And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven. It is a great tribulation that God has given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith.

I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.

For with great wisdom comes great frustration; whoever increases his knowledge merely increases his heartache.

I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards:

I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me:

So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.

So I said {to myself}, "{If I also suffer the same fate as the fool}, {what advantage is my great wisdom}?" So I said {to myself}, "This also [is] vanity!"

For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.

And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Guard your steps when you go to the house of God; draw near to listen [rather] than to offer a sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil.

Be not unwise with your mouth, and let not your heart be quick to say anything before God, because God is in heaven and you are on the earth--so let not the number of your words be great.

As a dream comes from much business, so the voice of a foolish man comes with words in great number.

If thou seest the poor to be oppressed and wrongfully dealt withal, so that equity and the right of the law is wrested in the land: marvel not thou at such judgment, for one great man keepeth touch with another, and the mighty help themselves together.

There is a great evil which I have seen under the sun--wealth kept by the owner to be his downfall.

For oft times they perish with his great misery and trouble: and if he have a child it getteth nothing.

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?

Furthermore, all his days he lives in darkness with great sorrow, anger, and affliction.

There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it is great on man:

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.'

A good name is better than oil of great price, and the day of death than the day of birth.

Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great upon him.

For I have oft seen the ungodly brought to their graves, and fallen down from the high and glorious place; insomuch that they were forgotten in the city where they were had in so high and great reputation. This is also a vain thing.

This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto me:

There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it:

Dead flies make the oil of the perfumer give out an evil smell; more valued is a little wisdom than the great glory of the foolish.

If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for yielding pacifieth great offences.

Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in low place.

If an iron axhead is blunt and a workman does not sharpen its edge, he must exert a great deal of effort; so wisdom has the advantage of giving success.

The beginning of his talking is foolishness, and the last word of his mouth is great madness.

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.

When men shall fear in high places, and be afraid in the streets; when the Almond tree shall be despised, the grasshopper born out, and when great poverty shall break in; when man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets.

Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.

And because the Preacher was wise he still gave the people knowledge; searching out, testing, and putting in order a great number of wise sayings.