But when I considered all the works that my hands had wrought, and all the labours that I had taken therein: Lo, all was vanity and vexation of mind, and nothing of any value under the Sun.

And I turned to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly; for what can the man do who comes after the king, when they have already done it?

Certainly no one will remember the wise man or the fool in {future generations}. When [future] days come, both will have been forgotten already. How [is it that] the wise man dies the same as the fool?

When there is a man who has labored with wisdom, knowledge and skill, then he gives his legacy to one who has not labored with them. This too is vanity and a great evil.

For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him that is alone when he falleth, and who hath not another to lift him up!

Again, when two sleep together, they are warm: but how can a body be warm alone?

As for the people that have been before him, and that come after him, they are innumerable: yet is not their joy the greater through him. This is also a vain thing and a vexation of mind. (v17) When thou comest into the house of God, keep thy foot and draw nigh, that thou mayest hear: that is better than the offerings of fools, for they know not what evil they do

Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God; for to draw nigh to hear is better than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they know not that they do evil.

Just as dreams come when there are many cares, so the rash vow of a fool occurs when there are many words.

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!

Don't be surprised when you see the poor oppressed and the violent perverting both justice and verdicts in a province, for one high official watches another, and there are ones higher still over them.

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

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

When God giveth a man riches, goods and honour, so that he wanteth nothing of all that his heart can desire, and yet God giveth him not leave to enjoy the same, but another man spendeth them. This is a vain thing and a miserable plague.

For when there are many words, they increase futility. What is the advantage for man?

Sorrow is better than laughter,
For when a face is sad a heart may be happy.

For the wise person thinks carefully when in mourning, but fools focus their thoughts on pleasure.

When times are good, be joyful; when times are bad, consider this: God made the one as well as the other, so people won't seek anything outside of his best.

Do not rush out of the king's presence in haste -- do not delay when the matter is unpleasant, for he can do whatever he pleases.

Like as when a king giveth a charge, his commandment is mighty: Even so whom may say unto him, "What doest thou?"

Whoever keeps and observes a royal command will experience neither trouble nor misery;
For a wise heart will know the proper time and [appropriate] procedure.

For, to every pursuit, there is a time and a manner, - when, the vexation of man, is great concerning it.

No one is certain what is to be, and who is able to say to him when it will be?

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.

And, thereupon, I considered the lawless when buried, when they had entered, their graves , that, from the place of the Holy One, they used to go and boast in the city that they had so done, - even this, was vanity.

When a sentence is not executed at once against a crime, the human heart is encouraged to do evil.

When I gave my mind to the knowledge of wisdom and to seeing the business which is done on the earth (and there are those whose eyes see not sleep by day or by night),

Go thy way - eat, with gladness, thy food, and drink, with a happy heart, thy wine, - when already God is well pleased with thy works.

Even man has no knowledge of his time; like fishes taken in an evil net, or like birds taken by deceit, are the sons of men taken in an evil time when it comes suddenly on them.

And when the foolish man is walking in the way, he has no sense and lets everyone see that he is foolish.

When an iron is blunt, and the point not sharpened, it must be whet again, and that with might. Even so doth wisdom follow diligence.

Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning!

Happy art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness!

When no work is done the roof goes in, and when the hands do nothing water comes into the house.

When the clouds are full, they pour out rain upon the earth. And when the tree falleth, whether it be toward the South or North, in what place soever it fall, there it lieth.

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.

If a man live many years, and be glad in them all, let him remember the days of darkness, which shall be many: And when they come, all things shall be but vanity.

Remember also thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before the evil days come, and the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;

Otherwise, when the sun, daylight, moon, or stars turn dark, or when clouds fail to return after the rain

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 that 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 one shall rise up at the voice of a bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low;

When men shall fear in high places, and be afraid in the streets; when the Almond tree shall be despised, the grasshopper born out, and when great poverty shall break in; when man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets.

When the silver cord is severed, the golden vessel is broken, the pitcher is shattered at the fountain, and the wheel is broken at the cistern,

The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person.