What advantage does man have in all his work
Which he does under the sun?

What is crooked cannot be straightened and what is lacking cannot be counted.

I said of laughter, “It is madness,” and of pleasure, “What does it accomplish?”

I explored with my mind how to stimulate my body with wine while my mind was guiding me wisely, and how to take hold of folly, until I could see what good there is for the sons of men to do under heaven the few years of their lives.

So I turned to consider wisdom, madness and folly; for what will the man do who will come after the king except what has already been done?

For what does a man get in all his labor and in his striving with which he labors under the sun?

A time to give birth and a time to die;
A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.

What profit is there to the worker from that in which he toils?

That which is has been already and that which will be has already been, for God seeks what has passed by.

I have seen that nothing is better than that man should be happy in his activities, for that is his lot. For who will bring him to see what will occur after him?

When you make a vow to God, do not be late in paying it; for He takes no delight in fools. Pay what you vow!

When good things increase, those who consume them increase. So what is the advantage to their owners except to look on?

This also is a grievous evil—exactly as a man is born, thus will he die. So what is the advantage to him who toils for the wind?

Here is what I have seen to be good and fitting: to eat, to drink and enjoy oneself in all one’s labor in which he toils under the sun during the few years of his life which God has given him; for this is his reward.

For what advantage does the wise man have over the fool? What advantage does the poor man have, knowing how to walk before the living?

What the eyes see is better than what the soul desires. This too is futility and a striving after wind.

Whatever exists has already been named, and it is known what man is; for he cannot dispute with him who is stronger than he is.

For there are many words which increase futility. What then is the advantage to a man?

For who knows what is good for a man during his lifetime, during the few years of his futile life? He will spend them like a shadow. For who can tell a man what will be after him under the sun?

Consider the work of God,
For who is able to straighten what He has bent?

What has been is remote and exceedingly mysterious. Who can discover it?

Since the word of the king is authoritative, who will say to him, “What are you doing?”

If no one knows what will happen, who can tell him when it will happen?

Yet the fool multiplies words. No man knows what will happen, and who can tell him what will come after him?

Divide your portion to seven, or even to eight, for you do not know what misfortune may occur on the earth.