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Exact Match

Give her credit for what she has accomplished, and let her works praise her in the city gates.

All things are full of weariness; man may not give their story: the eye has never enough of its seeing, or the ear of its hearing.


That which has been is that which will be [again],
And that which has been done is that which will be done again.
So there is nothing new under the sun.


Is there anything of which it can be said,
“See this, it is new”?
It has already existed for [the vast] ages [of time recorded or unrecorded]
Which were before us.

And I set my mind to seek and explore by [man’s] wisdom all [human activity] that has been done under heaven. It is a miserable business and a burdensome task which God has given the sons of men with which to be busy and distressed.

I reflected on everything that is accomplished by man on earth, and I concluded: Everything he has accomplished is futile -- like chasing the wind!

I spoke with my heart, saying, “Behold, I have acquired great [human] wisdom and experience, more than all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my mind has observed a wealth of [moral] wisdom and [scientific] knowledge.”

So I turned to consider [secular] wisdom, madness, and folly; for what will the man do who succeeds the king? Nothing except what has already been done.

I realized that wisdom has an advantage over folly, just as light has an advantage over darkness.

The wise man has eyes in his head,
but the fool walks in darkness.


Yet I also knew that one fate comes to them both.

For there is a man who has labored with wisdom and knowledge and skill, yet gives his legacy to one who has not labored for it. This too is vanity and a great evil.

For what does a man get from all his labor and from the striving and sorrow of his heart with which he labors under the sun?

All his days are sorrow, and his work is full of grief. Even in the night his heart has no rest. This again is to no purpose.

To the man with whom he is pleased, God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy; but to the sinner he gives the work of getting goods together and storing up wealth, to give to him in whom God has pleasure. This again is to no purpose and desire for wind.

I have seen the task which God has given to the sons of men with which to occupy themselves.

He has made everything beautiful and appropriate in its time. He has also planted eternity [a sense of divine purpose] in the human heart [a mysterious longing which nothing under the sun can satisfy, except God]—yet man cannot find out (comprehend, grasp) what God has done (His overall plan) from the beginning to the end.

I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it; and God has done it, that men should fear before him.

That which is has already been, and that which will be has already been, for God seeks what has passed by [so that history repeats itself].

So I said {to myself}, "God will surely judge the righteous and the wicked, for he has appointed a time [of judgment] for every deed and every work."

I said to myself concerning the sons of men, “God has surely tested them in order for them to see that they are but beasts.”

For the [earthly] fate of the sons of men and the fate of animals is the same. As one dies, so dies the other; indeed, they all have the same breath and there is no preeminence or advantage for man [in and of himself] over an animal, for all is vanity.

But better off than either of them is the one who has not yet been born, who has not seen the evil deeds that are done under the sun.

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

There was a certain man—without a dependent, having neither a child nor a brother, yet there was no end to all his labor. Indeed, his eyes were not satisfied with riches and he never asked, “For whom do I labor and deprive myself of pleasure?” This too is vanity (a wisp of smoke, self-conceit); yes, it is a painful effort and an unhappy task.

for if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and does not have another to lift him up.

For he has come out of prison to become king, even though he was born poor in his kingdom.

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

When goods are increased, the number of those who take of them is increased; and what profit has the owner but to see them?

The sleep of a working man is sweet, if he has little food or much; but to him who is full, sleep will not come.

That wealth was lost in a bad venture. Although he has borne a child, {he has nothing to leave to him}.

This also is a grievous evil—exactly as he was born, so he shall die. So what advantage has he who labors for the wind?

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

Here is what I have seen to be good: it is appropriate to eat, drink, and experience good in all the labor one does under the sun during the few days of his life God has given him, because that is his reward.

Also, every man to whom God has given riches and possessions, He has also given the power and ability to enjoy them and to receive [this as] his [allotted] portion and to rejoice in his labor—this is the gift of God [to him].

a man to whom God has given riches and wealth and honor, so that he lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God has not given him the power or capacity to enjoy them [all those things which are gifts from God], but a stranger [in whom he has no interest succeeds him and] enjoys them. This is vanity and it is a [cause of] great distress.

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

Even if the other man lives a thousand years twice over and yet has seen no good and experienced no enjoyment—do not both go to one place [the grave]?”

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]?

Whatever exists has already been named [long ago], and it is known what [a frail being] man is; for he cannot dispute with Him who is mightier than he.

Say not thou, 'What was it, That the former days were better than these?' For thou hast not asked wisely of this.


For wisdom is a protection even as money is a protection,
But the [excellent] advantage of knowledge is that wisdom shields and preserves the lives of its possessors.

It is good to take this in your hand and not to keep your hand from that; he who has the fear of God will be free of the two.

For oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.

