
VANITY OF VANITIES{/}

{1}1{/}

{I}1_{/}Here are the 
words of the Teacher, son 
of David, king in 
Jerusalem:
{I}2_{/}All is 
meaningless - says the 
Teacher - meaningless, 
meaningless!
{I}3_{/}What profit is 
there for a man in all 
his work for which he 
toils under the sun?
{I}4_{/}A generation 
goes, a generation comes 
and the earth remains 
forever. {I}5_{/}The sun 
rises, the sun sets, 
hastening towards the 
place where it again 
rises. {I}6_{/}Blowing to 
the south, turning to the 
north, the wind goes 
round and round and after 
all its rounds it has to 
blow again.
{I}7_{/}All rivers go to 
the sea but the sea is 
not full; to the place 
where the rivers come 
from, there they return 
again.
{I}8_{/}All words become 
weary and speech comes to 
an end, but the eye has 
never seen enough nor the 
ear heard too much.
{I}9_{/}What has happened 
before will happen again; 
what has been done before 
will be done again: there 
is nothing new under the 
sun.
{I}10_{/}If they say to 
you, "See, it's new!" 
know that it has already 
been centuries earlier.
{I}11_{/}There is no 
remembrance of ancient 
people, and those to come 
will not be remembered by 
those who follow them.
EVEN WISDOM IS 
MEANINGLESS{/}

{I}12_{/}I, the teacher, 
have been king of Israel 
in Jerusalem. {I}13_{/}I 
set my heart on studying 
and examining critically 
all that is done under 
heaven.
{I}14_{/}It is a 
burdensome task which God 
has given to the sons of 
men! I have seen 
everything that is done 
under the sun, but all is 
meaningless: it is 
chasing the wind. 
{I}15_{/}What is bent 
cannot be straightened; 
what is not will not come 
to be.
{I}16_{/}I thought to 
myself, "See, I have 
increased and promoted 
wisdom more than anyone 
who ruled Jerusalem 
before me and I have 
experienced to the full 
both wisdom and 
knowledge." {I}17_{/}I 
set my heart on comparing 
wisdom with foolishness 
and stupidity, and I 
discovered that this also 
is chasing the wind.
{I}18_{/}For the wiser 
you are, the more worries 
you have, and the more 
you learn, the more you 
suffer.
EMPTY PLEASURES{/}

{1}2{/}

{I}1_{/}I said in my 
heart, "I will try 
pleasure! taste 
happiness!" But I found 
that was useless. 
{I}2_{/}Laughter is 
foolishness! As for 
pleasure, what good is 
it? {I}3_{/}I thought of 
cheering my body with 
wine while my heart 
searched for wisdom. So I 
gave myself to folly in 
order to find out what 
would be good for man to 
do under the sun 
throughout his life.
{I}4_{/}I did great 
things: I built houses 
and planted vineyards. 
{I}5_{/}I made gardens 
and parks and planted all 
kinds of fruit trees. 
{I}6_{/}I constructed 
reservoirs to irrigate 
the orchards. {I}7_{/}I 
bought slaves and 
servants and had slaves 
born in my household. I 
had flocks and herds in 
abundance more than 
anyone before me in 
Jerusalem. {I}8_{/}I 
acquired silver and gold 
- the wealth of kings and 
nations. I had 
choirmaster and singers 
and besides that, what 
most delights men. 
{I}9_{/}I became great, 
surpassing all my 
predecessors in Jerusalem 
without losing wisdom. 
{I}10_{/}I refused myself 
nothing that my eyes 
desired nor did I deprive 
my heart of any pleasure. 
I enjoyed all I undertook 
and that was my reward 
for my work.
{I}11_{/}Then I 
considered all I had 
achieved by my work and 
all the toil it had 
entailed and found that 
it was all meaningless 
and chasing wind. There 
is  no profit under the 
sun.
{I}12_{/}I then decided 
to compare wisdom with 
folly and madness and I 
thought, "What will my 
successor as king do?" 
(We know what he did!)
{I}13_{/}I understood 
that wisdom is more 
profitable than folly, 
just as light is better 
than darkness:
{I}14_{/}The wise man has 
eyes in his head, while 
the fool walks in 
darkness.
But it dawned on me that 
the same fate overtakes 
them both. {I}15_{/}And I 
thought, "If the fate of 
the fool will be mine as 
well, what did my wisdom 
profit me?"  I thought to 
myself that, too, is 
meaningless. 
{I}16_{/}There is no more 
remembrance of the wise 
man than of the fool: 
both will be forgotten in 
the days to come. Why is 
a wise man's death like 
that of a fool?
{I}17_{/}So I hated life 
seeing the wrong in 
everything that is done 
under the sun: all is 
meaningless and chasing 
wind. {I}18_{/}I hated 
all I had labored for 
under the sun and which I 
must leave to my 
successor. {I}19_{/}Who 
knows whether he will be 
foolish or wise? Yet he 
will be master of all 
{I}20_{/}I have achieved 
by my own efforts and 
wisdom: that too is 
meaningless.
And I began to despair in 
my heart over all my 
labor under the sun. 
{I}21_{/}For here was a 
man who toiled in all 
wisdom, knowledge and 
skill and he must leave 
all to someone who has 
not worked for it. This 
is meaningless and a 
great misfortune. 
{I}22_{/}For what profit 
is there for a man in all 
his work and heart-
searching under the sun? 
{I}23_{/}All his days 
bring sorrow, his work 
grief; he hasn't, 
moreover, peaceful rest 
at night: that too is 
meaningless.
{I}24_{/}There is nothing 
better for man to do than 
to eat and drink and find 
satisfaction in his work. 
I understood that this 
too comes from the hand 
of God. {I}25_{/}For 
without him who can eat 
or find enjoyment?
{I}26_{/}To the man who 
pleases him, he gives 
wisdom, knowledge and 
joy, while to the sinner 
he gives the task of 
gathering and storing up 
what will be given to 
another who pleases God: 
this too is meaningless 
and chasing wind.
A TIME FOR EVERYTHING{/}

