The wind goeth toward the South and turneth unto the North, fetcheth his compass, whirleth about, and goeth forth and returneth again to his circuits from whence he did come.

Does anything exist about which someone might say, "Look at this! Is this new?" It happened ages ago; it existed before we did.

I saw all the works they did under the sun; and behold, all vanity and striving of the spirit

To laughter I said, It is mad: and to gladness, What did this?

I neither withheld anything from my eyes that they desired, nor did I deprive any pleasure from my heart. My heart rejoiced in all my toil, for this was my reward from all my toil.

And I turned to see wisdom, madness, and folly: for what the man that shall come after the king? with those things they did already.

So I thought to myself, "The fate of the fool will happen even to me! Then what did I gain by becoming so excessively wise?" So I lamented to myself, "The benefits of wisdom are ultimately meaningless!"

And I turned to cause my heart to despair over all the labor which I did under the sun.

For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge, and skill; however, he must hand over the fruit of his labor as an inheritance to someone else who did not work for it. This also is futile, and an awful injustice!

He made everything beautiful in his time: also he gave hidden time in their heart, so that man shall not find the work which God did from the beginning and even to the end.

So I said {to myself}, "God will surely judge the righteous and the wicked, for he has appointed a time [of judgment] for every deed and every work."

Wherefore I praised the dead which are already dead more than the living which are yet alive.

yea, better than them both did I esteem him that hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.

This is another misfortune: Just as he came, so will he go. What did he gain from toiling for the wind?

even the sun, it never saw, nor aught did it know, - more quietness, hath this than the other.

Even if the other man lives a thousand years twice over and yet has seen no good and experienced no enjoyment—do not both go to one place [the grave]?”

What my heart sought, I did not find. Although I found one righteous man among one thousand, I did not find one [upright] woman among all these.

All this I have seen and applied my mind to every deed that has been done under the sun wherein a man has exercised authority over another man to his hurt.

So then, I have seen the wicked buried, those who used to go in and out of the holy place [but did not thereby escape their doom], and they are [praised in spite of their evil and] soon forgotten in the city where they did such things. This too is futility (vanity, emptiness).

Because sentence against an evil deed is not carried out quickly, the heart of {humans} fills up within them to do evil.

But it shall not be well with a wicked man, neither shall he prolong [his] days, [which are] as a shadow, because he did not fear before God.

Every one, was like every one else, one destiny, had the righteous and the lawless, the good and the pure and the impure, and he that sacrificed, and he that did not sacrifice, - as the good man, so, the sinner, he that took an oath, as he who, of an oath, stood in fear.

This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.

For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might; for there is no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead) where you are going.

Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour.

For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.