Whatever has happened is beyond human understanding; it is far deeper than anyone can fathom.

And I discovered that [of all irrational sins none has been so destructive in beguiling one away from God as immoral women for] more bitter than death is the woman whose heart is [composed of] snares and nets, and whose hands are chains. Whoever pleases God will escape from her, but the sinner will be taken captive by her [evil].

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

Keep the king's commandment, I warn thee, and the oath that thou hast made unto God.

The word of a king has authority; and who may say to him, What is this you are doing?

Whoever keeps the law will come to no evil: and a wise man's heart has knowledge of time and of decision.


For there is a proper time and [appropriate] procedure for every delight,
Though mankind’s misery and trouble lies heavily upon him [who rebels against the king].


There is no man who has power and authority over the wind to restrain the wind,
Nor does he have authority over the day of death;
There is no discharge [from service] during time of war,
And evil will not rescue those who [actively seek to] practice it.

All this I have seen while applying my mind to every deed that is done under the sun. There is a time in which one man has exercised power over others to their detriment.

But it will not be well for the evil-doer; he will not make his days long like a shade, because he has no fear before God.

Then I commended pleasure and enjoyment, because a man [without God] has no better thing under the sun than to eat and to drink and to be merry, for this will stand by him in his toil through the days of his life which God has given him under the sun.

When I gave my heart to know wisdom and to see the task which has been done on the earth (even though one should never sleep day or night),

Because to all there is one event, to the upright man and to the evil, to the clean and to the unclean, to him who makes an offering and to him who makes no offering; as is the good so is the sinner; he who takes an oath is as he who has fear of it.

[There is no exemption,] but whoever is joined with all the living, has hope; surely a live dog is better than a dead lion.

At least the living know they will die, but the dead know nothing; they no longer have a reward, since memory about them has been forgotten.

What they loved and hated, as well as what they desired, has already perished. They no longer have any share in what is done under the sun.

Go your way, eat your bread with joy and drink your wine with a cheerful heart [if you are righteous, wise, and in the hands of God]; for God has already approved and accepted your works.

See life with the wife whom thou hast loved, all the days of the life of thy vanity, that He hath given to thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity, for it is thy portion in life, even of thy labour that thou art labouring at under the sun.

And when the foolish man is walking in the way, he has no sense and lets everyone see that he is foolish.

If the iron has no edge, and he does not make it sharp, then he has to put out more strength; but wisdom makes things go well.

The foolish are full of words; man has no knowledge of what will be; and who is able to say what will be after him?

The work of the foolish will be a weariness to him, because he has no knowledge of the way to the town.

Don't curse the king, no, not in your thoughts; and don't curse the rich in your bedroom: for a bird of the sky may carry your voice, and that which has wings may tell the matter.

As you have no knowledge of the way of the wind, or of the growth of the bones in the body of her who is with child, even so you have no knowledge of the works of God who has made all.

But even if a man's life is long and he has joy in all his years, let him keep in mind the dark days, because they will be great in number. Whatever may come is to no purpose.

Also, they are afraid of heights and dangers on the road;
the almond tree blossoms,
the grasshopper loses its spring,
and the caper berry has no effect;
for man is headed to his eternal home,
and mourners will walk around in the street;

When all has been heard, the end of the matter is: fear God [worship Him with awe-filled reverence, knowing that He is almighty God] and keep His commandments, for this applies to every person.

(The Shulammite Bride)
“May he kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!” [Solomon arrives, she turns to him, saying,]
“For your love is better than wine.

Take me away with you. Let us hurry. The king has brought me into his rooms. Friends We will be glad and rejoice in you. We will praise your love more than wine! Beloved They are right to love you.


“Do not gaze at me because I am deeply tanned,
[I have worked in] the sun; it has left its mark on me.
My mother’s sons were angry with me;
They made me keeper of the vineyards,
But my own vineyard (my complexion) I have not kept.”

Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves' eyes.

He has brought me to the banquet hall, and his banner over me is love.


‘The flowers appear on the earth once again;
The time for singing has come,
And the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.

The fig tree has produced its fruit, the grapevines have blossomed and exude their fragrance. "Get up, my darling, my beautiful one, and come on.


“All of them handle the sword,
All expert in war;
Each man has his sword at his thigh,
Guarding against the terrors of the night.

“King Solomon has made for himself a sedan chair
From the timber of Lebanon.

Go forth, you daughters of Zion, and see king Solomon, with the crown with which his mother has crowned him, in the day of his weddings, in the day of the gladness of his heart. Lover

Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves' eyes within thy locks: thy hair is as a flock of goats, that appear from mount Gilead.

Your teeth are like a newly shorn flock, which have come up from the washing, where every one of them has twins. None is bereaved among them.

Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse; thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck.

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