{1}3{/}

{I}1_{/}There is a given 
time for everything and a 
time for every happening 
under heaven:
{I}2_{/}A time for giving 
birth, a time for dying; 
a time for planting, a 
time for uprooting.
{I}3_{/}A time for 
killing, a time for 
healing; a time for 
knocking down, a time for 
building.
{I}4_{/}A time for tears, 
a time for laughter; a 
time for mourning, a time 
for dancing.
{I}5_{/}A time for 
throwing stones, a time 
for gathering stones; a 
time for embracing, a 
time to refrain from 
embracing.
{I}6_{/}A time for 
searching, a time for 
losing; a time for 
keeping, a time for 
throwing away.
{I}7_{/}A time for 
tearing, a time for 
sewing: a time to be 
silent and a time to 
speak.
{I}8_{/}A time for 
loving, a time for 
hating; a time for war, a 
time for peace.
{I}9_{/}What profit is 
there for a man from all 
his toils?
{I}10_{/}Finally I 
considered the task God 
gave to the sons of men. 
{I}11_{/}He made 
everything fitting in its 
time, but he also set 
eternity in their hearts, 
although man is not able 
to embrace the work of 
God from the beginning to 
the end.
{I}12_{/}I know that 
there is nothing better 
for him to do than to 
seek pleasure and well-
being during his life. 
{I}13_{/}To eat, drink 
and find satisfaction in 
his work is a gift from 
God.
{I}14_{/}I know that 
everything God does 
remains forever; there is 
nothing to add, nothing 
to take from it. Yet God 
has ordained that men 
fear him.
{I}15_{/}What has 
happened comes again; 
what is now has already 
been; God recovers what 
has gone. {I}16_{/}I have 
also seen under the sun, 
instead of justice, 
wickedness, and in the 
place of the just, the 
wicked. {I}17_{/}And I 
said to myself, "God will 
judge the just and the 
wicked for there is a 
time for everything, and 
a judgment for every 
deed."
{I}18_{/}I also thought 
about men, how God wants 
to test them and let them 
see that they themselves 
are animals.
{I}19_{/}For the destiny 
of man and animal is 
identical: death for one 
as for the other. 
{I}20_{/}Both have the 
same spirit; man has no 
superiority over animals 
for all pass away like 
wind. Both go to the same 
place, both come from 
dust and return to dust.
{I}21_{/}Who knows if the 
spirit of man rises 
upward and if the spirit 
of the beast descends 
earthward? {I}22_{/}I 
understood that the best 
man can do is to be happy 
in what he does, for that 
is his lot. For who will 
take him to see the 
beyond?
{1}4{/}

