6 There ais an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men: 2 A man to whom God has given riches and wealth and honor, bso that he lacks nothing for himself of all he desires; cyet God does not give him power to eat of it, but a foreigner consumes it. This is vanity, and it is an evil 1affliction.

3 If a man begets a hundred children and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not satisfied with goodness, or dindeed he has no burial, I say that ea 2stillborn child is better than he—4 for it comes in vanity and departs in darkness, and its name is covered with darkness. 5 Though it has not seen the sun or known anything, this has more rest than that man, 6 even if he lives a thousand years twice—but has not seen goodness. Do not all go to one fplace?

7 gAll the labor of man is for his mouth,

And yet the soul is not satisfied.

8 For what more has the wise man than the fool?

What does the poor man have,

Who knows how to walk before the living?

9 Better is 3the hsight of the eyes than the wandering of 4desire.

This also is vanity and grasping for the wind.

10 Whatever one is, he has been named ialready,

For it is known that he is man;

jAnd he cannot contend with Him who is mightier than he.

11 Since there are many things that increase vanity,

How is man the better?

12 For who knows what is good for man in life, 5all the days of his 6vain life which he passes like ka shadow? lWho can tell a man what will happen after him under the sun?

The Value of Practical Wisdom

7 A agood name is better than precious ointment,

And the day of death than the day of one’s bbirth;

2 Better to go to the house of mourning

Than to go to the house of feasting,

For that is the end of all men;

And the living will take it to cheart.

3 1Sorrow is better than laughter,

dFor by a sad countenance the heart is made 2better.

4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,

But the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

5 eIt is better to 3hear the rebuke of the wise

Than for a man to hear the song of fools.

6 fFor like the 4crackling of thorns under a pot,

So is the laughter of the fool.

This also is vanity.

7 Surely oppression destroys a wise man’s reason,

gAnd a bribe 5debases the heart.

8 The end of a thing is better than its beginning;

hThe patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

9 iDo not hasten in your spirit to be angry,

For anger rests in the bosom of fools.

10 Do not say,

“Why were the former days better than these?”

For you do not inquire wisely concerning this.

11 Wisdom is good with an inheritance,

And profitable jto those who see the sun.

12 For wisdom is 6a kdefense as money is a defense,

But the 7excellence of knowledge is that wisdom gives llife to those who have it.

13 Consider the work of God;

For mwho can make straight what He has made crooked?

14 nIn the day of prosperity be joyful,

But in the day of adversity consider:

Surely God has appointed the one 8as well as the other,

So that man can find out nothing that will come after him.

15 I have seen everything in my days of vanity:

oThere is a just man who perishes in his righteousness,

And there is a wicked man who prolongs life in his wickedness.

16 pDo not be overly righteous,

qNor be overly wise:

Why should you destroy yourself?

17 Do not be overly wicked,

Nor be foolish:

rWhy should you die before your time?

18 It is good that you grasp this,

And also not remove your hand from the other;

For he who sfears God will 9escape them all.

19 tWisdom strengthens the wise

More than ten rulers of the city.

20 uFor there is not a just man on earth who does good

And does not sin.

21 Also do not take to heart everything people say,

Lest you hear your servant cursing you.

22 For many times, also, your own heart has known

That even you have cursed others.

23 All this I have 1proved by wisdom.

vI said, “I will be wise”;

But it was far from me.

24 wAs for that which is far off and xexceedingly deep,

Who can find it out?

25 yI applied my heart to know,

To search and seek out wisdom and the reason of things,

To know the wickedness of folly,

Even of foolishness and madness.

26 zAnd I find more bitter than death

The woman whose heart is snares and nets,

Whose hands are fetters.

2He who pleases God shall escape from her,

But the sinner shall be trapped by her.

27 “Here is what I have found,” says athe Preacher,

“Adding one thing to the other to find out the reason,

28 Which my soul still seeks but I cannot find:

bOne man among a thousand I have found,

But a woman among all these I have not found.

29 Truly, this only I have found:

cThat God made man upright,

But dthey have sought out many schemes.”