1:12 I, the Teacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. ¹ 

1:13 I decided ²  to carefully ³  and thoroughly examine ⁴ 

all that has been accomplished on earth. ⁵ 

I concluded: ⁶  God has given people ⁷  a burdensome task ⁸ 

that keeps them ⁹  occupied. ¹⁰ 

1:14 I reflected on everything that is accomplished by man ¹¹  on earth, ¹² 

and I concluded: Everything ¹³  he has accomplished ¹⁴  is futile ¹⁵  – like chasing the wind! ¹⁶ 

1:15 What is bent ¹⁷  cannot be straightened, ¹⁸ 

and what is missing ¹⁹  cannot be supplied. ²⁰ 

1:16 I thought to myself, ²¹ 

“I have become much wiser ²²  than any of my predecessors who ruled ²³  over Jerusalem; ²⁴ 

I ²⁵  have acquired much wisdom and knowledge.” ²⁶ 

1:17 So I decided ²⁷  to discern the benefit of ²⁸  wisdom and knowledge over ²⁹  foolish behavior and ideas; ³⁰ 

however, I concluded ³¹  that even ³²  this endeavor ³³  is like ³⁴  trying to chase the wind! ³⁵ 

1:18 For with great wisdom comes ³⁶  great frustration;

whoever increases his ³⁷  knowledge merely ³⁸  increases his ³⁹  heartache.

2:1

I thought to myself, ⁴⁰ 

“Come now, ⁴¹  I will try ⁴²  self-indulgent pleasure ⁴³  to see ⁴⁴  if it is worthwhile.” ⁴⁵ 

But I found ⁴⁶  that it also is futile. ⁴⁷ 

2:2 I said of partying, ⁴⁸  “It is folly,”

and of self-indulgent pleasure, ⁴⁹  “It accomplishes nothing!” ⁵⁰ 

2:3 I thought deeply ⁵¹  about the effects of ⁵²  indulging ⁵³  myself ⁵⁴  with wine

(all the while ⁵⁵  my mind was guiding me ⁵⁶  with wisdom) ⁵⁷ 

and the effects of ⁵⁸  behaving foolishly, ⁵⁹ 

so that ⁶⁰  I might discover what is profitable ⁶¹ 

for people ⁶²  to do on earth ⁶³  during the few days ⁶⁴  of their lives.

2:4 I increased my possessions: ⁶⁵ 

I built houses for myself; ⁶⁶ 

I planted vineyards for myself.

2:5 I designed ⁶⁷  royal gardens ⁶⁸  and parks ⁶⁹  for myself,

and I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them.

2:6 I constructed pools of water for myself,

to irrigate my grove ⁷⁰  of flourishing trees.

2:7 I purchased male and female slaves,

and I owned slaves who were born in my house; ⁷¹ 

I also possessed more livestock – both herds and flocks –

than any of my predecessors in Jerusalem. ⁷² 

2:8 I also amassed silver and gold for myself,

as well as valuable treasures ⁷³  taken from kingdoms and provinces. ⁷⁴ 

I acquired male singers and female singers for myself,

and what gives a man sensual delight ⁷⁵  – a harem of beautiful concubines! ⁷⁶ 

2:9 So ⁷⁷  I was far wealthier ⁷⁸  than all my predecessors in Jerusalem,

yet I maintained my objectivity: ⁷⁹ 

2:10 I did not restrain myself from getting whatever I wanted; ⁸⁰ 

I did not deny myself anything that would bring me pleasure. ⁸¹ 

So all my accomplishments gave me joy; ⁸² 

this was my reward for all my effort. ⁸³ 

2:11 Yet when I reflected on everything I had accomplished ⁸⁴ 

and on all the effort that I had expended to accomplish it, ⁸⁵ 

I concluded: ⁸⁶  “All these ⁸⁷  achievements and possessions ⁸⁸  are ultimately ⁸⁹  profitless ⁹⁰  –

like chasing the wind!

