That which is has been long ago, and that which is to be has been long ago: and God seeks again that which is passed away.

I said in my heart, "God will judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work."

I said in my heart, "As for the sons of men, God tests them, so that they may see that they themselves are like animals.

For that which happens to the sons of men happens to animals. Even one thing happens to them. As the one dies, so the other dies. Yes, they have all one breath; and man has no advantage over the animals: for all is vanity.

Therefore I saw that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his works; for that is his portion: for who can bring him to see what will be after him?

Yes, better than them both is him who has not yet been, who has not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.

Then I saw all the labor and achievement that is the envy of a man's neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.

Better is a handful, with quietness, than two handfuls with labor and chasing after wind.

There is one who is alone, and he has neither son nor brother. There is no end to all of his labor, neither are his eyes satisfied with wealth. For whom then, do I labor, and deprive my soul of enjoyment? This also is vanity, yes, it is a miserable business.

For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him who is alone when he falls, and doesn't have another to lift him up.

If a man prevails against one who is alone, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Better is a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who doesn't know how to receive admonition any more.

There was no end of all the people, even of all them over whom he was?yet those who come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a chasing after wind.

Guard your step when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they do evil.

Do not be rash with your mouth, and do not let your heart be hasty to utter anything before God; for God is in heaven, and you on earth. Therefore let your words be few.

For as a dream comes with a multitude of cares, so a fool's speech with a multitude of words.

It is better that you should not vow, than that you should vow and not pay.

For in the multitude of dreams there are vanities, as well as in many words: but you must fear God.

If you see the oppression of the poor, and the violent taking away of justice and righteousness in a district, do not marvel at the matter: for one official is eyed by a higher one; and there are officials over them.

Moreover the profit of the earth is for all. The king profits from the field.

He who loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he who loves abundance, with increase: this also is vanity.

When goods increase, those who eat them are increased; and what advantage is there to its owner, except to feast on them with his eyes?

The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eats little or much; but the abundance of the rich will not allow him to sleep.

There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: wealth kept by its owner to his harm.

Those riches perish by misfortune, and if he has fathered a son, there is nothing in his hand.

As he came forth from his mother's womb, naked shall he go again as he came, and shall take nothing for his labor, which he may carry away in his hand.

This also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go. And what profit does he have who labors for the wind?

All his days he also eats in darkness, he is frustrated, and has sickness and wrath.

Behold, that which I have seen to be good and proper is for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy good in all his labor, in which he labors under the sun, all the days of his life which God has given him; for this is his portion.

Every man also to whom God has given riches and wealth, and has given him power to eat of it, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labor?this is the gift of God.

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

a man to whom God gives riches, wealth, and honor, so that he lacks nothing for his soul of all that he desires, yet God gives him no power to eat of it, but a foreigner eats it. This is vanity, and it is an evil disease.

If a man fathers a hundred children, and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not filled with good, and moreover he has no burial; I say, that a stillborn child is better than he:

for it comes in vanity, and departs in darkness, and its name is covered with darkness.

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

For what advantage has the wise more than the fool? What has the poor man, that knows how to walk before the living?

Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind.

Whatever has been, its name was given long ago; and it is known what man is; neither can he contend with him who is mightier than he.

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

A good name is better than fine perfume; and the day of death better 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 should take this to heart.

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

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

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 extortion makes the wise man foolish; and a bribe destroys the understanding.

Better is the end of a thing than its beginning. The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

Wisdom is as good as an inheritance. Yes, it is more excellent for those who see the sun.

For wisdom is a defense, even as money is a defense; but the excellency of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it.

All this have I seen in my days of vanity: there is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who lives long in his evildoing.

Do not be overly righteous, neither make yourself overly wise. Why should you destroy yourself?

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

Wisdom is a strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city.

Surely there is not a righteous man on earth, who does good and doesn't sin.

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

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

I turned around, and my heart sought to know and to search out, and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know that wickedness is stupidity, and that foolishness is madness.

I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and traps, whose hands are chains. Whoever pleases God shall escape from her; but the sinner will be ensnared by her.

Who is like the wise man? And who knows the interpretation of a thing? A man's wisdom makes his face shine, and the hardness of his face is changed.

for the king's word is supreme. Who can say to him, "What are you doing?"

Whoever keeps the commandment shall not come to harm, and his wise heart will know the time and procedure.

For there is a time and procedure for every purpose, although the misery of man is heavy on him.

There is no man who has power over the spirit to contain the spirit; neither does he have power over the day of death. There is no discharge in war; neither shall wickedness deliver those who practice it.

All this have I seen, and applied my mind to every work that is done under the sun. There is a time in which one man has power over another to his hurt.

So I saw the wicked buried. Indeed they came also from holy place. They went and were praised in the city where they did this. This also is 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, that there are righteous men to whom it happens according to the work of the wicked. Again, there are wicked men to whom it happens according to the work of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity.

When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done on the earth (for also there is that neither day nor night sees sleep with his eyes),

then I saw all the work of God, that man can't find out the work that is done under the sun, because however much a man labors to seek it out, yet he won't find it. Yes even though a wise man thinks he can comprehend it, he won't be able to find it.

For all this I laid to my heart, even to explore all this: that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God; whether it is love or hatred, man doesn't know it; all is before them.

All things come alike to all. There is one event to the righteous and to the wicked; to the good, to the clean, to the unclean, to him who sacrifices, and to him who doesn't sacrifice. As is the good, so is the sinner; he who takes an oath, as he who fears an oath.

This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one event to all: yes 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 who is joined with all the living there is hope; for a living dog is better than a dead lion.

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

Also their love, their hatred, and their envy has perished long ago; neither have they any more a portion forever in anything that is done under the sun.

Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your life of vanity, which he has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity: for that is your portion in life, and in your labor in which you labor under the sun.

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, where you are going.

I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all.

For man also doesn't know his time. As the fish that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare, even so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falls suddenly on them.

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

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

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

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

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

Yes also, when the fool walks by the way, his understanding fails him, and he says to everyone that he is a fool.

There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, the sort of error which proceeds from the ruler.

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

If the axe is blunt, and one doesn't sharpen the edge, then he must use more strength; but skill brings success.

If the serpent bites before it is charmed, then is there no profit for the charmer's tongue.

The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious; but a fool is swallowed by his own lips.

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

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

Blessed are you, land, when your king is the son of nobles, and your princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness.

A feast is made for laughter, and wine makes the life glad; and money is the answer for all things.

As you do not know what is the way of the wind, nor how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child; even so you do not know the work of God who does all.

Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to see the sun.

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

and the doors shall be shut in the street; when the sound of the grinding is low, and one shall rise up at the voice of a bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low;

Also, they are afraid of heights, and of terrors in the way; and the almond tree blossoms, and the grasshopper is burdened, and the caper bush fails; because man goes to his eternal home, and the mourners go about the streets:

before the silver cord is severed, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is broken at the spring, or the wheel broken at the cistern,