Is there a thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? It hath been already in the ages which were before us.

I saw all the works which were done under the sun, - and lo! all, was vanity, and a feeding on wind.

I said to myself, “Behold, I have magnified and increased wisdom more than all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my mind has observed a wealth of wisdom and knowledge.”

for thereunto I applied my mind: that I might know what were wisdom and understanding, what were error and foolishness. And I perceived that this also was but a vexation of mind:

So I thought in my heart, to withdraw my flesh from wine, to apply my mind unto wisdom, and to comprehend foolishness until the time that among all the things which are under the Sun, I might see what were best for men to do, so long as they live under heaven.

I made me pools of water, to water therefrom the forest where trees were reared;

I bought men-servants and maid-servants, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of herds and flocks, above all that were before me in Jerusalem;

So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.

I also examined on earth: where the halls of justice were supposed to be, there was lawlessness; and where the righteous were supposed to be, there was lawlessness. 17I told myself, "God will judge both the righteous and the wicked, because there is a time set to judge every event and every work."

I communed with mine own heart also concerning the children of men: how God hath chosen them, and yet letteth them appear as though they were beasts.

For, as regardeth the destiny of the sons of men and the destiny of beasts, one fate, have they, as dieth the one, so, dieth the other, and, one spirit, have they all, - and, the pre-eminence of man over beast, is nothing, for, all, were vanity:

All go to one place; all were from dust, and all turned back to dust.

Then I looked again at all the acts of oppression which were being done under the sun. And behold I saw the tears of the oppressed and that they had no one to comfort them; and on the side of their oppressors was power, but they had no one to comfort them.

So, I, pronounced happy the dead, who were, already, dead, - more than the living, who were living, still;

And good above them two which were not yet, which saw not the evil work which was done under the sun.

There was a certain man without a dependent, having neither a son nor a brother, yet there was no end to all his labor. Indeed, his eyes were not satisfied with riches and he never asked, “And for whom am I laboring and depriving myself of pleasure?” This too is vanity and it is a grievous task.

I saw all the living that walk under the sun, that they were with the youth, the second, that stood up in his stead.

There is no end to all the people, to all who were before them, and even the ones who will come later will not be happy with him, for this too is vanity and striving after wind.

In the multitude of good they were multiplied eating it: and what the success to its possessors but seeing with his eyes?

There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: riches being kept and hoarded by their owner to his own misery.

When those riches were lost through a bad investment and he had fathered a son, then there was nothing to support him.

Even if a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years -- even if he lives a long, long time, but cannot enjoy his prosperity -- even if he were to live forever -- I would say, "A stillborn child is better off than he is!"

Do not say, “Why is it that the former days were better than these?”
For it is not from wisdom that you ask about this.

Wisdom shall strengthen to the wise one more than ten having power which were in the city.

And then I saw evil men put to rest, taken even from the holy place; and they went about and were praised in the town because of what they had done. This again is to no purpose.

There is a meaningless and futile thing which is done on the earth: that is, there are righteous men whose gain is as though they were evil, and evil men whose gain is as though they were righteous. I say that this too is futility (meaningless, vain).

For, unto all this, I applied my heart, and, my heart, considered all this, that, the righteous and the wise and their servants, were in the hand of God, - neither love nor hatred, could any man know, every one, was before Him.

For, indeed, man could not know his own time, like fishes which were caught in a cruel net, and like little birds which were caught in a trap, - like them, were ensnared the sons of men, by a time of misfortune, when it fell upon them suddenly.

If a principal spirit be given thee to bear rule, be not negligent then in thine office: for so shall great wickedness be put down, as it were with a medicine.

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

Folly was given to great heights, and the rich were set in lowness.

I see servants ride upon horses, and princes going upon their feet as it were servants.

In the day when the keepers of the house are shaking for fear, and the strong men are bent down, and the women who were crushing the grain are at rest because their number is small, and those looking out of the windows are unable to see;

And the doors were shut in the street, in the lowness of the voice of the grinding, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of the song shall bow down;

The Preacher made search for words which were pleasing, but his writing was in words upright and true.

The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails planted of the masters of the gatherings; they were given from one shepherd.