An unjust man is an abomination to the just: and he that is upright in the way is abomination to the wicked.

Words of a Gatherer, son of an obedient one, the declaration, an affirmation of the man: -- I have wearied myself for God, I have wearied myself for God, and am consumed.

Truly I am more stupid than any one; and I have not a man's intelligence.

And I have not learned wisdom, Neither have I the knowledge of the Holy One.

Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou canst tell?

Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.

Thou shalt not add to his words lest he reprove in thee, and thou wert false.

Put far from me all false and foolish things: do not give me great wealth or let me be in need, but give me only enough food:

Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.

Do not say evil of a servant to his master, or he will put a curse on you, and you will get into trouble.

There is a generation who put a curse on their father, and do not give a blessing to their mother.

There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.

Some people what an arrogant look they have! raise their eyebrows haughtily.

[There is] a generation whose teeth [are] swords, and its jawbones, knives, [in order] to devour the poor from the earth and the needy from humankind.

This generation which is like a horse-leech, hath two daughters; the one is called "fetch hither," and the other "bring hither."

An eye that mocketh at a father, And despiseth to obey a mother, Dig it out do ravens of the valley, And eat it do young eagles.

The way of an eagle in the air; the way of a serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the midst of the sea; and the way of a man with a maid.

Such is the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness.

For a servant when he reigneth; and a fool when he is filled with meat;

For an odious woman when she is married; and an handmaid that is heir to her mistress.

There are four things that are small on the earth,
But they are exceedingly wise:

The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;

The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks;

A king there is not to the locust, And it goeth out -- each one shouting,

The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings' palaces.

There be three things which go well, yea, four are comely in going:

An old lion -- mighty among beasts, That turneth not back from the face of any,

A greyhound; an he goat also; and a king, against whom there is no rising up.

If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth.

The words of Lemuel, [the] king--an oracle that his mother taught him:

What, my son? And what, my son in my womb? And what, son of my vows?

Don’t spend your energy on women
or your efforts on those who destroy kings.

It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink:

For fear that through drinking they may come to have no respect for the law, wrongly judging the cause of those who are in trouble.

Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts.

Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction.

Let your mouth be open, judging rightly, and give right decisions in the cause of the poor and those in need.

An excellent wife, who can find?
For her worth is far above jewels.

The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.

She looks for wool and flax
And works with her hands in delight.

She hath been as ships of the merchant, From afar she bringeth in her bread.

She considers a field before she buys or accepts it [expanding her business prudently];
With her profits she plants fruitful vines in her vineyard.

She girds her waist in strength, and makes her arms strong.

She hath perceived when her merchandise is good, Her lamp is not extinguished in the night.

Her hands she hath sent forth on a spindle, And her hands have held a distaff.

She opens and extends her hand to the poor,
And she reaches out her filled hands to the needy.

She does not fear the snow for her household,
For all in her household are clothed in [expensive] scarlet [wool].

She makes her own bed coverings;
her clothing is fine linen and purple.

Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.

She makes [fine] linen garments and sells them;
And supplies sashes to the merchants.

Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.

She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.

She looks well to how things go in her household,
And does not eat the bread of idleness.

“Many daughters have done nobly, and well [with the strength of character that is steadfast in goodness],
But you excel them all.”

Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

What does a person gain in all his toil with which he toils under the sun?

One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.

Also, the sun hath risen, and the sun hath gone in, and unto its place panting it is rising there.

The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it turneth about continually in its course, and the wind returneth again to its circuits.

All things toil continuously; no one can ever finish describing this. The eye is never satisfied with seeing, and the ear is never filled with hearing.

What is that which hath been? it is that which is, and what is that which hath been done? it is that which is done, and there is not an entirely new thing under the sun.

Is there a thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been long ago, in the ages which were before us.

No one remembers those in the past, nor will they be remembered by those who come after them.

I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.

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 have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity, a futile grasping and chasing after the wind.

A crooked thing one is not able to make straight, and a lacking thing is not able to be numbered.

I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.

And I set my mind to know [practical] wisdom and to discern [the character of] madness and folly [in which men seem to find satisfaction]; I realized that this too is a futile grasping and chasing after the wind.

For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.

I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.

I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life.

I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits:

I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me:

So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.

And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour.

Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, 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.

And I saw that there is an advantage to wisdom above folly, like the advantage of the light above the darkness.

The wise man's eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all.

Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity.

For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise man? as the fool.

So I hated life, for the work which had been done under the sun caused me only great sorrow; because all is futility and chasing after the wind.

So I hated all the fruit (gain) of my labor for which I had labored under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who will succeed me.

And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the fruit of my labor for which I have labored by acting wisely under the sun. This too is vanity (futility, self-conceit).

Therefore I began to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labor in which I had labored under the sun.

For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.

For what does a man get from all his labor and from the striving and sorrow of his heart with which he labors under the sun?

For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.

There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.

For no one can eat and drink or experience joy apart from him.

For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.

For everything there [is] an appointed time, a time for every matter under heaven:

A time to win, and a time to lose; A time to spare, and a time to spend;

A time to cut in pieces, and a time to sew together; A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?

I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.

He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.

I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.