{I}1_{/}I considered also 
how much oppression there 
is under the sun: the 
tears of the oppressed 
and no one to console 
them, the violence of the 
oppressors and no one to 
hold them back.
{I}2_{/}More fortunate 
are the dead for being 
dead, than the living who 
have to live, {I}3_{/}and 
even more fortunate than 
both is the one not yet 
born who has not seen the 
abuses under the sun.
{I}4_{/}I saw that all 
that is done, all that 
succeeds, results from 
rivalry with the 
neighbor: all is 
meaningless and chasing 
the wind.
{I}5_{/}The fool folds 
his arms and eats his 
meat. {I}6_{/}Yet better 
half a fistful of rest 
than fistfuls of toil and 
chasing the wind.
{I}7_{/}I saw another 
senseless thing under the 
sun: {I}8_{/}a man alone, 
without son or brother, 
working endlessly, his 
greed never satisfied 
with wealth: "For whom do 
I work and deprive myself 
of pleasure?" This, too, 
is nonsense and mistaken 
investment.
{I}9_{/}Happier two than 
one alone, for their work 
brings a higher salary, 
{I}10_{/}and when one 
falls the other lifts up 
his companion. 
Unfortunate he who is 
alone and has no one to 
lift him up. 
{I}11_{/}Moreover it's 
warmer with two in bed; 
how can one alone be 
warm? {I}12_{/}One person 
may be overcome by an 
aggressor, but two can 
easily oppose him; 
triple-stranded thread is 
not easily broken.
{I}13_{/}Better a youth 
who is poor and wise than 
a fool of an old king who 
shuns advice. {I}14_{/}He 
may even pass from prison 
to the throne, though 
born poor in his kingdom. 
{I}15_{/}I saw all who 
live under the sun follow 
the youth who replaced 
the latter and there was 
no end to the people who 
sided with him. 
{I}16_{/}And yet those 
who will come after will 
not be satisfied. This 
too makes no sense; it's 
nothing but chasing wind.
WISE SAYINGS{/}

{I}17_{/}Watch your step 
when you go to God's 
house; it's a better 
offering to listen, than 
to present sacrifices as 
do the fools; for they do 
not know the evil they 
do.
{1}5{/}

{I}1_{/}Don't be 
impulsive and hasty with 
words in the presence of 
God, for God is in heaven 
and you are on earth. For 
that reason let your 
words be few.
{I}2_{/}For dreams come 
from over-anxiety and 
foolish talk from too 
many words.
{I}3_{/}When you make a 
vow to God, waste no time 
in fulfilling it, for he 
takes no pleasure in 
fools. Do what you vowed.
{I}4_{/}Better not to 
make a vow than to fail 
to fulfill it.
{I}5_{/}Don't let your 
speech cause you to sin, 
and then tell God's 
minister it was a 
mistake. Why anger God by 
what you say and destroy 
the work of your hands? 
From much dreaming and 
many words comes 
emptiness. {I}6_{/}So 
fear God.
{I}7_{/}If you see the 
poor oppressed, right and 
justice denied in the 
province, do not be 
surprised, for over a 
high-placed official a 
higher one watches, and 
over both of these a 
still higher one watches. 
{I}8_{/}The produce of 
the land benefits 
everyone and the king 
serves the land.
{I}9__{/}Whoever loves 
money will not be 
satisfied with money. 
Whoever loves wealth 
hasn't sufficient income. 
This is senseless.
{I}10_{/}When there is 
abundance of good things 
there is abundance of 
consumers. What profit is 
there for the owner 
except to look on?
{I}11_{/}Sweet the sleep 
of the laborer, whether 
he eats little or much. 
But the rich man who has 
had his fill cannot 
sleep.
{I}12_{/}There is a great 
evil that I found under 
the sun, the rich man who 
kept his wealth to his 
own harm. {I}13_{/}A 
mistaken investment and 
these riches are lost; a 
son is born but there is 
nothing to leave him.
{I}14_{/}Naked he came 
from his mother's womb, 
he returns as he came - 
naked. Nothing of the 
fruit of his toil is he 
able to take with him.
{I}15_{/}That, too, is a 
grievous evil: As he 
came, so he goes. So what 
did he gain from chasing 
the wind? {I}16_{/}Why 
did he eat in darkness 
all through his life, 
amidst great sorrow, 
suffering and vexation?
{I}17_{/}This is what I 
saw as most fitting for 
man: to eat, drink and be 
happy in all the work he 
does under the sun during 
the days God grants him; 
this is his reward. 
{I}18_{/}And when God 
gives a man riches and 
property with the 
possibility of enjoying 
them and being happy in 
his work, this is a gift 
from God. {I}19_{/}As 
long as God keeps him 
occupied in the gladness 
of his heart, he is not 
concerned about how long 
he will live.
{1}6{/}

