Is there anything of which men say, See, this is new? It has been in the old time which was before us.

I have seen all the works which are done under the sun; all is to no purpose, and desire for wind.

I said to my heart, See, I have become great and am increased in wisdom more than any who were before me in Jerusalem--yes, my heart has seen much wisdom and knowledge.

I made a search with my heart to give pleasure to my flesh with wine, still guiding my heart with wisdom, and to go after foolish things, so that I might see what was good for the sons of men to do under the heavens all the days of their life.

Of the wise man, as of the foolish man, there is no memory for ever, seeing that those who now are will have gone from memory in the days to come. See how death comes to the wise as to the foolish!

He has made everything right in its time; but he has made their hearts without knowledge, so that man is unable to see the works of God, from the first to the last.

I said in my heart, It is because of the sons of men, so that God may put them to the test and that they may see themselves as beasts.

So I saw that there is nothing better than for a man to have joy in his work--because that is his reward. Who will make him see what will come after him?

Yes, happier than the dead or the living seemed he who has not ever been, who has not seen the evil which is done under the sun.

If you see the poor under a cruel yoke, and law and right being violently overturned in a country, be not surprised, because one authority is keeping watch on another and there are higher than they.

When goods are increased, the number of those who take of them is increased; and what profit has the owner but to see them?

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

This is what I have seen: it is good and fair for a man to take meat and drink and to have joy in all his work under the sun, all the days of his life which God has given him; that is his reward.

There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is hard on men;

And though he goes on living a thousand years twice over and does not see good, are not the two going to the same place?

What the eyes see is better than the wandering of desire. This is to no purpose and a desire for wind.

Wisdom together with a heritage is good, and a profit to those who see the sun.

These two have I seen in my life which is to no purpose: a good man coming to his end in his righteousness, and an evil man whose days are long in his evil-doing.

Look! this I have seen, said the Preacher, taking one thing after another to get the true account,

For which my soul is still searching, but I have it not; one man among a thousand have I seen; but a woman among all these I have not seen.

This only have I seen, that God made men upright, but they have been searching out all sorts of inventions.

All this have I seen, and have given my heart to all the work which is done under the sun: there is a time when man has power over man for his destruction.

When I gave my mind to the knowledge of wisdom and to seeing the business which is done on the earth (and there are those whose eyes see not sleep by day or by night),

This again I have seen under the sun as wisdom and it seemed great to me.

And when the foolish man is walking in the way, he has no sense and lets everyone see that he is foolish.

There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, like an error which comes by chance from a ruler:

I have seen servants on horses, and rulers walking on the earth as servants.

He who is watching the wind will not get the seed planted, and he who is looking at the clouds will not get in the grain.

In the morning put your seed into the earth, and till the evening let not your hand be at rest; because you are not certain which will do well, this or that--or if the two will be equally good.

Truly the light is sweet, and it is good for the eyes to see the sun.

In the day when the keepers of the house are shaking for fear, and the strong men are bent down, and the women who were crushing the grain are at rest because their number is small, and those looking out of the windows are unable to see;