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

When there is a man whose work was done with wisdom, knowledge, and skill, and he must give his portion to a man who has not worked for it, this too is futile and a great wrong.

For what was to man in all his labor, and in the striving of his heart, he labored under the sun?

For, all his days, are pains, and, vexatious, is his employment, even in the night, his heart lieth not down, - even this, was, vanity.

There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.

For, to a man who is good before him, hath he given wisdom and knowledge and gladness, - whereas, to the sinner, he hath given employment, to gather and heap up, to give to one who is good before God, even this, was vanity, and a feeding on wind.

a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to uproot what was planted;

That which is was long ago, and that which is to be hath already been; and God bringeth back again that which is past.

And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there.

Said, I, in my heart, as concerning the sons of men, That God was minded to prove them, - and that they might see, that they were beasts, of themselves.

So I saw, that there was nothing better than that a man should be glad in his works, for, that, is his portion, - for who can bring him in, to look upon that which shall be after him?

So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.

So my praise was for the dead who have gone to their death, more than for the living who still have life.

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.

And I saw that the cause of all the work and of everything which is done well was man's envy of his neighbour. This again is to no purpose and a desire for wind.

Here is one, without a second, even son or brother, he hath none, yet is there no end to all his toil, even his eye, is not satisfied with riches, - neither saith he For whom, am I toiling, and letting my soul want good? Even this, was vanity, yea a vexatious employment, it was!

For out of prison he came forth to be king; yea, even in his kingdom he was born poor.

I have seen all the living under the sun join with the second youth (the king’s acknowledged successor) who replaces him.

There was no end of all the people, even of all them over whom he was: yet they that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a striving after wind.

Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?

For it was done amidst a multitude of dreams, and vanities, and many words, - but, towards God, be thou reverent.

He that loveth silver, shall not be satisfied with silver nor, he that loveth abundance, with revenue, - -even this, was vanity.

Here was an incurable evil, I had seen under the sun, riches kept by the owner thereof, to his hurt;

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

Here was an evil, I had seen under the sun, - and it is, common, among men:

A man to whom God giveth riches and gains and honour, so that nothing doth he lack for his soul - of all that he craveth, and yet God doth not give him power to eat thereof, but, a man unknown, eateth it, - this, was vanity, and, an incurable evil, it was.

If a man shall beget a hundred, and live many years, and a multitude shall be the days of his years, and his soul shall not be satisfied from good, and also there was no burial to him; I said, Good above him an abortion.

Better what the eyes behold, than the wandering of desire, - even this, was vanity, and a feeding on wind.

Whatsoever hath been, the name thereof was given long ago; and it is know what man is; neither can he contend with him that is mightier than he.

For, as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so, is the laughter of the dullard, - even this, then, was vanity.

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

Everything, had I seen, in my days of vanity, - Here was a righteous man, perishing in his righteousness, and there was a lawless man, continuing long in his wickedness.

All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.

What was far off, and the depth, deep, who shall find it?

I turned about, and my heart was set to know and to search out, and to seek wisdom and the reason of things , and to know that wickedness is folly, and that foolishness is madness.

All this, had I seen, and tried to apply my heart to every work which was done under the sun, - at such time as one man had power over another man, to his hurt.

And, thereupon, I considered the lawless when buried, when they had entered, their graves , that, from the place of the Holy One, they used to go and boast in the city that they had so done, - even this, was vanity.

Because a decree was not done quickly upon an evil work, for this the heart of the sons of man was filled in them to do evil.

Here was a vain thing which was done upon the earth - that there were righteous men unto whom it happened according to the work of the lawless, and there were lawless men, unto whom it happened according to the work of the righteous, - I said, that, even this, was vanity.

Then extolled I, gladness, in that there was nothing better for a man, under the sun, than to eat and to drink, and to be glad, - since, that, should tarry with him in his toil, for the days of his life which God had given him under the sun.

When I gave my heart, to know wisdom, and to consider the business that was done upon the earth, then surely, by day and by night, there was one who suffered not his eyes, to sleep.

Then I considered all the work of God, that man could not find out the work that was done under the sun, inasmuch as man toileth in seeking and yet cannot find, - yea, even though the wise man should say he knoweth, yet can he not find it out.

For, unto all this, I applied my heart, and, my heart, considered all this, that, the righteous and the wise and their servants, were in the hand of God, - neither love nor hatred, could any man know, every one, was before Him.

Every one, was like every one else, one destiny, had the righteous and the lawless, the good and the pure and the impure, and he that sacrificed, and he that did not sacrifice, - as the good man, so, the sinner, he that took an oath, as he who, of an oath, stood in fear.

This was a misfortune in all that was done under the sun, that, one destiny, had they all, - yea also, the heart of the sons of men, was full of wickedness, and, madness, was in their heart, while they lived, and, after that, they went unto the dead.

For, whosoever was united to all the living, for him, there was hope, - -inasmuch as, a living dog, fared better than a dead lion.

For, the living, knew that they should die, - -but, the dead, knew not, anything, neither had they any longer a reward, because forgotten was their memory.

