To get wisdom -- how much better than gold, And to get understanding to be chosen than silver!

The wise in any matter findeth good, And whoso is trusting in Jehovah, O his happiness.

A violent man enticeth his neighbour, And hath causeth him to go in a way not good.

Whoso is returning evil for good, Evil moveth not from his house.

The perverse of heart findeth not good, And the turned in his tongue falleth into evil.

A rejoicing heart doth good to the body, And a smitten spirit drieth the bone.

Also, to fine the righteous is not good, To smite nobles for uprightness.

Acceptance of the face of the wicked is not good, To turn aside the righteous in judgment.

Whoso hath found a wife hath found good, And bringeth out good-will from Jehovah.

Also, without knowledge the soul is not good, And the hasty in feet is sinning.

Whoso is getting heart is loving his soul, He is keeping understanding to find good.

The wrath of a king is a growl as of a young lion, And as dew on the herb his good-will.

An abomination to Jehovah are a stone and a stone, And balances of deceit are not good.

A name is chosen rather than much wealth, Than silver and than gold -- good grace.

The good of eye -- he is blessed, For he hath given of his bread to the poor.

Rob not the poor because he is poor, And bruise not the afflicted in the gate.

For, is there a posterity? Then thy hope is not cut off.

Wisdom is high for a fool, In the gate he openeth not his mouth.

Eat my son, honey that is good, And the honeycomb -- sweet to thy palate.

So is the knowledge of wisdom to thy soul, If thou hast found that there is a posterity And thy hope is not cut off.

These also are for the wise: -- To discern faces in judgment is not good.

And to those reproving it is pleasant, And on them cometh a good blessing.

The honour of God is to hide a thing, And the honour of kings to search out a matter.

As cold waters for a weary soul, So is a good report from a far country.

The eating of much honey is not good, Nor a searching out of one's own honour -- honour.

Whoso is causing the upright to err in an evil way, Into his own pit he doth fall, And the perfect do inherit good.

To discern faces is not good, And for a piece of bread doth a man transgress.

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.

Every saying of God is tried, A shield He is to those trusting in Him.

Lest I become satiated, and have denied, And have said, 'Who is Jehovah?' And lest I be poor, and have stolen, And have laid hold of the name of my God.

Three there are going well, Yea, four are good in going:

A girt one of the loins, or a he-goat, And a king -- no rising up with him.

She hath done him good, and not evil, All days of her life.

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

And I have given my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that hath been done under the heavens. It is a sad travail God hath given to the sons of man to be humbled by it.

I have sought in my heart to draw out with wine my appetite, (and my heart leading in wisdom), and to take hold on folly till that I see where is this -- the good to the sons of man of that which they do under the heavens, the number of the days of their lives.

I got men-servants, and maid-servants, and sons of the house were to me; also, I had much substance -- herd and flock -- above all who had been before me in Jerusalem.

There is nothing good in a man who eateth, and hath drunk, and hath shewn his soul good in his labour. This also I have seen that it is from the hand of God.

For to a man who is good before Him, He hath given wisdom, and knowledge, and joy; and to a sinner He hath given travail, to gather and to heap up, to give to the good before God. Even this is vanity and vexation of spirit.

I have seen the travail that God hath given to the sons of man to be humbled by it.

The whole He hath made beautiful in its season; also, that knowledge He hath put in their heart without which man findeth not out the work that God hath done from the beginning even unto the end.

I have known that there is no good for them except to rejoice and to do good during their life,

yea, even every man who eateth and hath drunk and seen good by all his labour, it is a gift of God.

I have known that all that God doth is to the age, to it nothing is to be added, and from it nothing is to be withdrawn; and God hath wrought that they do fear before Him.

What is that which hath been? already it is, and that which is to be hath already been, and God requireth that which is pursued.

I said in my heart, 'The righteous and the wicked doth God judge, for a time is to every matter and for every work there.'

I said in my heart concerning the matter of the sons of man that God might cleanse them, so as to see that they themselves are beasts.

There is one, and there is not a second; even son or brother he hath not, and there is no end to all his labour! His eye also is not satisfied with riches, and he saith not, 'For whom am I labouring and bereaving my soul of good?' This also is vanity, it is a sad travail.

The two are better than the one, in that they have a good reward by their labour.

Keep thy feet when thou goest unto a house of God, and draw near to hear rather than to give of fools the sacrifice, for they do not know they do evil.

Cause not thy mouth to hasten, and let not thy heart hasten to bring out a word before God, for God is in the heavens, and thou on the earth, therefore let thy words be few.

When thou vowest a vow to God, delay not to complete it, for there is no pleasure in fools; that which thou vowest -- complete.

Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin, nor say before the messenger, that 'it is an error,' why is God wroth because of thy voice, and hath destroyed the work of thy hands?

For, in the abundance of dreams both vanities and words abound; but fear thou God.

In the multiplying of good have its consumers been multiplied, and what benefit is to its possessor except the sight of his eyes?

Lo, that which I have seen: It is good, because beautiful, to eat, and to drink, and to see good in all one's labour that he laboureth at under the sun, the number of the days of his life that God hath given to him, for it is his portion.

