I myself, the Preacher, being king of Israel and Jerusalem,

I dedicated myself to using wisdom for study and discovery of everything that is done under heaven. God uses terrible things so human beings will struggle with life.

I decided to indulge in wine, while still remaining committed to wisdom. I also tried to indulge in foolishness, just enough to determine whether it was good for human beings under heaven given the short time of their lives.

And I was magnified and increased more than all being before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom stood to me.

Then I told myself, "Whatever happens to the fool will happen also to me. Therefore what's the point in being so wise?" And I told myself that this also is pointless.

For no remembrance for the wise with the foolish one forever, since in the days coming, all being forgotten. And how will the wise die? with the foolish one.

The only worthwhile thing for a human being is to eat, drink, and enjoy life's goodness that he finds in what he accomplishes. This, I observed, is also from the hand of God himself,

I have observed the burdens placed by God on human beings in order to perfect them.

What was, it is already; and what to be, was already; and God will seek him being driven away.

"As for human beings," I told myself, "God puts them to the test, that they might see themselves as mere animals."

For what happens to people also happens to animals a single event happens to them: just as someone dies, so does the other. In fact, they all breathe the same way, so that a human being has no superiority over an animal. All of this is pointless.

Who knows whether the spirit of human beings ascends, and whether the spirit of animals descends to the earth?

Again, I observed all the acts of oppression being done under the sun. Look at the tears of those who are oppressed; they have no one to comfort them. Power is with those who oppress them; they have no one to comfort them.

So I commended the dead who had already died as being happier than the living who are still alive.

and, as better than both, him who had not yet come into being, - who had not seen the vexatious work, which was done under the sun.

A poor child being wise, is better than an old king that doteth, and cannot beware in time to come.

For from the house of those turning away he came forth to reign; for also he being born in his kingdom became poor.

Do not be surprised if you see the poor being oppressed with violence or [do not see] justice and righteousness in the province. For one official is watched by a higher official, and [there are] even higher officials over them!

And the advantage of a land, it is for all; even a king has a field being tilled.

There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: riches being hoarded by their owner to his hurt.

and those riches perish, by being ill employed, - and though he begetteth a son, yet is there in his hand nothing at all.

There exists another misfortune that I have observed on earth, and it is a heavy burden upon human beings:

For what advantage has the wise man over the fool [for being worldly-wise is not the secret to happiness]? What advantage has the poor man who has learned how to walk [publicly] among the living [with men’s eyes on him; for being poor is not the secret to happiness either]?

I saw all in the days of my vanity: there is a just one perishing in his justice, and there is an unjust one, being prolonged in his evil.

I have discovered only this: God made human beings for righteousness, but they seek many alternatives."

Just as no human being has control over the wind to restrain it, so also no human being has control over the day of his death. Just as no one is discharged during war, so wickedness will not release those who practice it.

Meanwhile, I saw the wicked being [honorably] buried, but those who came and went from the holy place were forgotten in the city, even though they had done so. This also [is] vanity!

Whoever sinned, doing evil a hundred, and it being prolonged to him, for also I know that it will be to those fearing God, who shall be afraid from his face.

I saw all of it as the activity of God. Frankly, a human being cannot understand what happens on earth, because however hard a man works to discover it, he will not find out. Despite what he thinks he knows, he will not be able to figure it out.

In light of all of this, I committed myself to explain it this way: the righteous and the wise, along with everything they do, are in the hands of God. Furthermore, as to love and hate, no human being knows everything concerning them.

There is a tragedy that infects everything that happens on earth: a common event happens to everyone. In fact, the hearts of human beings are full of evil. Madness remains in their hearts while they live, and afterwards they join the dead.

In addition, no human being knows his time: Like fish captured in a cruel net, or as birds caught in a snare, so also are human beings caught by bad timing that surprises them.

The words of the wise being heard in quiet more than the cry of him ruling among the foolish.

If a serpent strikes despite being charmed, there's no point in being a snake charmer.

As thou wilt not know what the way of the spirit, as the bones in the womb of her being filled, so thou shalt not know the work of God who will make all.

In the morning sow thy seed, and at evening thou shalt not let thy hand rest: for thou shalt not know whether this shall be right, this or that, or if they two as one being good.

Also from height they shall be afraid, and being dismayed in the way, and the almond tree shall be despised, and the locust shall become a burden, and the caperberry shall fail: for man shall go to his eternal house, and they mourning, went about in the street:

In addition to the Teacher being a wise man, he constantly taught the people knowledge; he weighed, explored, and arranged many proverbs.