There is nothing gained ⁹¹  from them ⁹²  on earth.” ⁹³ 

2:12 Next, I decided to consider ⁹⁴  wisdom, as well as foolish behavior and ideas. ⁹⁵ 

For what more can the king’s successor do than what the king ⁹⁶  has already done?

2:13 I realized that wisdom is preferable to folly, ⁹⁷ 

just as light is preferable to darkness:

2:14 The wise man can see where he is going, ⁹⁸  but the fool walks in darkness.

Yet I also realized that the same fate ⁹⁹  happens to them both. ¹⁰⁰ 

2:15 So I thought to myself, “The fate of the fool will happen even to me! ¹⁰¹ 

Then what did I gain by becoming so excessively ¹⁰²  wise?” ¹⁰³ 

So I lamented to myself, ¹⁰⁴ 

“The benefits of wisdom ¹⁰⁵  are ultimately ¹⁰⁶  meaningless!”

2:16 For the wise man, like ¹⁰⁷  the fool, will not be remembered for very long, ¹⁰⁸ 

because ¹⁰⁹  in the days to come, both will already have been forgotten. ¹¹⁰ 

Alas, ¹¹¹  the wise man dies – just like ¹¹²  the fool!

2:17 So I loathed ¹¹³  life ¹¹⁴  because what

happens ¹¹⁵  on earth ¹¹⁶  seems awful to me;

for all the benefits of wisdom ¹¹⁷  are futile – like chasing the wind.

2:18 So I loathed all the fruit of ¹¹⁸  my effort, ¹¹⁹ 

for which I worked so hard ¹²⁰  on earth, ¹²¹ 

because ¹²²  I must leave it ¹²³  behind ¹²⁴  in the hands of my successor. ¹²⁵ 

2:19 Who knows if he will be a wise man or a fool?

Yet ¹²⁶  he will be master over all the fruit of ¹²⁷  my labor ¹²⁸ 

for which I worked so wisely ¹²⁹  on earth! ¹³⁰ 

This also is futile!

2:20 So I began to despair ¹³¹  about all the fruit of ¹³²  my labor ¹³³ 

for which I worked so hard ¹³⁴  on earth. ¹³⁵ 

2:21 For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge, and skill;

however, he must hand over ¹³⁶  the fruit of his labor ¹³⁷  as an inheritance ¹³⁸ 

to someone else who did not work for it.

This also is futile, and an awful injustice! ¹³⁹ 

2:22 What does a man acquire from all his labor

and from the anxiety that accompanies his toil on earth? ¹⁴⁰ 

2:23 For all day long ¹⁴¹  his work produces pain and frustration, ¹⁴² 

and even at night his mind cannot relax! ¹⁴³ 

This also is futile!

2:24 There is nothing better for ¹⁴⁴  people ¹⁴⁵  than ¹⁴⁶  to eat and drink,

and to find enjoyment ¹⁴⁷  in their ¹⁴⁸  work.

I also perceived that this ability to find enjoyment ¹⁴⁹  comes from God. ¹⁵⁰ 

2:25 For no one ¹⁵¹  can eat and drink ¹⁵² 

or experience joy ¹⁵³  apart from him. ¹⁵⁴ 

2:26 For to the one who pleases him, ¹⁵⁵  God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy,

but to the sinner, he gives the task of amassing ¹⁵⁶  wealth ¹⁵⁷  –

only to give ¹⁵⁸  it ¹⁵⁹  to the one who pleases God.

This ¹⁶⁰  task of the wicked ¹⁶¹  is futile – like chasing the wind!

3:1 For everything ¹⁶²  there is an appointed time, ¹⁶³ 

and an appropriate time ¹⁶⁴  for every activity ¹⁶⁵  on earth: ¹⁶⁶ 

3:2 A time to be born, ¹⁶⁷  and a time to die; ¹⁶⁸ 

a time to plant, and a time to uproot what was planted;

3:3 A time to kill, and a time to heal;

a time to break down, and a time to build up;

3:4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh;

a time to mourn, and a time to dance.

