What is a man profited by all his work which he does under the sun?

That which has been, is that which is to be, and that which has been done, is that which will be done, and there is no new thing under the sun.

Is there anything of which men say, See, this is new? It has been in the old time which was before us.

And I gave my heart to searching out in wisdom all things which are done under heaven: it is a hard thing which God has put on the sons of men to do.

I have seen all the works which are done under the sun; all is to no purpose, and desire for wind.

That which is bent may not be made straight, and that which is not there may not be numbered.

And nothing which was desired by my eyes did I keep from them; I did not keep any joy from my heart, because my heart took pleasure in all my work, and this was my reward.

Then I saw all the works which my hands had made, and everything I had been working to do; and I saw that all was to no purpose and desire for wind, and there was no profit under the sun.

And I went again in search of wisdom and of foolish ways. What may the man do who comes after the king? The thing which he has done before.

Hate had I for all my work which I had done, because the man who comes after me will have its fruits.

And who is to say if that man will be wise or foolish? But he will have power over all my work which I have done and in which I have been wise under the sun. This again is to no purpose.

What does a man get for all his work, and for the weight of care with which he has done his work under the sun?

What profit has the worker in the work which he does?

I saw the work which God has put on the sons of man.

Whatever is has been before, and what is to be is now; because God makes search for the things which are past.

And again I saw all the cruel things which are done under the sun; there was the weeping of those who have evil done to them, and they had no comforter: and from the hands of the evil-doers there went out power, but they had no comforter.

Yes, happier than the dead or the living seemed he who has not ever been, who has not seen the evil which is done under the sun.

And I saw that the cause of all the work and of everything which is done well was man's envy of his neighbour. This again is to no purpose and a desire for wind.

There is a great evil which I have seen under the sun--wealth kept by the owner to be his downfall.

As he came from his mother at birth, so does he go again; he gets from his work no reward which he may take away in his hand.

This is what I have seen: it is good and fair for a man to take meat and drink and to have joy in all his work under the sun, all the days of his life which God has given him; that is his reward.

There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is hard on men;

That which is, has been named before, and of what man is there is knowledge. He has no power against one stronger than he.

Who is able to say what is good for man in life all the days of his foolish life which he goes through like a shade? who will say what is to be after him under the sun?

Say not, Why were the days which have gone by better than these? Such a question comes not from wisdom.

These two have I seen in my life which is to no purpose: a good man coming to his end in his righteousness, and an evil man whose days are long in his evil-doing.

Do not give ear to all the words which men say, for fear of hearing the curses of your servant.

For which my soul is still searching, but I have it not; one man among a thousand have I seen; but a woman among all these I have not seen.

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.

There is a thing which is to no purpose done on the earth: that there are good men to whom is given the same punishment as those who are evil, and there are evil men who get the reward of the good. I say that this again is to no purpose.

So I gave praise to joy, because there is nothing better for a man to do under the sun than to take meat and drink and be happy; for that will be with him in his work all the days of his life which God gives him under the sun.

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),

Then I saw all the work of God, and that man may not get knowledge of the work which is done under the sun; because, if a man gives hard work to the search he will not get knowledge, and even if the wise man seems to be coming to the end of his search, still he will be without knowledge.

This is evil in all things which are done under the sun: that there is one fate for all, and the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil; while they have life their hearts are foolish, and after that--to the dead.

Their love and their hate and their envy are now ended; and they have no longer a part for ever in anything which is done under the sun.

Have joy with the woman of your love all the days of your foolish life which he gives you under the sun. Because that is your part in life and in your work which you do under the sun.

Whatever comes to your hand to do with all your power, do it because there is no work, or thought, or knowledge, or wisdom in the place of the dead to which you are going.

The words of the wise which come quietly to the ear are noted more than the cry of a ruler among the foolish.

There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, like an error which comes by chance from a ruler:

Say not a curse against the king, even in your thoughts; and even secretly say not a curse against the man of wealth; because a bird of the air will take the voice, and that which has wings will give news of it.

Give a part to seven or even to eight, because you have no knowledge of the evil which will be on the earth.

In the morning put your seed into the earth, and till the evening let not your hand be at rest; because you are not certain which will do well, this or that--or if the two will be equally good.

And he is in fear of that which is high, and danger is in the road, and the tree is white with flower, and the least thing is a weight, and desire is at an end, because man goes to his last resting-place, and those who are sorrowing are in the streets;

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