¹There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it is frequent among men: ²one 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. ³If 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. ⁴For it cometh in vanity, and departeth in darkness, and its name is covered with darkness; ⁵moreover it hath not seen nor known the sun: this hath rest rather than the other. ⁶Yea, though he live twice a thousand years, yet hath he seen no good: do not all go to one place?

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

¹¹For there are many things that increase vanity: what is man advantaged? ¹²For 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

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

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

¹¹Wisdom is as good as an inheritance, and profitable to them that see the sun. ¹²For wisdom is a defence as money is a defence; but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom maketh them that possess it to live. ¹³Consider the work of God; for who can make straight what he hath made crooked? ¹⁴In 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. ¹⁵All 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. ¹⁶Be not righteous overmuch; neither make thyself overwise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself? ¹⁷Be not overmuch wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time? ¹⁸It 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. ¹⁹Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men that are in a city. ²⁰Surely there is not a righteous man upon earth, that doeth good and sinneth not. ²¹Also give not heed unto all words that are spoken, lest thou hear thy servant curse thee. ²²For also thine own heart knoweth that oftentimes thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.

²³All this have I tried by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me. ²⁴Whatever hath been, is far off, and exceeding deep: who will find it out? ²⁵I 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; ²⁶and 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. ²⁷See this which I have found, saith the Preacher, searching one by one to find out the reason; ²⁸which 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. ²⁹Only see this which I have found: that God made man upright, but they have sought out many devices.

Chapter 8

¹Who 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.

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