{I}1_{/}There is another 
very evil thing which I 
saw under the sun: a man 
has riches, property, 
honor, and lacks nothing 
he could desire, 
{I}2_{/}yet God does not 
permit him to benefit 
from them; a stranger has 
the enjoyment. That is 
nonsense and a grievous 
hurt.
{I}3_{/}What if a man had 
a hundred sons and lived 
many years but without 
tasting happiness and 
even without a tomb! More 
fortunate, I would say, 
the one untimely-born. 
{I}4_{/}For he came in 
vain and goes to darkness 
and in darkness will his 
name be hidden. 
{I}5_{/}He has not seen 
the sun and has not known 
it. Finally he has had 
more rest than that man. 
{I}6_{/}Even if he should 
live a thousand years 
twice over, but without 
tasting happiness; do not 
both go to the same 
place?
{I}7_{/}Man works to fill 
his stomach, yet he 
himself is not satisfied.
{I}8_{/}Has the wise man 
more than the fool? What 
is the benefit of wisdom 
to one overwhelmed by 
poverty?
{I}9_{/}What the eye sees 
seems better than what 
the heart desires. That, 
too, is senseless and 
chasing wind.
{I}10_{/}Everything has 
already been evaluated. 
One knows what man is and 
that he cannot dispute 
with the one stronger 
than himself.
{I}11_{/}Many words, much 
emptiness; what does it 
profit? {I}12_{/}Who 
knows what is the good 
way of life for man, 
during the days of his 
meaningless life which 
pass like a shadow? Who 
will let him know what 
will happen after he has 
gone?
{1}7{/}

{I}1_{/}An honorable name 
is better than perfumed 
oil. Better the day of 
death than the day of 
birth.
{I}2_{/}Better to go to a 
house of mourning than to 
a house of feasting, for 
to this end all come, and 
let the living take this 
to heart: {I}3_{/}Sorrow 
is better than laughter, 
for a sad face brings 
healing to the soul. 
{I}4_{/}The heart of the 
wise man is in the house 
of mourning, while the 
heart of the fool is in 
the house of feasting.
{I}5_{/}Better to heed 
the rebuke of a wise man 
than to listen to a 
fool's song. {I}6_{/}Like 
the crackling of thorns 
under a pot is the fool's 
laugh.
{I}7_{/}Oppression makes 
a wise man mad, but a 
bribe corrupts his heart.
{I}8_{/}Better to reach 
the end than to begin. 
Better patience than a 
haughty spirit.
{I}9_{/}Don't be easily 
dejected, for dejection 
resides in the womb of 
fools.
{I}10_{/}Do not ask why 
former times were better 
than the present. It is 
not wisdom that prompts 
such a question.
{I}11_{/}Wisdom is as 
precious as an 
inheritance; it is a 
blessing for those on 
whom the sun shines. 
{I}12_{/}If wisdom 
protects you, money will 
do the same. This is the 
benefit of acquiring 
wisdom: it makes its 
owner live.
{I}13_{/}See the work of 
God. Who can straighten 
what he has bent? 
{I}14_{/}Be happy in the 
day of prosperity and in 
the day of sorrow 
reflect: {I}15_{/}God has 
given both one and the 
other and many may 
discover what comes 
later.
{I}16_{/}Do not be over-
righteous or excessively 
wise, lest you harm 
yourself. {I}17_{/}Do not 
be too wicked or too 
stupid, lest you die 
before your time.
{I}18_{/}It is well to 
hold to one and not to 
loosen your grasp on the 
other. The God-fearing 
man copes with both.
{I}19_{/}Wisdom makes the 
wise man stronger than 
ten rulers in the city. 
{I}20_{/}There is no 
righteous man on earth 
who always does good and 
never sins.
{I}21_{/}Don't take 
seriously all that you 
hear, lest you hear your 
servant speak ill of you. 
{I}22_{/}You know well 
how many times you have 
spoken ill of others!
{I}23_{/}After having 
examined all this 
critically I said, "I 
will be wise!" 
{I}24_{/}But how far it 
is from me! more remote 
than anything, and deep, 
very{I}_{/} deep. 
{I}_{/}Who could discover 
it?
{I}25_{/}I set myself in 
all earnestness to know, 
study and pursue wisdom 
and reason, so I saw that 
wickedness is folly, and 
foolishness, stupidity.
{I}26_{/}I find woman 
more bitter than death. 
She is a pitfall; her 
heart is a snare and her 
arms, chains. He who 
pleases God will escape 
from her, but the sinner 
will be caught.
{I}27_{/}See what I 
discovered - says the 
Teacher - after 
considering them one 
after another, anxious to 
understand. {I}28_{/}I 
have been searching but 
have not yet found; for a 
man among a thousand I 
may find, but not a woman 
among all of them.
{I}29_{/}See what I 
discovered: God made man 
simple, but they get lost 
in their many thoughts.
{1}8{/}

