What profit has man from all his labor in which he labors under the sun?

The sun also arises, and the sun goes down and hastens to its place where it arises.

The wind goes toward the south, and turns around to the north. It turns around continually in its course, and the wind returns again to its circuits.

All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full. To the place from where the rivers come, there they go again.

All things are full of weariness, man cannot utter [it]. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.

Is there a thing of which it may be said, See, this is new? It has been long ago, in the ages which were before us.

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 said of laughter, It is mad, and of mirth, What does it do?

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

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.

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.

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.

And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have rule over all my labor in which I have labored, and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity.

For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, and with knowledge, and with skillfulness, yet he shall leave it to a man who has not labored in it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.

For what has a man of all his labor, and of the striving of his heart in which he labors under the sun?

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 who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, without him?

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.

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.

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.

Who knows the spirit of man, whether it goes upward, and the spirit of the beast, whether it goes downward to the earth?

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?

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?

If thou see the oppression of a poor man, and the violent wresting of justice and righteousness in a province, marvel not at the matter. For [a man] higher than the high is observing, and there are higher [men] than they.

When goods increase, they are increased who eat them. And what advantage is there to the owner of it, except the beholding [of them] with his eyes?

There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: Riches [were] kept by the owner of it to his hurt.

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

Every man also to whom God has given riches and wealth, and has given him power to eat of it, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labor--this is the gift of God.

There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is heavy upon men:

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.

For it comes in vanity, and departs in darkness, and the name of it is covered with darkness.

Moreover it has not seen the sun nor known it, this [one] has rest rather than the other.

Yea, though he lives a thousand years twice told, and yet enjoys no good, do not all go to one place?

All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.

For what advantage has the wise man more than the fool? What has the poor man, who knows how to walk before the living?

Whatever has been, the name of it was given long ago, and it is know what man is. Neither can he contend with him who is mightier than he.

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

For who knows what is good for man in life, all the days of his vain life which he spends as a shadow? For who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?

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.

It is better to hear the rebuke of a wise man, than for a man to hear the song of fools.

Better is the end of a thing than the beginning of it. The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

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

Wisdom is as good as an inheritance, yea, it is more excellent for those who see the sun.

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.

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.

All this I have proved in wisdom. I said, I will be wise, but it was far from me.

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, I have found this, says the Preacher, [laying] one thing to another, to find out the account,

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

Be not hasty to go out of his presence. Persist not in an evil matter, for he does whatever pleases him.

For the king's word [has] power, and who may say to him, What are thou doing?

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

There is no man who has power over the spirit to retain the spirit, nor has he power over the day of death. And there is no discharge in war. Neither shall wickedness deliver him who is given to it.

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.

But it shall not be well with a wicked man, neither shall he prolong [his] days, [which are] as a shadow, because he did not fear before God.

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.

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

Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart, for God has already accepted thy works.

Let thy garments be always white, and let not thy head lack oil.

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.

I have also seen wisdom under the sun this way, and it seemed great to me:

There was a little city, and few men within it. And there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it.

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.

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

There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as it were an error which proceeds from the ruler:

He who digs a pit shall fall into it, and he who breaks through a wall, a serpent shall bite him.

He who hews out stones shall be hurt therewith, [and] he who splits wood is endangered thereby.

If the iron be blunt, and he does not whet the edge, then he must increase strength. But wisdom is advantageous to make right.

If the serpent bites before it is charmed, then is there no advantage in the charmer.

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

Cast thy bread upon the waters, for thou shall find it after many days.

Give a portion to seven, yea, even to eight, for thou know not what evil shall be upon the earth.

If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth, and if a tree falls toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falls, there shall it be.

As thou know not what is the way of the wind, [nor] how the bones [grow] in the womb of her who is with child, even so thou know not the work of God who does all.

Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun.

in the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those who look out of the windows shall be darkened,

and the doors shall be shut in the street, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of a bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low,

before the silver cord is loosed, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern,

and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

And further, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge. Yea, he pondered, and sought out, [and] set in order many proverbs.

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