I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul.

Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:

And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding,

The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the LORD hath made even both of them.

A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.

Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.

Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.

Lest the LORD see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.

Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction.

For better it is that it be said unto thee, Come up hither; than that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the prince whom thine eyes have seen.

Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him.

A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished.

The hay appeareth, and the tender grass sheweth itself, and herbs of the mountains are gathered.

When the wicked are multiplied, transgression increaseth: but the righteous shall see their fall.

All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.

Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.

I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.

I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.

I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life.

And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been already done.

Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.

There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.

I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.

And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.

And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there.

I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.

Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion: for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?

So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.

Yea, better is he than both they, which hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.

Again, I considered all travail, and every right work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbour. This is also vanity and vexation of spirit.

Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun.

I considered all the living which walk under the sun, with the second child that shall stand up in his stead.

If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there be higher than they.

There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt.

Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion.

There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men:

Moreover he hath not seen the sun, nor known any thing: this hath more rest than the other.

Yea, though he live a thousand years twice told, yet hath he seen no good: do not all go to one place?

Wisdom is good with an inheritance: and by it there is profit to them that see the sun.

Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?

In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.

All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness.

Behold, this have I found, saith the preacher, counting one by one, to find out the account:

Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.

All this have I seen, and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun: there is a time wherein one man ruleth over another to his own hurt.

And so I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of the holy, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done: this is also vanity.

When I applied mine heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth:(for also there is that neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes:)

Then I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because though a man labour to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea further; though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it.

Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.