Every man also to whom God hath given wealth and riches, and hath given him power to eat of it, and to accept his portion, and to rejoice in his labour, this is a gift of God.

For he doth not much remember the days of his life, for God is answering through the joy of his heart.

A man to whom God giveth wealth, and riches, and honour, and there is no lack to his soul of all that he desireth, and God giveth him not power to eat of it, but a stranger eateth it; this is vanity, and it is an evil disease.

And though he had lived a thousand years twice over, yet good he hath not seen; to the same place doth not every one go?

For who knoweth what is good for a man in life, the number of the days of the life of his vanity, and he maketh them as a shadow? for who declareth to man what is after him under the sun?

Better is a name than good perfume, And the day of death than the day of birth.

Wisdom is good with an inheritance, And an advantage it is to those beholding the sun.

See the work of God, For who is able to make straight that which He made crooked?

In a day of prosperity be in gladness, And in a day of evil consider. Also this over-against that hath God made, To the intent that man doth not find anything after him.

It is good that thou dost lay hold on this, and also, from that withdrawest not thy hand, for whoso is fearing God goeth out with them all.

Because there is not a righteous man on earth that doth good and sinneth not.

And I am finding more bitter than death, the woman whose heart is nets and snares, her hands are bands; the good before God escapeth from her, but the sinner is captured by her.

See, this alone I have found, that God made man upright, and they -- they have sought out many devices.

I pray thee, the commandment of a king keep, even for the sake of the oath of God.

Though a sinner is doing evil a hundred times, and prolonging himself for it, surely also I know that there is good to those fearing God, who fear before Him.

And good is not to the wicked, and he doth not prolong days as a shadow, because he is not fearing before God.

And I have praised mirth because there is no good to man under the sun except to eat and to drink, and to rejoice, and it remaineth with him of his labour the days of his life that God hath given to him under the sun.

then I considered all the work of God, that man is not able to find out the work that hath been done under the sun, because though man labour to seek, yet he doth not find; and even though the wise man speak of knowing he is not able to find.

But all this I have laid unto my heart, so as to clear up the whole of this, that the righteous and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God, neither love nor hatred doth man know, the whole is before them.

The whole is as to the whole; one event is to the righteous and to the wicked, to the good, and to the clean, and to the unclean, and to him who is sacrificing, and to him who is not sacrificing; as is the good, so is the sinner, he who is swearing as he who is fearing an oath.

Go, eat with joy thy bread, and drink with a glad heart thy wine, for already hath God been pleased with thy works.

The words of the wise in quiet are heard, More than the cry of a ruler over fools.

Better is wisdom than weapons of conflict, And one sinner destroyeth much good!

As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, How -- bones in the womb of the full one, So thou knowest not the work of God who maketh the whole.

In the morning sow thy seed, And at even withdraw not thy hand, For thou knowest not which is right, this or that, Or whether both of them alike are good.

Sweet also is the light, And good for the eyes to see the sun.

Rejoice, O young man, in thy childhood, And let thy heart gladden thee in days of thy youth, And walk in the ways of thy heart, And in the sight of thine eyes, And know thou that for all these, Doth God bring thee into judgment.

And the dust returneth to the earth as it was, And the spirit returneth to God who gave it.

The end of the whole matter let us hear: -- 'Fear God, and keep His commands, for this is the whole of man.

For every work doth God bring into judgment, with every hidden thing, whether good or bad.'

For fragrance are thy perfumes good. Perfume emptied out -- thy name, Therefore have virgins loved thee!

If thou knowest not, O fair among women, Get thee forth by the traces of the flock, And feed thy kids by the shepherds' dwellings!

Till the day doth break forth, And the shadows have fled away, I will get me unto the mountain of myrrh, And unto the hill of frankincense.

I have put off my coat, how do I put it on? I have washed my feet, how do I defile them?

Thy neck as a tower of the ivory, Thine eyes pools in Heshbon, near the gate of Bath-Rabbim, Thy face as a tower of Lebanon looking to Damascus,

And thy palate as the good wine -- 'Flowing to my beloved in uprightness, Strengthening the lips of the aged!

Hear the word of Jehovah, ye rulers of Sodom, Give ear to the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah,

Wash ye, make ye pure, Turn aside the evil of your doings, from before Mine eyes, Cease to do evil, learn to do good.

If ye are willing, and have hearkened, The good of the land ye consume,

And gone have many peoples and said, 'Come, and we go up unto the mount of Jehovah, Unto the house of the God of Jacob, And He doth teach us of His ways, And we walk in His paths, For from Zion goeth forth a law, And a word of Jehovah from Jerusalem.

Say ye to the righteous, that it is good, Because the fruit of their doings they eat.

By the weapons of Jehovah of Hosts Do not many houses a desolation become? Great and good without inhabitant!

And Jehovah of Hosts is high in judgment, And the Holy God sanctified in righteousness,

Woe to those saying to evil 'good,' And to good 'evil,' Putting darkness for light, and light for darkness, Putting bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter.