Whatever has happened, will happen again; whatever has been done, will be done again. There is nothing new on earth.

What is crooked cannot be made straight; what is not there cannot be counted.

For with much wisdom there is much sorrow; the more someone adds to knowledge, the more someone adds to grief.

Then I examined all of my accomplishments that I had brought about by my own efforts, including the work that I had labored so hard to complete and it was all pointless, like chasing after the wind, and there was nothing to be gained on earth.

There is a season for everything, and a time for every event under heaven:

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."

Next I turned to consider all kinds of oppression that exists on earth. Look at the tears of the oppressed there is no one to comfort them. Power is on the side of their oppressors; so they have no comforters.

Consider someone who is alone, having neither son nor brother. There is no end to all of his work, and he is never satisfied with wealth. "So for whom do I work," he asks, "and deprive myself of pleasure?" This, too, is pointless and a terrible tragedy.

If they stumble, the first will lift up his friend but woe to anyone who is alone when he falls and there is no one to help him get up.

There was no end to all of his subjects or to all of the people who had come before them. But those who come along afterward will not be happy with him. This is also pointless and a chasing after wind.

Don't be surprised when you see the poor oppressed and the violent perverting both justice and verdicts in a province, for one high official watches another, and there are ones higher still over them.

and that wealth is lost in troubled circumstances. Then a son is born, but there is nothing left for him.

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

For there is not a single righteous man on earth who practices good and does not sin.

Indeed, there is an appropriate time and a response for every circumstance, since human misery weighs heavily upon him.

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.

Whatever the activity in which you engage, do it with all your ability, because there is no work, no planning, no learning, and no wisdom in the next world where you're going.

There was a little city with few men in it. A great king came against it, surrounded it, and built massive siege ramps against it.

Now there was found within it a poor, but wise man. He delivered the city by his wisdom, but not one person remembered that poor man.

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

If the clouds are full of rain, they will pour out on the earth; if a tree falls toward the south or the north, wherever it falls, there it will lay.

Even if a person lives many years, let him enjoy them all, recalling that there will be many days of darkness to come all of which are pointless.

So learn from them, my son. There is no end to the crafting of many books, and too much study wearies the body.