Therefore I completely despaired of all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun.
For what does a man get in all his labor and in his striving with which he labors under the sun?
There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and tell himself that his labor is good. This also I have seen that it is from the hand of God.
For to a person who is good in His sight He has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, while to the sinner He has given the task of gathering and collecting so that he may give to one who is good in God’s sight. This too is vanity and striving after wind.
What profit is there to the worker from that in which he toils?
I have seen the task which God has given the sons of men with which to occupy themselves.
He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.
moreover, that every man who eats and drinks sees good in all his labor--it is the gift of God.
Furthermore, I have seen under the sun that in the place of justice there is wickedness and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness.
I said to myself, “God will judge both the righteous man and the wicked man,” for a time for every matter and for every deed is there.
I said to myself concerning the sons of men, “God has surely tested them in order for them to see that they are but beasts.”
For the fate of the sons of men and the fate of beasts is the same. As one dies so dies the other; indeed, they all have the same breath and there is no advantage for man over beast, for all is vanity.
All go to the same place. All came from the dust and all return to the dust.
Who knows that the breath of man ascends upward and the breath of the beast descends downward to the earth?
Then I looked again at all the acts of oppression which were being done under the sun. And behold I saw the tears of the oppressed and that they had no one to comfort them; and on the side of their oppressors was power, but they had no one to comfort them.
So I congratulated the dead who are already dead more than the living who are still living.
But better off than both of them is the one who has never existed, who has never seen the evil activity that is done under the sun.
I have seen that every labor and every skill which is done is the result of rivalry between a man and his neighbor. This too is vanity and striving after wind.
The fool folds his hands and consumes his own flesh.
Then I looked again at vanity under the sun.
For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up.
I have seen all the living under the sun throng to the side of the second lad who replaces him.
There is no end to all the people, to all who were before them, and even the ones who will come later will not be happy with him, for this too is vanity and striving after wind.
Guard your steps as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools; for they do not know they are doing evil.
Do not be hasty in word or impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God. For God is in heaven and you are on the earth; therefore let your words be few.
For the dream comes through much effort and the voice of a fool through many words.
Do not let your speech cause you to sin and do not say in the presence of the messenger of God that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry on account of your voice and destroy the work of your hands?
If you see oppression of the poor and denial of justice and righteousness in the province, do not be shocked at the sight; for one official watches over another official, and there are higher officials over them.
After all, a king who cultivates the field is an advantage to the land.
When good things increase, those who consume them increase. So what is the advantage to their owners except to look on?
The sleep of the working man is pleasant, whether he eats little or much; but the full stomach of the rich man does not allow him to sleep.
There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: riches being hoarded by their owner to his hurt.
As he had come naked from his mother’s womb, so will he return as he came. He will take nothing from the fruit of his labor that he can carry in his hand.
This also is a grievous evil--exactly as a man is born, thus will he die. So what is the advantage to him who toils for the wind?
Here is what I have seen to be good and fitting: to eat, to drink and enjoy oneself in all one’s labor in which he toils under the sun during the few years of his life which God has given him; for this is his reward.
Furthermore, as for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, He has also empowered him to eat from them and to receive his reward and rejoice in his labor; this is the gift of God.
For he will not often consider the years of his life, because God keeps him occupied with the gladness of his heart.
There is an evil which I have seen under the sun and it is prevalent among men--
If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, however many they be, but his soul is not satisfied with good things and he does not even have a proper burial, then I say, “Better the miscarriage than he,
It never sees the sun and it never knows anything; it is better off than he.
Even if the other man lives a thousand years twice and does not enjoy good things--do not all go to one place?”
All a man’s labor is for his mouth and yet the appetite is not satisfied.
For what advantage does the wise man have over the fool? What advantage does the poor man have, knowing how to walk before the living?
What the eyes see is better than what the soul desires. This too is futility and a striving after wind.
For there are many words which increase futility. What then is the advantage to a man?
For who knows what is good for a man during his lifetime, during the few years of his futile life? He will spend them like a shadow. For who can tell a man what will be after him under the sun?
A good name is better than a good ointment, And the day of one’s death is better than the day of one’s birth.
It is better to go to a house of mourning Than to go to a house of feasting, Because that is the end of every man, And the living takes it to heart.
The mind of the wise is in the house of mourning, While the mind of fools is in the house of pleasure.
It is better to listen to the rebuke of a wise man Than for one to listen to the song of fools.
New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995
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