“Absolute futility,” says the Teacher.
“Absolute futility. Everything is futile.”

Can one say about anything,
“Look, this is new”?
It has already existed in the ages before us.

Do not let your mouth bring guilt on you, and do not say in the presence of the messenger that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry with your words and destroy the work of your hands?

A man may father a hundred children and live many years. No matter how long he lives, if he is not satisfied by good things and does not even have a proper burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he.

Don’t say, “Why were the former days better than these?”
since it is not wise of you to ask this.

Don’t pay attention to everything people say, or you may hear your servant cursing you,

“Look,” says the Teacher, “I have discovered this by adding one thing to another to find out the explanation,

For the king’s word is authoritative, and who can say to him, “What are you doing?”

There is a futility that is done on the earth: there are righteous people who get what the actions of the wicked deserve, and there are wicked people who get what the actions of the righteous deserve. I say that this too is futile.

So remember your Creator in the days of your youth:

Before the days of adversity come,
and the years approach when you will say,
“I have no delight in them”;

“Absolute futility,” says the Teacher. “Everything is futile.”