What is crooked cannot be made straight; what is not there cannot be counted.

For neither the wise nor the fool will be long remembered, since in days to come everything will be forgotten. The wise man dies the same way as the fool, does he not?

Indeed, all of his days are filled with sorrow, and his struggles bring grief. In fact, his mind remains restless throughout the night. This is pointless, too!

Better than both of them is someone who has not yet been born, because he hasn't experienced evil on earth.

If someone attacks one of them, the two of them together will resist. Furthermore, the tri-braided cord is not soon broken.

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.

it's better that you don't promise than that you do promise and not follow through.

Whoever loves money will never have enough money. Whoever loves luxury will not be content with abundance. This also is pointless.

Sweet is the sleep of a working man, whether he eats a little or a lot, but the excess wealth of the rich will not allow him to rest.

For he will not brood much over the days of his life, since God will keep him occupied with the joys of his heart.

a man to whom God gives wealth, riches, and honor, so that he lacks none of his heart's desires but God does not give him the capability to enjoy them. Instead, a stranger consumes them. This is pointless and a grievous affliction.

A man might father a hundred children, and live for many years, so that the length of his life is long but if his life does not overflow with goodness, and he doesn't receive a proper burial, I maintain that stillborn children are better off than he is,

Never ask "Why does the past seem so much better than now?" because this question does not come from wisdom.

Do not be overly righteous, nor be overly wise. Why be self-destructive?

Do not excel at wickedness, nor be a fool. Why die before your time?

It is good for you to grab hold of this and not let go, because whoever fears God will escape all of these extremes.

For there is not a single righteous man on earth who practices good and does not sin.

Among the things I seek but have not found: one man among a thousand I did find, but I have not found one woman to be wise among all these.

Whoever obeys his commands will not experience harm, and the wise in heart will discern both the appropriate time and response.

Just as no human being has control over the wind to restrain it, so also no human being has control over the day of his death. Just as no one is discharged during war, so wickedness will not release those who practice it.

Whenever a sentence for a crime is not carried out swiftly, the human mind becomes determined to commit evil.

But things will not go well for the wicked person: he will not lengthen his life like a shadow, since he has no fear before God.

When I dedicated myself to experience wisdom and to observe what is undertaken on earth even going without sleep day and night

I saw all of it as the activity of God. Frankly, a human being cannot understand what happens on earth, because however hard a man works to discover it, he will not find out. Despite what he thinks he knows, he will not be able to figure it out.

Everyone shares the same experience: a single event affects the righteous, the wicked, the good, the clean, the unclean, whoever sacrifices, and whoever does not sacrifice. As it is with the good person, so also it is with the sinner; as it is with someone who takes an oath, so also it is with someone who fears taking an oath.

In addition, no human being knows his time: Like fish captured in a cruel net, or as birds caught in a snare, so also are human beings caught by bad timing that surprises them.

Now there was found within it a poor, but wise man. He delivered the city by his wisdom, but not one person remembered that poor man.

That land is blessed whose king is of noble birth, whose princes feast at the right time, for strength, and not to become drunk.

Do not curse the king, even in your thoughts. Do not curse the rich, even in your bedroom. For a bird will fly by and tell what you say, or something with wings may talk about it.

Just as you do not understand the way of the spirit in the womb of a pregnant mother, so also you do not know what God is doing in everything he makes.