What profit hath Man, in all his toil wherewith he toileth under the sun?

Of laughter, I said, Madness! and, of mirth, What can it do?

Thus turned, I, to look at wisdom, and madness and folly, - for what can the man do more who cometh after the king? save that which, already, men have done.

For what hath the man for all his toil, and for the striving of his heart, - wherein, he himself, toiled under the sun?

A time to be born, and a time to die, - A time to plant, and a time to uproot what is planted;

What profit hath he that worketh, in that wherein, himself, hath toiled?

When thou vowest a vow unto God, do not defer to pay it, for there is no pleasure in dullards, - what thou vowest, pay!

When blessings are increased, increased are the eaters thereof, - what profit, then, to the owner of them saving the sight of his eyes?

Even this, moreover, is an incurable evil, altogether as he came, so, shall he depart, - what profit then shall he have who toileth for the wind?

Lo! what, I myself, have seen - Better that it should be excellent to eat and to drink and to see blessedness, in all one's toil wherein one toileth under the sun, for the number of the days of his life, in that God hath given it him, for, that, is his portion:

For what profit hath the wise man, over the dullard? What can, the poor man, know - so as to walk before the living?

Better what the eyes behold, than the wandering of desire, - even this, was vanity, and a feeding on wind.

Seeing there are things in abundance which make vanity abound, what profit hath man?

For who knoweth what is good for a man throughout his life, for the number of the days of his life of vanity, seeing he will make them, like a shadow, - for who can tell a man, what shall be after him, under the sun?

Do not say, What hath happened, that, the former days, were better than these? for, not wisely, askest thou concerning this.

Consider the work of God, - for who can straighten what he hath bent?

what my soul still sought, yet I found not, - one man out of a thousand, have I found, but, a woman among all these, have I not found.

Where the word of a king is, there is power, - who then may say to him, What wouldst thou do?

For there is no one who knoweth what shall be, for, when it shall be, who will tell him?

Give a portion to seven, yea even to eight, - for thou canst not know, what there shall be of misfortune, upon the earth.

Just as thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, when the body is in the womb of her that is with child, even, so, canst thou not know the work of God, who maketh all.

Yea, at what is high, they be in fear, and there be, terrors, in the way, and the almond be rejected, and the grasshopper drag itself along, and desire perish, - for man is going to his age-abiding home, when the wailers shall go round in the streets;