What is a man profited by all his work which he does under the sun?

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

And I gave my heart to searching out in wisdom all things which are done under heaven: it is a hard thing which God has put on the sons of men to do.

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

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.

Then I saw all the works which my hands had made, and everything I had been working to do; and I saw that all was to no purpose and desire for wind, and there was no profit under the sun.

So I was hating life, because everything under the sun was evil to me: all is to no purpose and desire for wind.

And who is to say if that man will be wise or foolish? But he will have power over all my work which I have done and in which I have been wise under the sun. This again is to no purpose.

So my mind was turned to grief for all the trouble I had taken and all my wisdom under the sun.

What does a man get for all his work, and for the weight of care with which he has done his work under the sun?

For everything there is a fixed time, and a time for every business under the sun.

And again, I saw under the sun, in the place of the judges, that evil was there; and in the place of righteousness, that evil was there.

And again I saw all the cruel things which are done under the sun; there was the weeping of those who have evil done to them, and they had no comforter: and from the hands of the evil-doers there went out power, but they had no comforter.

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.

Then I came back, and I saw an example of what is to no purpose under the sun.

I saw all the living under the sun round the young man who was to be ruler in place of the king.

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.

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;

Who is able to say what is good for man in life all the days of his foolish life which he goes through like a shade? who will say what is to be after him under the sun?

Like the cracking of thorns under a pot, so is the laugh of a foolish man; and this again is to no purpose.

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.

So I gave praise to joy, because there is nothing better for a man to do under the sun than to take meat and drink and be happy; for that will be with him in his work all the days of his life which God gives him under the sun.

Then I saw all the work of God, and that man may not get knowledge of the work which is done under the sun; because, if a man gives hard work to the search he will not get knowledge, and even if the wise man seems to be coming to the end of his search, still he will be without knowledge.

This is evil in all things which are done under the sun: that there is one fate for all, and the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil; while they have life their hearts are foolish, and after that--to the dead.

Their love and their hate and their envy are now ended; and they have no longer a part for ever in anything which is done under the sun.

Have joy with the woman of your love all the days of your foolish life which he gives you under the sun. Because that is your part in life and in your work which you do under the sun.

And again I saw under the sun that the reward goes not to him who is quick, or the fruits of war to the strong; and there is no bread for the wise, or wealth for men of learning, or respect for those who have knowledge; but time and chance come to all.

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

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