun.

Then said, I, in my heart, As it happeneth to the dullard, even to me, will it happen, but wherefore, then, became, I, wise to excess? Therefore spake I, in my heart, Even this, is vanity.

Therefore I hated life, for, a vexation unto me, was the work which was done under the sun, - for, all, was vanity, and a feeding on wind.

Therefore hated, I, all my toil, wherein I was toiling, under the sun, - in that I should leave it for the man who should come 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.

Then resolved I, to give my heart over to despair, - concerning all the toil, wherein I had toiled, under the sun.

Said, I, in my heart, Both the righteous and the lawless, will God judge, - for there will be a time for every pursuit, and concerning every work - there.

Said, I, in my heart, as concerning the sons of men, That God was minded to prove them, - and that they might see, that they were beasts, of themselves.

Here is one, without a second, even son or brother, he hath none, yet is there no end to all his toil, even his eye, is not satisfied with riches, - neither saith he For whom, am I toiling, and letting my soul want good? Even this, was vanity, yea a vexatious employment, it was!

Whatsoever one may be, long ago, was he called by his name, and it is known that it is - Son of Earth, - he cannot, therefore, contend with one stronger than he.

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.

All this, have I proved by wisdom, - I said, I will be wise, but, that, was far from me.

Resolved, I, in my heart, to know and search out, and to seek wisdom, and a conclusion, - and to know lawlessness to be stupidity, and folly to be madness.

what my soul still sought, yet I found not, - one man out of a thousand, have I found, but, a woman among all these, have I not found.

Where the word of a king is, there is power, - who then may say to him, What wouldst thou do?

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.

When I gave my heart, to know wisdom, and to consider the business that was done upon the earth, then surely, by day and by night, there was one who suffered not his eyes, to sleep.

For, unto all this, I applied my heart, and, my heart, considered all this, that, the righteous and the wise and their servants, were in the hand of God, - neither love nor hatred, could any man know, every one, was before Him.

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

Better is wisdom, than weapons of war, - but, one sinner, may destroy much good.

He that diggeth a pit, thereinto, may fall, - and, he that breaketh through a hedge, there may bite him a serpent.

He that removeth stones, may be hurt therewith, - and he that cleaveth wood, may be endangered thereby.

By two lazy arms, the framework sinketh in, - and, by the hanging down of the hands, the house may leak.

But, though, many years, a man live, through them all, let him rejoice; yet let him remember the days of darkness, for many they may be, all that cometh, may be vanity.

And besides, from them, my son, be admonished, - Of making many books, there is no end, and, much study, is a weariness of the flesh.