The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

What is a man profited by all his work which he does under the sun?

The sun comes up and the sun goes down, and goes quickly back to the place where he came up.

That which has been, is that which is to be, and that which has been done, is that which will be done, and there is no new thing under the sun.

I have seen all the works which are done under the sun; all is to no purpose, and desire for wind.

I said to my heart, See, I have become great and am increased in wisdom more than any who were before me in Jerusalem--yes, my heart has seen much wisdom and knowledge.

Then I saw all the works which my hands had made, and everything I had been working to do; and I saw that all was to no purpose and desire for wind, and there was no profit under the sun.

So I was hating life, because everything under the sun was evil to me: all is to no purpose and desire for wind.

And who is to say if that man will be wise or foolish? But he will have power over all my work which I have done and in which I have been wise under the sun. This again is to no purpose.

So my mind was turned to grief for all the trouble I had taken and all my wisdom under the sun.

What does a man get for all his work, and for the weight of care with which he has done his work under the sun?

For everything there is a fixed time, and a time for every business under the sun.

And again, I saw under the sun, in the place of the judges, that evil was there; and in the place of righteousness, that evil was there.

And again I saw all the cruel things which are done under the sun; there was the weeping of those who have evil done to them, and they had no comforter: and from the hands of the evil-doers there went out power, but they had no comforter.

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.

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

It is one who is by himself, without a second, and without son or brother; but there is no end to all his work, and he has never enough of wealth. For whom, then, am I working and keeping myself from pleasure? This again is to no purpose, and a bitter work.

I saw all the living under the sun round the young man who was to be ruler in place of the king.

There is a great evil which I have seen under the sun--wealth kept by the owner to be his downfall.

And I saw the destruction of his wealth by an evil chance; and when he became the father of a son he had nothing in his hand.

This is what I have seen: it is good and fair for a man to take meat and drink and to have joy in all his work under the sun, all the days of his life which God has given him; that is his reward.

There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is hard on men;

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

Who is able to say what is good for man in life all the days of his foolish life which he goes through like a shade? who will say what is to be after him under the sun?

Wisdom together with a heritage is good, and a profit to those who see the sun.

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.

There is no man on earth of such righteousness that he does good and is free from sin all his days.

I gave my mind to knowledge and to searching for wisdom and the reason of things, and to the discovery that sin is foolish, and that to be foolish is to be without one's senses.

Look! this I have seen, said the Preacher, taking one thing after another to get the true account,

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.

This only have I seen, that God made men upright, but they have been searching out all sorts of inventions.

All this have I seen, and have given my heart to all the work which is done under the sun: there is a time when man has power over man for his destruction.

So I gave praise to joy, because there is nothing better for a man to do under the sun than to take meat and drink and be happy; for that will be with him in his work all the days of his life which God gives him under the sun.

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.

This is evil in all things which are done under the sun: that there is one fate for all, and the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil; while they have life their hearts are foolish, and after that--to the dead.

Their love and their hate and their envy are now ended; and they have no longer a part for ever in anything which is done under the sun.

Have joy with the woman of your love all the days of your foolish life which he gives you under the sun. Because that is your part in life and in your work which you do under the sun.

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.

This again I have seen under the sun as wisdom and it seemed great to me.

There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, like an error which comes by chance from a ruler:

I have seen servants on horses, and rulers walking on the earth as servants.

Truly the light is sweet, and it is good for the eyes to see the sun.

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.