All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; to the place from where the rivers come, there they return again.

Is there a thing of which it may be said, See, this is new? It has already been in days of old, which were before us.

I sought in my heart to drag my flesh with wine, yet leading my heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, until I might see where the good for the sons of men might be, what they should do under the heavens all the days of their life.

Then I saw that wisdom excels folly, as far as light excels darkness.

The wise man's eyes are in his head; but the fool walks in darkness; and I also knew that one event happens to all of them.

Then I said in my heart, As it happens to the fool, so it happens even to me; and why was I then more wise? And I said in my heart that this also is vanity.

Is it not good that he should eat and drink and make his soul see good in his labor? This I also saw, that it was from the hand of God.

a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

He has made everything beautiful in His time; also He has set eternity in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God makes from the beginning to the end.

I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it; and God does it so that they fear before Him.

And again I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that wickedness was there.

I said in my heart concerning the matter of sons of men, that God might reveal them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.

For that which happens to the sons of men also happens to beasts, even one thing happens to them. As this one dies, so that one dies; yea, they all have one breath; so that a man has no advantage over a beast; for all is vanity.

Therefore I have seen that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion; for who can bring him to see what shall be after him?

So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun. And behold the tears of the oppressed ones, and they had no comforter! And on the side of those who oppressed them there was power, but they had no comforter.

And I returned and saw vanity under the sun.

I saw all the living who walk under the sun, with the second child who shall stand up in his place.

Do not be rash with your mouth, and do not let your heart be hasty to say a word before God. For God is in Heaven, and you are on earth; therefore let your words be few.

For a dream comes through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice by the multitude of words.

Do not allow your mouth to cause your flesh to sin; do not say before the angel that it was an error. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands?

If you see the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, do not marvel at the matter. For He who is higher than the highest watches; and there are some higher than they.

When the good thing increases, those who eat it increase; then what profit is it to its owners, except to see it with their eyes?

As he came forth from his mother's womb naked, he shall return to go as he came. And from his labor he may not carry anything that may go in his hand.

And this also is a sore evil, that in all, as he came, so shall he go; and what profit does he have who has labored for the wind?

Behold that which I have seen. it is good and right for one to eat and to drink, and to see good in all his labor that he labors under the sun all the days of his life, which God gives him; for it is his portion.

a man to whom God has given riches, wealth, and honor, so that he lacks nothing for his soul of all that he desires, yet God does not give him power to eat of it, but a stranger eats it. This is vanity, and it is an evil disease.

If a man fathers a hundred, and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, and his soul is not filled with good, and also is for him no burial; I say, a miscarriage is better than he.

A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of one's birth.

For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool; this also is vanity.

Do not say, Why was it that the former days were better than these? For you do not ask wisely in regard to this.

Wisdom is good with an inheritance; but it is gain to those who see the sun.

Who is as the wise? And who knows the meaning of a thing? A man's wisdom makes his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed.

I say, Keep the king's word, and that, because of the oath of God.

Because the word of a king is that which has power; and who may say to him, What are you doing?

Whoever keeps the command shall feel no evil thing; and a wise man's heart knows both time and judgment.

And so I saw the wicked buried, and they came and went from the holy place. And they were forgotten in the city, these things that they had done. This is also vanity.

When I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done on the earth; for neither day nor night do men see sleep with their eyes.

All happens alike to all; there is one event to the righteous and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him who sacrifices, and to him who does not sacrifice. As is the good, so is the sinner. He who swears is as he who fears an oath.

I returned and saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance happens to them all.

For man also does not know his time; as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falls suddenly on them.

And I said, Wisdom is better than strength; but the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.

As dead flies cause the perfumer's ointment to stink and ferment; so a little folly is more rare than wisdom and than honor.

A man's heart is at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left.

There is an evil I have seen under the sun, like a sin which comes from a ruler's presence;

He who watches the wind shall not sow; and he who pays attention to the clouds shall not reap.

As you do not know what is the way of the spirit, as how the bones grow in the pregnant woman's womb; even so you do not know the works of God who makes all.

In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening do not withhold your hand; for you do not know what shall be blessed, either this or that, or whether they both shall be fruitful in the same way.

Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, while the evil days do not come, nor the years draw near, when you shall say, I have no pleasure in them.

So long as the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, are darkened, or the clouds return after rain,