Ecclesiastes 4:1–12:14

1  And I returned and saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold, the tears of the oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors was power, and they had no comforter. 2  Then I praised the dead who are already dead more than the living who are yet alive; 3  and more fortunate than both is he who hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.

4  And I saw all labour, and all success of work, that it is man’s jealousy of his neighbour. This also is vanity and pursuit of the wind. 5  The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh. 6  Better is a handful with quietness, than both hands full with labour and pursuit of the wind.

7  And I returned and saw vanity under the sun. 8  There is one alone and without a second; also he hath neither son nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour, neither is his eye satisfied with riches, and he saith not, For whom then am I labouring, and depriving my soul of good? This also is vanity and a grievous occupation. 9  Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. 10  For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him that is alone when he falleth, and who hath not another to lift him up! 11  Again, if two lie together, then they have warmth; but how can one alone be warm? 12  And if a man overpower the one, the two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

13  Better is a poor but wise youth than an old and foolish king, who knoweth no more how to be admonished. 14  For out of the prison-house he came forth to reign, although he was born poor in his kingdom. 15  I saw all the living that walk under the sun, with the child, the second, that should stand up in his stead. 16  There is no end of all the people, of all that stood before them; those however that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a striving after the wind.

Chapter 5

1  Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and draw near to hear, rather than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they know not that they do evil. 2  Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be hasty to utter anything before God: for God is in the heavens, and thou upon earth; therefore let thy words be few. 3  For a dream cometh through the multitude of business, and a fool’s voice through a multitude of words.

4  When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. 5  Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay. 6  Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an inadvertence. Wherefore should God be wroth at thy voice, and destroy the work of thy hands? 7  For in the multitude of dreams are vanities; so with many words: but fear God. 8  If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter; for a higher than the high is watching, and there are higher than they.

9  Moreover the earth is every way profitable: the king himself is dependent upon the field. 10  He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver, nor he that loveth abundance with increase. This also is vanity. 11  When goods increase, they are increased that eat them; and what profit is there to the owner thereof, except the beholding of them with his eyes? 12  The sleep of the labourer is sweet, whether he have eaten little or much; but the fulness of the rich doth not suffer him to sleep. 13  There is a grievous evil that I have seen under the sun: riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt; 14  or those riches perish by some evil circumstance, and if he have begotten a son, there is nothing in his hand. 15  As he came forth from his mother’s womb, naked shall he go away again as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand. 16  And this also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came so doth he go away, and what profit hath he, in having laboured for the wind? 17  All his days also he eateth in darkness, and hath much vexation, and sickness, and irritation.

18  Behold what I have seen good and comely: it is to eat and to drink, and to enjoy good in all his labour wherewith man laboureth under the sun, all the days of his life which God hath given him: for that is his portion. 19  Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and power to eat thereof, and to take his portion and to rejoice in his labour: that is a gift of God. 20  For he will not much remember the days of his life, because God answereth him with the joy of his heart.

Chapter 6

1  There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it is frequent among men: 2  one to whom God giveth riches, wealth, and honour, and he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it: this is vanity, and a sore evil. 3  If a man beget a hundred sons, and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, but his soul be not filled with good, and also he have no burial, I say an untimely birth is better than he. 4  For it cometh in vanity, and departeth in darkness, and its name is covered with darkness; 5  moreover it hath not seen nor known the sun: this hath rest rather than the other. 6  Yea, though he live twice a thousand years, yet hath he seen no good: do not all go to one place?

7  All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled. 8  For what advantage hath the wise above the fool? what hath the poor, that knoweth to walk before the living? 9  Better is the seeing of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this also is vanity and pursuit of the wind. 10  That which is hath already been named; and what man is, is known, and that he cannot contend with him that is mightier than he.

11  For there are many things that increase vanity: what is man advantaged? 12  For who knoweth what is good for man in life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can tell man what shall be after him under the sun?

Chapter 7

1  A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of one’s birth. 2  It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting: in that that is the end of all men, and the living taketh it to heart. 3  Vexation is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better. 4  The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools in the house of mirth. 5  It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise, than to hear the song of fools. 6  For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity.

7  Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad, and a gift destroyeth the heart. 8  Better is the end of a thing than its beginning; better is a patient spirit than a proud spirit. 9  Be not hasty in thy spirit to be vexed; for vexation resteth in the bosom of fools. 10  Say not, How is it that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this.

11  Wisdom is as good as an inheritance, and profitable to them that see the sun. 12  For wisdom is a defence as money is a defence; but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom maketh them that possess it to live. 13  Consider the work of God; for who can make straight what he hath made crooked? 14  In the day of prosperity enjoy good, and in the day of adversity consider: God hath also set the one beside the other, to the end that man should find out nothing of what shall be after him. 15  All this have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a righteous man that perisheth by his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his days by his wickedness. 16  Be not righteous overmuch; neither make thyself overwise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself? 17  Be not overmuch wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time? 18  It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from that withdraw not thy hand: for he that feareth God cometh forth from them all. 19  Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men that are in a city. 20  Surely there is not a righteous man upon earth, that doeth good and sinneth not. 21  Also give not heed unto all words that are spoken, lest thou hear thy servant curse thee. 22  For also thine own heart knoweth that oftentimes thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.

23  All this have I tried by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me. 24  Whatever hath been, is far off, and exceeding deep: who will find it out? 25  I turned, I and my heart, to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom and reason, and to know wickedness to be folly, and foolishness to be madness; 26  and I found more bitter than death the woman whose heart is nets and snares, and whose hands are bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be caught by her. 27  See this which I have found, saith the Preacher, searching one by one to find out the reason; 28  which my soul yet seeketh, and I have not found: one man among a thousand have I found, but a woman among all those have I not found. 29  Only see this which I have found: that God made man upright, but they have sought out many devices.

Chapter 8

1  Who is as the wise? and who knoweth the explanation of things? A man’s wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face is changed. 2  I say, Keep the king’s commandment, and that on account of the oath of God. 3  Be not hasty to go out of his sight; persist not in an evil thing: for he doeth whatever pleaseth him, 4  because the word of a king is power; and who may say unto him, What doest thou? 5  Whoso keepeth the commandment shall know no evil thing; and a wise man’s heart …