Both their love and their hatred and their envy, already had perished, - and, portion, had they none any longer, unto times age-abiding, in aught that was done under the sun.

Go eat in joy thy bread, and drink thy wine in a good heart; for already God was satisfied with thy works.

I again saw under the sun, that not, to the swift, was the race, nor, to the strong, the battle, nay! nor, to the wise, food, nor yet, to the intelligent, riches, nor, even to the well-informed, comeliness, - for, time and accident, happened to them all.

This also have I seen as wisdom under the sun, and it was great unto me.

There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it:

Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.

And I said, Wisdom is good above strength: and the wisdom of the poor one was despised, and his words not heard.

And also as the foolish one went in the way, his heart was wanting, and he said to all, It is folly.

Here was a misfortune I had seen under the sun, - a veritable mistake that was going forth from the presence of one who had power:

Folly was given to great heights, and the rich were set in lowness.

Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.

The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth.

Sayings from the wise are like cattle prods and well fastened nails; this masterful collection was given by one shepherd.

Let not your eyes be turned on me, because I am dark, because I was looked on by the sun; my mother's children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vine-gardens; but my vine-garden I have not kept.

While the king [was] on his couch, my nard gave its fragrance.

As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.

He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.

The flowers have appeared in the earth, The time of the singing hath come, And the voice of the turtle was heard in our land,

(The Chorus)
“Catch the foxes for us,
The little foxes that spoil and ruin the vineyards [of love],
While our vineyards are in blossom.”

By night on my bed I was looking for him who is the love of my soul: I was looking for him, but I did not see him.

It was but a little that I passed from them, but I found him whom my soul loveth: I held him, and would not let him go, until I had brought him into my mother's house, and into the chamber of her that conceived me.

Its pillars he made of silver, Its support of gold, Its seat of purple; The midst thereof was paved with love By the daughters of Jerusalem.

Go out, O daughters of Jerusalem, and see King Solomon, with the crown which his mother put on his head on the day when he was married, and on the day of the joy of his heart.

I was asleep, but my heart waked: It is the voice of my beloved that knocketh,'saying , Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled; For my head is filled with dew, My locks with the drops of the night.

My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door , And my heart was moved for him.

I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer.

One alone, is my dove, my perfect one, one alone, was she to her mother, Pure, was she to her that bare her, - The daughters, have seen her, and pronounced her happy, Queens and concubines, and they have praised her.

I went down into the garden of nuts to see the green plants of the valley, and to see if the vine was in bud, and the pomegranate-trees were in flower.

Or ever I was aware, my soul made me like the chariots of Amminadib.

This thy height was like to a palm tree, and thy breasts to clusters.

We will rise early to the vineyards; we will see if the vine was fruitful, the vine blossoms opened, the pomegranates blossomed: there will I give my beloved to thee.

O that thou wert as my brother, that was nourished at the breasts of my mother! when I should find thee without, I would kiss thee; yes, I should not be despised.

Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, Leaning upon her beloved? Under the apple-tree I awakened thee: There thy mother was in travail with thee, There was she in travail that brought thee forth.

Set me as a seal upon thy heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love was strong as death; jealousy hard as hades: its flames, flames of fire, flames of Jehovah.

Many waters are not able to quench the love, And floods do not wash it away. If one give all the wealth of his house for love, Treading down -- they tread upon it.

(The Chorus)
“We have a little sister
And she has no breasts.
What shall we do for our sister
On the day when she is spoken for [in marriage]?

I am a wall, and my breasts like towers: then was I in his eyes as one that found favour.

Solomon had a vineyard at Baalhamon; he let out the vineyard unto keepers; every one for the fruit thereof was to bring a thousand pieces of silver.

Here is the message about Judah and Jerusalem that was revealed to Isaiah son of Amoz during the time when Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah reigned over Judah.

And the daughter of Zion was left as a booth in a vineyard, as a lodge in a field of cucumbers, as a city besieged.

For what to me the multitude of your sacrifices? Jehovah will say: I was filled with the burnt-offerings of rams and the fat of fatlings; and I delighted not in the blood of bullocks, and of he lambs and of he goats.

Your new moons and your appointments my soul hated; they were for a burden upon me; I was wearied to lift up.

Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;

How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.

Thy silver was for dross, thy wine adulterated with water.

And the strong was for tow, and his work for a spark, and they two were burnt together, and none quenching.

Here is the message about Judah and Jerusalem that was revealed to Isaiah son of Amoz.

And it was in the last days, the mountain of the house of Jehovah shall be prepared upon the head of the mountains, and lifted up above the hills; and all nations flowed to it

As soon as your land was full of silver and gold, and no end of your treasure; so soon as your land was full of strong horses and no end of your chariots:

Immediately was it full of idols also, even works of your own hands, which ye yourselves have fashioned, and your fingers have made.

And the man bowed down, and man was humbled, but You do not lift them up.

The lofty eyes of man were humbled, and the height of men bowed down, and Jehovah alone was exalted in that day.