If a man fathers a hundred, and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, and his soul is not filled with good, and also is for him no burial; I say, a miscarriage is better than he.

All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.

For what has the wise more than the fool? What gain has the poor who knows how to walk before the living?

Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire. This is also vanity and vexation of spirit.

That which has been is named already, and it is known that he is man. And he is not able to contend with Him who is mightier than he.

For there are many things that increase vanity, and what is man the better?

For who knows what is good for man in life, all the days of his vain life which he spends as a shadow? For who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?

A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of one's birth.

It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting; for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart.

Sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the face the heart is made better.

The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of laughter.

It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise than for a man to hear the song of fools.

For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool; this also is vanity.

Surely oppression makes a wise man mad; and a bribe destroys the heart.

Better is the end of a thing than the beginning of it; the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

Wisdom is good with an inheritance; but it is gain to those who see the sun.

For wisdom is a defense, and money is a defense; but the excellency of knowledge is that wisdom gives life to those who have it.

All things I have seen in the days of my vanity; there is a just one who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked one who prolongs life in his wickedness.

It is good that you should take hold of this; yea, also from this do not withdraw your hand; for he who fears God shall come forth from all of them.

Wisdom makes the wise stronger than ten mighty ones who are in the city.

For there is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin.

All this I have proved by wisdom; I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.

That which is far off and exceedingly deep, who can find it out?

and I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands like bands. Whoever pleases God shall escape from her, but the sinner shall be taken by her.

Who is as the wise? And who knows the meaning of a thing? A man's wisdom makes his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed.

Because the word of a king is that which has power; and who may say to him, What are you doing?

Whoever keeps the command shall feel no evil thing; and a wise man's heart knows both time and judgment.

Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great on him.

There is no man who has power over the spirit to keep the spirit; nor power in the day of death; and there is no discharge in that war; nor shall wickedness deliver its owners.

All this I have seen, and I gave my heart to every work that is done under the sun. There is a time in which one man rules over another to his own hurt.

And so I saw the wicked buried, and they came and went from the holy place. And they were forgotten in the city, these things that they had done. This is also vanity.

Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.

There is a vanity which is done on the earth: There are just ones to whom it happens according to the work of the wicked; again, there are wicked ones to whom it happens according to the work of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity.

When I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done on the earth; for neither day nor night do men see sleep with their eyes.

Then I looked at all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun; because though a man labors to seek it out, yet he shall not find it. Yea, further, though a wise one speaks of knowing, yet he shall not be able to find it.

For all this I took to heart, even to make all this clear, that the righteous and the wise and their works are in the hand of God. No man knows either love or hatred by all that is before them.

All happens alike to all; there is one event to the righteous and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him who sacrifices, and to him who does not sacrifice. As is the good, so is the sinner. He who swears is as he who fears an oath.

This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event to 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 whoever is chosen, to all those 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 do not know anything, nor do they have any more a reward; for their memory is forgotten.

Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; nor do they any longer have a part forever in all that is done under the sun.

Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God now is pleased with your works.

Look on life with the wife whom you love all the days of the life of your vanity, which He has given you under the sun, all the days of your vanity. For that is your share in this life, and in your labor which you labor under the sun.

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might; for there is no work, nor plan, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave where you go.

I returned and saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance happens to them all.

For man also does not know his time; as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falls suddenly on them.

And a poor wise man was found in it, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that poor man.

And I said, Wisdom is better than strength; but the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.

The words of the wise are heard in quiet more than the cry of him who rules among fools.

Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner destroys much good.

As dead flies cause the perfumer's ointment to stink and ferment; so a little folly is more rare than wisdom and than honor.

A man's heart is at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left.

Yes also, in the way a fool walks, his heart fails; and he says to all that he is a fool.

There is an evil I have seen under the sun, like a sin which comes from a ruler's presence;

foolishness is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in low place.

I have seen servants on horses and princes walking as servants on the earth.

If the iron is blunt, and he does not whet the edge, then he must put more strength to it. But wisdom is profitable to direct.

Surely the snake will bite without enchantment; and a babbler is no better.

The words of a wise mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow him.

The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness; and the end of his talk is wicked madness.

Woe to you, O land, when your king is a child and your leaders eat in the morning.

Blessed are you, O land, when your king is the son of nobles, and your leaders eat in due time, for strength, and not for drunkenness!

Bread is made for laughter, and wine makes merry; but silver answers all things.

As you do not know what is the way of the spirit, as how the bones grow in the pregnant woman's womb; even so you do not know the works of God who makes all.

Also the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun;

but if a man lives many years, and rejoices in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many. All that comes is vanity.

So long as the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, are darkened, or the clouds return after rain,

and the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and you shall rise up at the voice of a bird, and all the daughters of music are silenced;

or ever the silver cord is not loosed, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern;

then the dust shall return to the earth as it was, and the spirit shall return to God who gave it.

Vanity of vanities, says the preacher; all is vanity.

And more than that, the preacher was wise; he still taught the people knowledge. Yes, he listened, and looked, and set in order many proverbs.

The words of the wise are like goads; yes, their collected words are like nails driven home; they are given from one Shepherd.

And further, by these, my son, be warned: The making of many books has no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter. Fear God, and keep His commandments. For this is the whole duty of man.

For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it is good, or whether evil.

The song of songs, which is Solomon's.

Let Him kiss me with the kisses of His mouth; for Your love is better than wine.

For Your ointments have a lovely fragrance; Your name is as oil poured out; therefore the virgins love You.

Tell me, You whom my soul loves, where do You feed, where do You lie down at noon? For why should I be as one who is veiled beside the flocks of Your companions?

While the King is in His circle, my spikenard gives its smell.

A bundle of myrrh is my Beloved to me. He shall lie all night between my breasts.

My Beloved is to me like a cluster of henna in the vineyards of Engedi.

Behold, you are beautiful, my Beloved, yea, pleasant. Also our bed is green.

As the lily among thorns, so is My love among the daughters.

As the apple among the trees of the wood, so is my Beloved among the sons. I sat down under His shadow with great delight, and His fruit was sweet to my taste.

His left hand is under my head, and His right hand embraces me.

My Beloved is like a roe or a young hart. Behold, He stands behind our wall, He looks forth at the windows, peering from the lattice.

For lo, the winter is past, the rain is over; it goes to itself.

the flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtle-dove is heard in our land;

O My dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let Me see your face, let Me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your face is beautiful.

Take us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines; for our vines have tender grapes.

My Beloved is mine, and I am His; He feeds among the lilies.

Who is this coming up out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, from all the merchant's powders?

Behold, you are beautiful, My love. Behold, you are beautiful; your eyes are like doves' from behind your veil; your hair is like a flock of goats that appear from Mount Gilead.

Your teeth are like a flock of shorn sheep, which came up from the washing; they all are bearing twins and not one is barren among them.

Your lips are like a cord of scarlet, and your speech is becoming; your temples are like a piece of pomegranate behind your veil.

Your neck is like the tower of David built for an armory, on which there hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men.

You are all fair, My love; no blemish is in you.

How fair is your love, My sister, My spouse! How much better is your love than wine, and the smell of your ointments than all spices!