All the rivers go down to the sea, but the sea is not full; to the place where the rivers go, there they go again.

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 is bent may not be made straight, and that which is not there may not be numbered.

And nothing which was desired by my eyes did I keep from them; I did not keep any joy from my heart, because my heart took pleasure in all my work, and this was my reward.

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.

Because the fate of the sons of men and the fate of the beasts is the same. As is the death of one so is the death of the other, and all have one spirit. Man is not higher than the beasts; because all is to no purpose.

Yes, happier than the dead or the living seemed he who has not ever been, who has not seen the evil which is done under the sun.

And two attacked by one would be safe, and three cords twisted together are not quickly broken.

A young man who is poor and wise is better than a king who is old and foolish and will not be guided by the wisdom of others.

Be not unwise with your mouth, and let not your heart be quick to say anything before God, because God is in heaven and you are on the earth--so let not the number of your words be great.

It is better not to take an oath than to take an oath and not keep it.

Let not your mouth make your flesh do evil. And say not before the angel, It was an error. So that God may not be angry with your words and put an end to the work of your hands.

If you see the poor under a cruel yoke, and law and right being violently overturned in a country, be not surprised, because one authority is keeping watch on another and there are higher than they.

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.

He will not give much thought to the days of his life; because God lets him be taken up with the joy of his heart.

A man to whom God gives money, wealth, and honour so that he has all his desires but God does not give him the power to have joy of it, and a strange man takes it. This is to no purpose and an evil disease.

If a man has a hundred children, and his life is long so that the days of his years are great in number, but his soul takes no pleasure in good, and he is not honoured at his death; I say that a birth before its time is better than he.

Yes, it saw not the sun, and it had no knowledge; it is better with this than with the other.

And though he goes on living a thousand years twice over and does not see good, are not the two going to the same place?

It is better to take note of the protest of the wise, than for a man to give ear to the song of the foolish.

Be not quick to let your spirit be angry; because wrath is in the heart of the foolish.

Say not, Why were the days which have gone by better than these? Such a question comes not from wisdom.

In the day of wealth have joy, but in the day of evil take thought: God has put the one against the other, so that man may not be certain what will be after him.

Be not given overmuch to righteousness and be not over-wise. Why let destruction come on you?

Be not evil overmuch, and be not foolish. Why come to your end before your time?

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.

Do not give ear to all the words which men say, for fear of hearing the curses of your servant.

For which my soul is still searching, but I have it not; one man among a thousand have I seen; but a woman among all these I have not seen.

Be not quick to go from before him. Be not fixed in an evil design, because he does whatever is pleasing to him.

No man has authority over the wind, to keep the wind; or is ruler over the day of his death. In war no man's time is free, and evil will not keep the sinner safe.

Because punishment for an evil work comes not quickly, the minds of the sons of men are fully given to doing evil.

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.

When I gave my mind to the knowledge of wisdom and to seeing the business which is done on the earth (and there are those whose eyes see not sleep by day or by night),

Then I saw all the work of God, and that man may not get knowledge of the work which is done under the sun; because, if a man gives hard work to the search he will not get knowledge, and even if the wise man seems to be coming to the end of his search, still he will be without knowledge.

All this I took to heart, and my heart saw it all: that the upright and the wise and their works are in the hand of God; and men may not be certain if it will be love or hate; all is to no purpose before them.

The living are conscious that death will come to them, but the dead are not conscious of anything, and they no longer have a reward, because there is no memory of them.

Let your clothing be white at all times, and let not your head be without oil.

And again I saw under the sun that the reward goes not to him who is quick, or the fruits of war to the strong; and there is no bread for the wise, or wealth for men of learning, or respect for those who have knowledge; but time and chance come to all.

Even man has no knowledge of his time; like fishes taken in an evil net, or like birds taken by deceit, are the sons of men taken in an evil time when it comes suddenly on them.

Then I said, Wisdom is better than strength, but the poor man's wisdom is not respected, and his words are not given a hearing.

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.

Happy is the land whose ruler is of noble birth, and whose chiefs take food at the right time, for strength and not for feasting.

Say not a curse against the king, even in your thoughts; and even secretly say not a curse against the man of wealth; because a bird of the air will take the voice, and that which has wings will give news of it.

He who is watching the wind will not get the seed planted, and he who is looking at the clouds will not get in the grain.

In the morning put your seed into the earth, and till the evening let not your hand be at rest; because you are not certain which will do well, this or that--or if the two will be equally good.

Let your mind be turned to your Maker in the days of your strength, while the evil days come not, and the years are far away when you will say, I have no pleasure in them;

While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, are not dark, and the clouds come not back after the rain;

And further, my son, take note of this: of the making of books there is no end, and much learning is a weariness to the flesh.