That which has been is that which shall be, and that which has been done is that which shall be done. And there is no new thing under the sun.

There is no remembrance of the former [things], nor shall there be any remembrance of the latter that are to come, among those who shall come after.

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 have seen all the works that are done under the sun, and, behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.

That which is crooked cannot be made straight, and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.

And I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also was a striving after wind.

I searched in my heart how to cheer my flesh with wine (my heart yet guiding [me] with wisdom), and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what it was good for the sons of men that they should do under heaven all the days of th

Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labor that I had labored to do, and, behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was no profit under the sun.

And I turned myself to behold wisdom and madness and folly. For what [can] the man [do] who comes after the king? [Even] that which has been done long ago.

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

The wise man's eyes are in his head, and the fool walks in darkness. And yet I perceived that one event happens to them all.

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

For of the wise man, even as of the fool, there is no remembrance forever, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. And how the wise man dies even as the fool!

So I hated life, because the work that is wrought under the sun was grievous to me. For all is vanity and a striving after wind.

And I hated all my labor in which I labored under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who shall be after me.

There is nothing better for a man [than] that he should eat and drink, and make his soul enjoy good in his labor. This also I saw, that it is from the hand of God.

For to the man who pleases him [God] gives wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he gives travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him who pleases God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.

a time to be born, and a time to die, a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted,

What profit has he who works in that in which he labors?

He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also he has set eternity in their heart, yet so that man cannot find out the work that God has done from the beginning even to the end.

I know that there is nothing better for them, than to rejoice, and to do good as long as they live.

And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy good in all his labor. [It] is the gift of God.

I know that, whatever God does, it shall be forever. Nothing can be put to it, nor anything taken from it. And God has done it that men should fear before him.

That which is, has been long ago, and that which is to be, has long ago been. And God seeks again that which has passed away.

And moreover I saw under the sun, in the place of justice, that wickedness was there, and in the place of righteousness, that wickedness was there.

I said in my heart, [It is] because of the sons of men, that God may prove them, and that they may see that they themselves are beasts.

For that which befalls the sons of men befalls beasts, even one thing befalls them; as the one dies, so dies the other. Yea, they all have one breath, and man has no preeminence above the beasts; for all is vanity.

Therefore I saw that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his works, for that is his portion. For who shall bring him [back] to see what shall be after him?

Keep thy foot when thou go to the house of God, for to draw near to hear is better than to give the sacrifice of fools. For they know not that they do evil.

When thou vow a vow to God, defer not to pay it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay that which thou vow.

Better is it that thou should not vow, than that thou should vow and not pay.

Do not allow thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin, nor say thou before the [heavenly] agent, that is was an error. Why should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thy hands?

And this also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go. And what profit has he that he labored for the wind?

Behold, that which I have seen to be good and to be fitting is [for a man] to eat and to drink, and to enjoy good in all his labor in which he labors under the sun all the days of his life which God has given him, for this is his p

A man to whom God gives 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 an alien eats it. This is vanity, and it is an evil disease.

If a man begets a hundred sons, and lives many years so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not filled with good, and moreover he has no burial, I say, that an untimely birth is better than he.

Since there are many things that increase vanity, what is man the better?

It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting. For that is the end of all men, and the living will lay it to his heart.

Say thou not, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? For thou do not inquire wisely concerning this.

For wisdom is a defense, even as money is a defense. But the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it.

Consider the work of God. For who can make that straight, which he has made crooked?

In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider. Yea, God has made the one side by side with the other, to the end that man should not find out anything after him.

It is good that thou should take hold of this, yea, also from that withdraw not thy hand. For he who fears God shall come forth from them all.

Wisdom is a strength to the wise man more than ten rulers that are in a city.

Surely there is not a righteous man upon earth that does good, and sins not.

Also do not take heed to all words that are spoken, lest thou hear thy servant curse thee.

For many times also thine own heart knows that thou thyself likewise have cursed others.

That which is, is far off and exceedingly deep. Who can find it out?

I turned about, and my heart [was set] to know and to search out, and to seek wisdom and the reason [of things], and to know that wickedness is folly, and that foolishness is madness.

Behold, this only I have found: That God made man upright, but they have sought out many contrivances.

I [say], Keep the king's command, and that because of the oath of God.

For he knows not that which shall be, for who can tell him how it shall be?

All this I have seen, and applied my heart to every work that is done under the sun. [There is] a time in which one man has power over another to his hurt.

Though a sinner does evil a hundred times, and prolongs his [days], yet surely I know that it shall be well with those who fear God, who fear before him.

There is a vanity which is done upon the earth, that there are righteous men to whom it happens according to the work of the wicked, again, there are wicked men to whom it happens according to the work of the righteous. I said that

Then I commended joy, because a man has no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be cheerful. For that shall abide with him in his labor [all] the days of his life which God has given him under the sun.

When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth (for also there is he who sees sleep with his eyes neither day nor night),

then I beheld all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. Because however much a man labors to seek it out, yet he shall not find it. Yea moreover, though a wise man thinks to know it, yet he

For all this I laid to my heart, even to explore all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God. No man understands, either love or hatred. All is before them.

This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one event to all. Yea also, the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that [they go] to the dead.

For the living know that they shall die, but the dead know not anything, nor have they any more a reward, for the memory of them is forgotten.

As well their love, as their hatred and their envy, has perished long ago, nor have they any more a portion forever in anything that is done under the sun.

Live joyfully with the wife whom thou love all the days of thy life of vanity, which he has given thee under the sun, all thy days of vanity. For that is thy portion in life, and in thy labor in which thou labor under the sun.

I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill, but time and chance happens t

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, even so are the sons of men snared in an evil time when it falls suddenly upon them.

Now there was found in it a poor wise man. And he by his wisdom delivered the city, yet no man remembered that same poor man.

Yea also, when the fool walks by the way, his understanding fails him, and he says to everyone [that] he is a fool.

A fool also multiplies words; [yet] man knows not what shall be, and that which shall be after him, who can tell him?

Revile not the king, no, not in thy thought, and revile not the rich in thy bedchamber. For a bird of the heavens shall carry the voice, and that which has wings shall tell the matter.

In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thy hand, for thou know not which shall prosper, whether this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.

Yea, if a man lives many years, let him rejoice in them all. But let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many. All that comes is vanity.

Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth, and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thy heart, and in the sight of thine eyes. But know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgmen

The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words, and that which was written uprightly--words of truth.