To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

What profit is there to the worker from that in which he toils?

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.

And for anyone to eat and drink, that is, {to enjoy the fruit of all his toil}, this also is a gift of God.

I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.

That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.

I also examined on earth: where the halls of justice were supposed to be, there was lawlessness; and where the righteous were supposed to be, there was lawlessness. 17I told myself, "God will judge both the righteous and the wicked, because there is a time set to judge every event and every work."

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.

For an event is to the sons of man, and an event is to the beasts, even one event is to them; as the death of this, so is the death of that; and one spirit is to all, and the advantage of man above the beast is nothing, for the whole is vanity.

All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.

Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?

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

Then I looked again and considered all the acts of oppression that were being practiced under the sun. And behold I saw the tears of the oppressed and they had no one to comfort them; and on the side of their oppressors was power, but they had no one to comfort them.

So my praise was for the dead who have gone to their death, more than for the living who still have life.

Better than both of them is someone who has not yet been born, because he hasn't experienced evil on earth.

I saw that all labor and all skillful work is due to a man’s jealousy of his friend. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.

{The fool refuses to work with his hands, so he has nothing to eat except his own skin}!

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

Then I came back, and I saw an example of what is to no purpose under the sun.

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

Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.

For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.

Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone?

And if one prevail against him, 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 knoweth not how to receive admonition any more.

For out of prison he cometh to reign; whereas also he that is born in his kingdom becometh poor.

I have seen all the living under the sun join with the second youth (the king’s acknowledged successor) who replaces him.

there is no end to all the people, to all who were before them; also, the latter rejoice not in him. Surely this also is vanity and vexation of spirit.

Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil.

Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.

Too many worries lead to nightmares, and a fool is known from talking too much.

When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.

Better that thou do not vow, than that thou dost vow and dost not complete.

Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?

In spite of many daydreams, pointless actions, and empty words, it is more important to fear God.

If oppression of the poor, and violent taking away of judgment and righteousness thou seest in a province, do not marvel at the matter, for a higher than the high is observing, and high ones are over them.

After all, a king who cultivates the field is an advantage to the land.

The one who loves money is never satisfied with money, and whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with income. This too is futile.

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

The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.

There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt.

For when those riches are lost in bad investments and he becomes the father of a son, then there is nothing in his hand [for the support of the child].

As he came forth of his mother's womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.

And this also is a painful evil, just as he came, so he goeth, and what advantage is to him who laboureth for wind?

Surely, he ate in darkness every day of his life, and he suffered greatly with sickness and anger.

Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion.

Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God.

For he will not often consider the [troubled] days of his life, because God keeps him occupied and focused on the joy of his heart [and the tranquility of God indwells him].

A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honour, so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it: this is vanity, and it is an evil disease.

If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, however many they may be, but his soul is not satisfied with good things and he is not respected and is not given a proper burial [he is not laid to rest in the sepulcher of his fathers], then I say, “Better the miscarriage than he,

In wind it came and to the dark it will go, and with the dark will its name be covered.

It has not seen the sun nor had any knowledge; yet it has more rest and is better off than he.

Yea, though he live a thousand years twice told, yet hath he seen no good: do not all go to one place?

All of man's labor is for nothing more than to fill his stomach -- yet his appetite is never satisfied!

For what hath the wise more than the fool? what hath the poor, that knoweth to walk before the living?

What the eyes see [enjoying what is available] is better than [craving] what the soul desires. This too is futility and chasing after the wind.

What is that which hath been? already is its name called, and it is known that it is man, and he is not able to contend with him who is stronger than he.

For there are many things multiplying vanity; what advantage is to man?

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?

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.

It is better to be sorry than to laugh, for when the countenance is heavy the heart is joyful.

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

for like the crackling of burning thorns under the pot,
so is the laughter of the fool.
This too is futile.

Whoso doeth wrong, maketh a wise man to go out of his wit, and destroyeth a gentle heart.

The end of a matter [is] better than its beginning; {better to be slow to anger than hot-headed}.

Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.

Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?”
For it is not from wisdom that you ask about this.

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

For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it.

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

In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.

These two have I seen in my life which is to no purpose: a good man coming to his end in his righteousness, and an evil man whose days are long in his evil-doing.

Be not over-righteous, nor show thyself too wise, why art thou desolate?

Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?

[It is] good to take hold of the one and also must not let go of the other; for whoever fears God will hold both of them secure.

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

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

Also to all the words that they speak give not thy heart, that thou hear not thy servant reviling thee.

All this I have put to the test by wisdom; I said, I will be wise, but it was far from me.

I applied mine 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:

I, could indeed find, to be, more bitter than death, the woman, whose heart is, snares and nets, and her hands, bonds, - whoso is pleasing before God, shall escape from her, but, he that sinneth, shall be captured by her.

Behold, this have I found, saith the preacher, counting one by one, to find out the account:

Among the things I seek but have not found: one man among a thousand I did find, but I have not found one woman to be wise among all these.

Who is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? a man's wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed.

I counsel thee to keep the king's commandment, and that in regard of the oath of God.

Be not hasty to go out of his sight: stand not in an evil thing; for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him.

Where the word of a king is power is, and who saith to him, 'What dost thou?'

Whoever keeps and observes a royal command will experience neither trouble nor misery;
For a wise heart will know the proper time and [appropriate] procedure.

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