Where no wood is, there the fire goes out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceases.

As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; so is a contentious man to kindle strife.

He that hates disguises it with his lips, and lays up deceit within himself;

Whosoever digs a pit shall fall in it: and he that rolls a stone, it will return upon him.

A lying tongue hates those that are afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth works ruin.

Boast not yourself of tomorrow; for you know not what a day may bring forth.

Take his garment who is surety for a stranger, and hold it as a pledge of him for an immoral woman.

He that blesses his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it shall be counted a curse to him.

Whosoever keeps the fig tree shall eat its fruit: so he that waits on his master shall be honored.

Though you should crush a fool in a mortar among grain with a pestle, yet will not his foolishness depart from him.

He that by usury and unjust gain increases his substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor.

The rich man is wise in his own eyes; but the poor that has understanding will find him out.

Whosoever walks uprightly shall be saved: but he that is perverse in his ways shall fall at once.

Whosoever robs his father or his mother, and says, It is no transgression; the same is the companion of a destroyer.

The king by justice establishes the land: but he that receives bribes overthrows it.

A fool utters all his mind: but a wise man keeps it in till afterwards.

Whosoever is partner with a thief hates his own soul: he hears cursing, and reveals it not.

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

Add not unto his words, lest he reprove you, and you be found a liar.

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

The leach has two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough:

The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that says not, It is enough.

The eye that mocks at his father, and despises to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young vultures shall eat it.

For three things the earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up:

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

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

The locusts have no king, yet they go forth all of them by bands;

What, my son? and what, the son of my womb? and what, the son of my vows?

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

She rises also while it is yet night, and gives food to her household, and a portion to her maidservants.

She considers a field, and buys it: with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.

She perceives that her merchandise is good: her lamp goes not out by night.

She stretches out her hand to the poor; yea, she reaches forth her hands to the needy.

She makes fine linen, and sells it; and delivers sashes unto the merchants.

What profit has a man of all his labor which he takes under the sun?

The sun also arises, and the sun goes down, and hastens to its place where it arose.

The wind goes toward the south, and turns about unto the north; it whirls about continually, and the wind returns again according to its circuit.

All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from where the rivers come, there they return again.

All things are full of weariness; man cannot express it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.

The thing that has been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.

Is there any thing of which it may be said, See, this is new? it has been already of old time, which was before us.

And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this severe burden has God given to the sons of man to be afflicted with.

I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What use is it?

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

Then I looked on all the works that my hands had made, and on the labor that I had expended on it: and, behold, all was vanity and like grasping the wind, and there was no profit under the sun.

And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what can a man do that comes after the king? even that which has been already done.

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

Yea, I hated all my labor in which I had toiled under the sun: because I must leave it unto the man that shall be after me.

And who knows whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labor in which I have labored, and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity.

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

For what has man for all his labor, and for the striving of his heart, with which he has labored under the sun?

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 labor. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.

For who can eat, or who else can have enjoyment, more than I?

What profit has he that works in that in which he labors?

I have seen the task, which God has given to the sons of men to be occupied in it.

He has made every thing beautiful in its time: also he has put eternity in men's hearts, so that no man can find out the work that God does from the beginning to the end.

And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labor, it is the gift of God.

I know that, whatsoever God does, it shall be forever: nothing can be added to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God does it, that men should fear before him.

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

Therefore I praised the dead who are already dead more than the living who are yet alive.

Yea, better is he than both, who has not yet been, who has not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.

There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he has neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labor; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither says he, For whom do I labor, and deprive my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a heavy travail.

For out of prison he comes to reign; yet he that is born in his kingdom might become poor.

When you vow a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he has no pleasure in fools: pay that which you have vowed.

Better is it that you should not vow, than that you should vow and not pay.

Permit not your mouth to cause your flesh to sin; neither say before the angel, that it was an error: why should God be angry at your voice, and destroy the work of your hands?

If you see the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of justice and righteousness in a province, marvel not at the matter: for the high official is watched by a higher one; and there are yet higher ones over them.

When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: so what good is there to the owners, except the beholding of them with their eyes?

And this also is a great evil, that just as he came, so shall he go: and what profit has he who has labored for the wind?

Behold that which I have seen: it is good and fitting for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labor that he takes under the sun all the days of his life, which God gives him: for this is his lot.

Every man also to whom God has given riches and wealth, and has given him power to eat of it, and to accept his lot, 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 common among men:

A man to whom God has given riches, wealth, and honor, so that he wants nothing for his soul of all that he desires, yet God gives him not power to eat of it, but a stranger eats it: this is vanity, and it is an evil affliction.

Yea, though he lives a thousand years twice over, yet he has seen no good: do not all go to one place?

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 has the poor, who knows to walk before the living?

Whatever has been is named already, and it is known that this is man: neither may he contend with him that is mightier than he.

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

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.

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

Say you not, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for you do not inquire wisely concerning this.

Wisdom is good with an inheritance: and by it there is profit to them that see the sun.

For wisdom is a defense, and money is a defense: but the excellence of knowledge is, that wisdom gives life to them that have it.

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

All this have I 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?

I applied my heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness:

Behold, this have I found, says the preacher, adding one thing to another, to find out the reason:

Which yet my soul seeks, but I find not: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found.

Lo, this only have I found, that God has made man upright; but they have sought out many devices.

Be not hasty to go out of his presence: stand not for an evil thing; for he does whatsoever pleases him.

Where the word of a king is, there is power: and who may say unto him, What are you doing?

For he knows not that which shall be: for who can tell him when it shall be?

There is no man that has power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither has he power in the day of death: and there is no release from that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it.

Though a sinner does evil a hundred times, and his days are prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, who fear before him:

But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he fears not before God.

There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there are just men, unto 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.

Then I commended mirth, because a man has no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him in his labor all the days of his life, which God gives him under the sun.

Then I beheld 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 moreover; though a wise man thinks to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it.

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