Then again I saw all the acts of oppression that are done under the sun; and indeed, the tears of the oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of the oppressors was power, and they had no comforter.

And I praised the dead, who have already died, more than the living, who are still alive.

And better than both is he who has not yet been, who has not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.

Then I saw all labor and all skill in work, that it is man's jealousy for his neighbor. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind.

The fool folds his hands together and consumes his own flesh.

Better is a handful with quietness than two hands full with labor and a chasing after wind.

Then again I saw vanity under the sun.

There is one alone and without a second; also he has no son or brother. Yet there is no end to all his labor; moreover his eye is not satisfied with riches. For whom then, he says, do I labor and deprive myself of good? This also is vanity and grievous travail.

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor;

For if they fall, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls and does not have another to lift him up!

Again, if two lie together, they keep warm. But how can one be warm alone?

And while a man may prevail against the one, the two will withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Better is a poor but wise youth than an old and foolish king who no longer knows how to be admonished.

For one can come forth from prison to reign, even though he was born poor in his kingdom.

I saw all the living that went about under the sun with the youth, the successor, who stood up in place of  ¹him.

There was no end to all the people, to all before whom he stood, yet even those who come after will not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a chasing after wind.

 ¹Guard your steps when 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 that they are doing evil.

Do not be rash with your mouth, and let not your heart hastily utter anything before God; for God is in heaven and you are on the earth; therefore let your words be few.

For a dream comes through a multitude of travail, and a fool's voice through a multitude of words.

When you make a vow to God, do not delay in paying it; for He takes no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow.

It is better that you do not vow than that you vow and not pay.

Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the works of your hands?

For in the multitude of dreams and in many words are also vanities. Rather, fear God.

If you see the oppression of the poor and the wresting of justice and righteousness in a province, do not be astonished at the matter; for one higher official watches over another high official, and there are higher officials over them.

And a king who cultivates the field is always an advantage for a land.

He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver, nor he who loves abundance with income. This is also vanity.

When goods increase, those who eat them increase; so what advantage do their owners have except to see them with their eyes?

Sweet is the sleep of the laborer, whether he eats little or much; but the fullness of the rich will not let him sleep.

There is a grievous evil that I have seen under the sun: riches kept by their owner to his own hurt,

And those riches were lost in a bad venture; and having begotten a son, he had nothing in his hand.

As he came forth from his mother's womb, he will return naked as he came; and he will take nothing of his labor that he may carry in his hand.

And this also is a grievous evil: in all points, as he came, so will he go; so what is the advantage to him who has labored for the wind?

Throughout all his days he also eats in darkness and has much vexation and sickness and resentment.

Here is what I have seen to be good and what is pleasant: to  ¹eat and to drink and to taste enjoyment in all his labor by which he labors under the sun during the few days of his life, which God has given him; for this is his portion.

Moreover, for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, and has empowered him to eat of them and to take his portion and to rejoice in his labor — this is the gift of God.

For he will not  ¹brood much over the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with the gladness of his heart.

There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it is heavy upon man:

A man to whom God gives riches, wealth, and honor, so that nothing is lacking to his soul of all that he desires, and yet God does not empower him to eat of it, but a stranger eats it. This is vanity and an evil plague.

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 filled with good and even does not get a proper burial, I say that the stillborn is better off than he;

For it comes in vanity and goes off in darkness, and in darkness its name is covered;

Moreover it has not seen the sun and does not know anything; this one has rest rather than that one.

Indeed, even if he lives a thousand years twice and does not taste enjoyment, do not all go to one place?

All a man's labor is for his mouth, and yet his appetite is not filled.

For what advantage does the wise man have over the fool? What advantage does the poor man have in knowing how to walk before the living?

Better is seeing with the eyes than wandering with the soul. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind.

That which is has already been  ¹determined, and it is known what man is and that he cannot contend with him who is stronger than he.

For there are many things, which will increase vanity. What is the advantage to man?

For who knows what is good for a man in life during the few days of his vain life, which he will spend as a shadow? For who can tell a man what will be after him under the sun?