{I}1_{/}Who is like the 
wise man? Who else can 
solve a problem? A man's 
wisdom lights up his 
expression - his stern 
look is changed.
{I}2_{/}Obey the command 
of the king because of 
the oath before God and 
{I}3_{/}don't be eager to 
ignore it. Do not 
stubbornly support a bad 
cause, for he will do 
what he pleases. 
{I}4_{/}The king's word 
holds. Who will say to 
him, "What are you 
doing?"
{I}5_{/}Whoever obeys a 
royal precept avoids 
trouble. The wise man 
knows the time and the 
judgment - {I}6_{/}the 
time to act and the value 
of everything.
This misfortune weighs 
heavily on man: 
{I}7_{/}he has no 
knowledge of what will 
happen. Who can tell him 
what will happen? 
{I}8_{/}No man controls 
the wind or holds back 
the day of death. 
Struggle is useless and 
not even wickedness saves 
its author. {I}9_{/}I 
have observed this and 
set myself to consider 
everything that is done 
under the sun, when man 
is given the power of 
harming another.
{I}10_{/}And so I have 
seen the wicked buried 
and people come from the 
holy place to honor them, 
forgetting how they 
acted. This, too, is 
futile.

{I}11_{/}It is because 
sentence against 
wrongdoing is not passed 
at once that men turn to 
evil designs. 
{I}12_{/}The sinner may 
do wrong a hundred times 
and yet survive.
(I know well that there 
will be happiness for the 
God-fearing man because 
he fears God, 
{I}13_{/}but there will 
be no happiness for the 
wicked; and because he 
doesn't fear God, he will 
pass like a shadow and 
his days will not last.)
{I}14_{/}Another kind of 
nonsense is found in what 
humans do on earth: the 
righteous are treated as 
the wicked deserve, and 
the wicked, as the 
righteous deserve. This, 
too, is meaningless.
{I}15_{/}So I praise joy, 
since for man there is no 
happiness under the sun 
other than eating, 
drinking and taking 
pleasure in his work 
throughout the life God 
gives him under the sun. 
{I}16_{/}When I set out 
to get wisdom and 
considered the human 
condition on earth, by 
day or by night when 
people sleep and are not 
conscious, {I}17_{/}I saw 
that with regard to God's 
work, as a whole, no man 
is able to discover what 
the work is that goes on 
under the sun; though he 
tire himself searching, 
he will not find out. And 
if the wise man claims to 
know, he does not.
{1}9{/}

