Words of a preacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem:

What advantage is to man by all his labour that he laboureth at under the sun?

Also, the sun hath risen, and the sun hath gone in, and unto its place panting it is rising there.

What is that which hath been? it is that which is, and what is that which hath been done? it is that which is done, and there is not an entirely new thing under the sun.

I have seen all the works that have been done under the sun, and lo, the whole is vanity and vexation of spirit!

I -- I spake with my heart, saying, 'I, lo, I have magnified and added wisdom above every one who hath been before me at Jerusalem, and my heart hath seen abundantly wisdom and knowledge.

and I have looked on all my works that my hands have done, and on the labour that I have laboured to do, and lo, the whole is vanity and vexation of spirit, and there is no advantage under the sun!

And I have hated life, for sad to me is the work that hath been done under the sun, for the whole is vanity and vexation of spirit.

And I have hated all my labour that I labour at under the sun, because I leave it to a man who is after me.

And who knoweth whether he is wise or foolish? yet he doth rule over all my labour that I have laboured at, and that I have done wisely under the sun! this also is vanity.

And I turned round to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labour that I laboured at under the sun.

For what hath been to a man by all his labour, and by the thought of his heart that he laboured at under the sun?

There is nothing good in a man who eateth, and hath drunk, and hath shewn his soul good in his labour. This also I have seen that it is from the hand of God.

I have seen the travail that God hath given to the sons of man to be humbled by it.

yea, even every man who eateth and hath drunk and seen good by all his labour, it is a gift of God.

And again, I have seen under the sun the place of judgment -- there is the wicked; and the place of righteousness -- there is the wicked.

And I have seen that there is nothing better than that man rejoice in his works, for it is his portion; for who doth bring him in to look on that which is after him?

And I have turned, and I see all the oppressions that are done under the sun, and lo, the tear of the oppressed, and they have no comforter; and at the hand of their oppressors is power, and they have no comforter.

And better than both of them is he who hath not yet been, in that he hath not seen the evil work that hath been done under the sun.

And I have seen all the labour, and all the benefit of the work, because for it a man is the envy of his neighbour. Even this is vanity and vexation of spirit.

And I have turned, and I see a vain thing under the sun:

There is one, and there is not a second; even son or brother he hath not, and there is no end to all his labour! His eye also is not satisfied with riches, and he saith not, 'For whom am I labouring and bereaving my soul of good?' This also is vanity, it is a sad travail.

I have seen all the living, who are walking under the sun, with the second youth who doth stand in his place;

Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin, nor say before the messenger, that 'it is an error,' why is God wroth because of thy voice, and hath destroyed the work of thy hands?

There is a painful evil I have seen under the sun: wealth kept for its possessor, for his evil.

And that wealth hath been lost in an evil business, and he hath begotten a son and there is nothing in his hand!

Lo, that which I have seen: It is good, because beautiful, to eat, and to drink, and to see good in all one's labour that he laboureth at under the sun, the number of the days of his life that God hath given to him, for it is his portion.

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

Even the sun he hath not seen nor known, more rest hath this than that.

And though he had lived a thousand years twice over, yet good he hath not seen; to the same place doth not every one go?

For who knoweth what is good for a man in life, the number of the days of the life of his vanity, and he maketh them as a shadow? for who declareth to man what is after him under the sun?

Wisdom is good with an inheritance, And an advantage it is to those beholding the sun.

All this I have seen so as to give my heart to every work that hath been done under the sun; a time that man hath ruled over man to his own evil.

And so I have seen the wicked buried, and they went in, even from the Holy Place they go, and they are forgotten in the city whether they had so done. This also is vanity.

And I have praised mirth because there is no good to man under the sun except to eat and to drink, and to rejoice, and it remaineth with him of his labour the days of his life that God hath given to him under the sun.

then I considered all the work of God, that man is not able to find out the work that hath been done under the sun, because though man labour to seek, yet he doth not find; and even though the wise man speak of knowing he is not able to find.

This is an evil among all that hath been done under the sun, that one event is to all, and also the heart of the sons of man is full of evil, and madness is in their heart during their life, and after it -- unto the dead.

Their love also, their hatred also, their envy also, hath already perished, and they have no more a portion to the age in all that hath been done under the sun.

See life with the wife whom thou hast loved, all the days of the life of thy vanity, that He hath given to thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity, for it is thy portion in life, even of thy labour that thou art labouring at under the sun.

I have turned so as to see under the sun, that not to the swift is the race, nor to the mighty the battle, nor even to the wise bread, nor even to the intelligent wealth, nor even to the skilful grace, for time and chance happen with them all.

This also I have seen: wisdom under the sun, and it is great to me.

There is an evil I have seen under the sun, As an error that goeth out from the ruler,

I have seen servants on horses, And princes walking as servants on the earth.

Happy art thou, O land, When thy king is a son of freemen, And thy princes do eat in due season, For might, and not for drunkenness.

Sweet also is the light, And good for the eyes to see the sun.

While that the sun is not darkened, and the light, And the moon, and the stars, And the thick clouds returned after the rain.

And further, from these, my son, be warned; the making of many books hath no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.