3:5 A time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones;

a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

3:6 A time to search, and a time to give something up as lost; ¹⁶⁹ 

a time to keep, and a time to throw away;

3:7 A time to rip, and a time to sew;

a time to keep silent, and a time to speak.

3:8 A time to love, and a time to hate;

a time for war, and a time for peace.

3:9 What benefit can a worker ¹⁷⁰  gain from his toil? ¹⁷¹ 

3:10 I have observed the burden

that God has given to people ¹⁷²  to keep them occupied.

3:11 God has made everything fit beautifully ¹⁷³  in its appropriate time,

but ¹⁷⁴  he has also placed ignorance ¹⁷⁵  in the human heart ¹⁷⁶ 

so that ¹⁷⁷  people ¹⁷⁸  cannot discover what God has ordained, ¹⁷⁹ 

from the beginning to the end ¹⁸⁰  of their lives. ¹⁸¹ 

3:12 I have concluded ¹⁸²  that there is nothing better for people ¹⁸³ 

than ¹⁸⁴  to be happy and to enjoy

themselves ¹⁸⁵  as long as they live,

3:13 and also that everyone should eat and drink, and find enjoyment in all his toil,

for these things ¹⁸⁶  are a gift from God.

3:14 I also know that whatever God does will endure forever;

nothing can be added to it, and nothing taken away from it.

God has made it this way, so that men will fear him.

3:15 Whatever exists now has already been, and whatever will be has already been;

for God will seek to do again ¹⁸⁷  what has occurred ¹⁸⁸  in the past. ¹⁸⁹ 

3:16 I saw something else on earth: ¹⁹⁰ 

In the place of justice, there was wickedness,

and in the place of fairness, ¹⁹¹  there was wickedness.

3:17 I thought to myself, “God will judge both the righteous and the wicked;

for there is an appropriate time for every activity,

and there is a time of judgment ¹⁹²  for every deed.

3:18 I also thought to myself, “It is ¹⁹³  for the sake of people, ¹⁹⁴ 

so God can clearly ¹⁹⁵  show ¹⁹⁶  them that they are like animals.

3:19 For the fate of humans ¹⁹⁷  and the fate of animals are the same:

As one dies, so dies the other; both have the same breath.

There is no advantage for humans over animals,

for both are fleeting.

3:20 Both go to the same place,

both come from the dust,

and to dust both return.

3:21 Who really knows if the human spirit ¹⁹⁸  ascends upward,

and the animal’s spirit descends into the earth?

3:22 So I perceived there is nothing better than for people ¹⁹⁹  to enjoy their work, ²⁰⁰ 

because that is their ²⁰¹  reward;

for who can show them what the future holds? ²⁰² 

4:1 So ²⁰³  I again considered ²⁰⁴  all the oppression ²⁰⁵  that continually occurs ²⁰⁶  on earth. ²⁰⁷ 

This is what I saw: ²⁰⁸ 

The oppressed ²⁰⁹  were in tears, ²¹⁰  but no one was comforting them;

no one delivers ²¹¹  them from the power of their oppressors. ²¹² 

4:2 So I considered ²¹³  those who are dead and gone ²¹⁴ 

more fortunate than those who are still alive. ²¹⁵ 

4:3 But better than both is the one who has not been born ²¹⁶ 

and has not seen the evil things that are done on earth. ²¹⁷ 

4:4 Then I considered ²¹⁸  all the skillful work ²¹⁹  that is done:

Surely it is nothing more than ²²⁰  competition ²²¹  between one person and another. ²²² 

This also is profitless – like ²²³  chasing the wind.