{I}1_{/}I have pondered 
on all this and now I 
understand that the just, 
the wise and all they do 
are in the hand of God. 
Man does not know whether 
hate or love is in store 
for him. {I}2_{/}What is 
most senseless is that 
the same destiny awaits 
all, the virtuous and the 
wicked, the clean and the 
unclean, the one who 
sacrifices and the one 
who doesn't. It is then 
the same for the good man 
and the sinner, for the 
one who swears and the 
one who refrains from 
swearing.
{I}3_{/}The same fate 
comes to all: this is the 
evil which corrupts all 
that is done under the 
sun. This is why man's 
heart is full of evil and 
foolishness during his 
life and his end is with 
the dead. {I}4_{/}As long 
as he shares with the 
living there is hope, a 
live dog being better 
than a dead  lion. 
{I}5_{/}The living at 
least know they will die 
but the dead know 
nothing; neither do they 
await anything; the 
memory of them has 
vanished. {I}6_{/}Their 
love, hate and jealousy 
have already perished and 
they no longer have a 
share in all that is done 
under the sun.
{I}7_{/}Go, eat your 
bread with gladness and 
drink your wine joyfully; 
this is God's approval of 
your work. {I}8_{/}Dress 
in white and perfume your 
head.
{I}9_{/}Enjoy life with 
the wife you love all the 
days of the meaningless 
life given you by God 
under the sun, for this 
is your lot in life and 
in the work you do under 
the sun.
{I}10_{/}Fulfill your 
projects while you are 
able, for among the dead 
where you are going there 
is no work, no planning, 
no knowledge, no wisdom.
{I}11_{/}I saw something 
else under the sun: the 
race is not won by the 
swift, nor the battle by 
the strong, nor does 
bread go to the wise nor 
riches to the 
intelligent; favor is not 
for the learned, for  
fortune and misfortune 
overtake them all.
{I}12_{/}For man is not 
aware of his time: just 
as fish are caught in the 
treacherous net and 
sparrows trapped in the 
snare, man, like them, is 
caught by misfortune 
suddenly befalling him.
MORE PROVERBS{/}

{I}13_{/}I have 
considered something else 
very grave under the sun. 
{I}14_{/}There was a 
small town with few 
inhabitants. A king set 
out to attack it, laid 
siege to it and built 
great siege-works around 
it. {I}15_{/}But a 
poverty-stricken wise man 
was found, who by his 
wisdom saved the town. No 
one, however, remembered 
the poor man. {I}16_{/}So 
I said, "Better wisdom 
than heroism," but the 
wisdom of the poor is 
despised and his words 
are not heeded.
{I}17_{/}The words of the 
wise spoken calmly are 
heard above the shouts of 
a ruler of fools.
{I}18_{/}Wisdom is better 
than weapons; one sinner 
spoils much happiness.
{1}10{/}

{I}1_{/}As dead flies 
spoil a jar of perfumed 
oil, a little folly 
weighs heavier than 
wisdom and honor.
{I}2_{/}The heart of the 
wise man leads him to the 
right, the heart of the 
fool leads him to the 
left.

{I}3_{/}When the fool is 
on the road, he goes the 
wrong way and to all he 
meets he says, "There 
goes another fool."
{I}4_{/}If the ruler gets 
angry with you, do not 
stir, for composure 
prevents many grave 
mistakes.
{I}5_{/}An evil I 
discovered under the sun, 
an error of rulers: 
{I}6_{/}folly is exalted 
to the heights while rich 
men take the lowest 
places. {I}7_{/}I have 
seen slaves riding on 
horses, princes going on 
foot like slaves.
{I}8_{/}He who digs a pit 
may fall into it and he 
who pierces a wall may be 
bitten by a serpent;
{I}9_{/}he who quarries 
stones may be hurt by 
them and he who splits 
logs may be wounded;
{I}10_{/}if the axe is 
blunt and the edge not 
sharpened, you must 
strike stronger blows, in 
all this gain with 
wisdom. {I}11_{/}But if 
the serpent doesn't allow 
itself to be charmed and 
bites, what did the 
charmer gain?
{I}12_{/}The words from 
the lips of a wise man 
are gracious but the lips 
of a fool bring about his 
own ruin. {I}13_{/}Folly 
marks the beginning of 
his speech and pure 
madness, the end. 
{I}14_{/}Let him multiply 
his words! (Man does not 
know what will happen and 
who will let him know 
what comes after him?) 
{I}15_{/}Any work wearies 
the fool; he doesn't even 
know the way to go to 
town.
{I}16_{/}Alas for you, O 
land! if your ruler is a 
young man whose princes 
feast in the morning. 
{I}17_{/}Happy the land 
where the king is nobly 
born and where the 
princes eat at 
appropriate times, as 
fitting to men, rather 
than being drunk.
{I}18_{/}Laziness in man 
causes a ceiling to sag 
and because of a man's 
slackness a house leaks.
{I}19_{/}Man prepares a 
meal for pleasure; wine 
gives cheer to life while 
money is the answer to 
everything.
{I}20_{/}Even in your 
mind do not curse the 
king and in your bedroom 
do not curse the rich, 
for the birds of the air 
may tell what you say and 
winged carriers will make 
it known.
{1}11{/}

{I}1_{/}Cast your bread 
on the water for after a 
given time you will find 
it again.
{I}2_{/}Share with seven 
or even with eight for 
you never know what 
misfortune may strike the 
earth.
{I}3_{/}When clouds are 
heavy rain falls on the 
earth and when a tree 
falls facing south or 
north there in that place 
it will lie.
{I}4_{/}He who watches 
the wind will not sow and 
he who watches the clouds 
will not reap.
{I}5_{/}Just as you do 
not know how the spirit 
pervades the members in 
the mother's womb, 
neither will you 
understand the work of 
God, creator of all 
things.
{I}6_{/}Sow your seed in 
the morning and do not be 
idle until the evening 
for you don't know 
whether one or the other 
will succeed. What if 
both prove to be good?
SO MAN GOES FORWARD TO 
HIS ETERNAL HOME{/}

{I}7_{/}Light is pleasant 
and it is good for the 
eyes to see the sun. 
{I}8_{/}If a man lives 
for many years, let him 
rejoice in them all, 
thinking that dark days 
will be many and all that 
comes after will be 
meaningless.
{I}9_{/}Rejoice, young 
man, in your youth and 
direct well your heart 
when you are young; 
follow your desires and 
achieve your ambitions 
but recall that God will 
take account of all you 
do.
{I}10_{/}Drive sorrow 
from your heart and pain 
from your flesh, for 
youth and dark hair will 
not last.
{1}12{/}

{I}1_{/}Be mindful of 
your Creator when you are 
young, before the time of 
sorrow comes when you 
have to say, "This gives 
me no pleasure,"
{I}2_{/}and before the 
sun, moon and stars 
withdraw their light, 
before the clouds gather 
again after the rain.
{I}3_{/}On the day when 
the guardians of the 
house tremble, when 
sturdy men are bowed and 
those at the mill stop 
working because they are 
too few, when it grows 
dim for those looking 
through the windows, 
{I}4_{/}and the doors are 
shut and the noise of the 
mill grows faint, the 
sparrow stops chirping 
and the bird-song is 
silenced, {I}5_{/}when 
one fears the slopes and 
to walk is frightening; 
yet the almond tree 
blossoms, the grasshopper 
is fat and the caperberry 
bears fruit that serves 
no purpose, 
because man  goes forward 
to his eternal home and 
mourners gather in the 
street,
{I}6_{/}even before the 
silver chain is snapped 
or the golden globe is 
shattered, 
before the pitcher is 
broken at the fountain or 
the wheel at the mill,
{I}7_{/}before the dust 
returns to the earth from 
which it came and the 
spirit returns to God who 
gave it.
{I}8_{/}Meaningless! 
meaningless! the Teacher 
says; all is meaningless!
{I}9_{/}Besides being a 
wise man Qoheleth taught 
the people; he listened, 
studied and classified a 
great number of proverbs.
{I}10_{/}Qoheleth tried 
to write in a pleasant 
style and express frankly 
words of truth.
{I}11_{/}The words of the 
wise are spurs, their 
collected sayings are 
like a fence whose many 
pegs have been assembled 
by one shepherd.
{I}12_{/}Beware, my son, 
of searching beyond. 
Writing many books would 
be useless, and intense 
study wearies the body.
{I}13_{/}Conclusion: fear 
God and obey his 
precepts; for man depends 
entirely on this. 
{I}14_{/}God brings every 
deed to judgment, all 
that is hidden, be it 
good or bad.