4:5 The fool folds his hands and does no work, ²²⁴ 

so he has nothing to eat but his own flesh. ²²⁵ 

4:6 Better is one handful with some rest

than two hands full of toil ²²⁶  and chasing the wind.

4:7 So ²²⁷  I again considered ²²⁸  another ²²⁹  futile thing on earth: ²³⁰ 

4:8 A man who is all alone with no companion, ²³¹ 

he has no children nor siblings; ²³² 

yet there is no end to all his toil,

and he ²³³  is never satisfied with riches.

He laments, ²³⁴  “For whom am I toiling and depriving myself ²³⁵  of pleasure?” ²³⁶ 

This also is futile and a burdensome task! ²³⁷ 

4:9 Two people are better than one,

because they can reap ²³⁸  more benefit ²³⁹  from their labor.

4:10 For if they fall, one will help his companion up,

but pity ²⁴⁰  the person who falls down and has no one to help him up.

4:11 Furthermore, if two lie down together, they can keep each other warm,

but how can one person keep warm by himself?

4:12 Although an assailant may overpower ²⁴¹  one person,

two can withstand him.

Moreover, a three-stranded cord is not quickly broken.

4:13 A poor but wise youth is better than an old and foolish king

who no longer knows how to receive advice.

4:14 For he came out of prison ²⁴²  to become king,

even though he had been born poor in what would become his ²⁴³  kingdom.

4:15 I considered all the living who walk on earth, ²⁴⁴ 

as well as the successor ²⁴⁵  who would arise ²⁴⁶  in his place.

4:16 There is no end to all the people ²⁴⁷  nor to the past generations, ²⁴⁸ 

yet future generations ²⁴⁹  will not rejoice in him.

This also is profitless and like ²⁵⁰  chasing the wind.

5:1 ²⁵¹ 

Be careful what you do ²⁵²  when you go to the temple ²⁵³  of God;

draw near to listen ²⁵⁴  rather than to offer a sacrifice ²⁵⁵  like fools, ²⁵⁶ 

for they do not realize that they are doing wrong.

5:2 Do not be rash with your mouth or hasty in your heart to bring up a matter before God,

for God is in heaven and you are on earth!

Therefore, let your words be few.

5:3 Just as dreams come when there are many cares, ²⁵⁷ 

so ²⁵⁸  the rash vow ²⁵⁹  of a fool occurs ²⁶⁰  when there are many words.

5:4 When you make a vow ²⁶¹  to God, do not delay in paying it. ²⁶² 

For God ²⁶³  takes no pleasure in fools:

Pay what you vow!

5:5 It is better for you not to vow

than to vow and not pay it. ²⁶⁴ 

5:6 Do not let your mouth cause you ²⁶⁵  to sin,

and do not tell the priest, ²⁶⁶  “It was a mistake!” ²⁶⁷ 

Why make God angry at you ²⁶⁸ 

so that he would destroy the work of your hands?”

5:7 Just as there is futility in many dreams,

so also in many words. ²⁶⁹ 

Therefore, fear God!

5:8 If you see the extortion ²⁷⁰  of the poor,

or the perversion ²⁷¹  of justice and fairness in the government, ²⁷² 

do not be astonished by the matter.

For the high official is watched by a higher official, ²⁷³ 

and there are higher ones over them! ²⁷⁴ 

5:9 The produce of the land is seized ²⁷⁵  by all of them,

even the king is served ²⁷⁶  by the fields. ²⁷⁷ 

5:10 The one who loves money ²⁷⁸  will never be satisfied with money, ²⁷⁹ 

he who loves wealth ²⁸⁰  will never be satisfied ²⁸¹  with his ²⁸²  income.

This also is futile.

5:11 When someone’s ²⁸³  prosperity ²⁸⁴  increases, those who consume it also increase;

so what does its owner ²⁸⁵  gain, except that he gets to see it with his eyes? ²⁸⁶ 

5:12 The sleep of the laborer is pleasant – whether he eats little or much –

but the wealth of the rich will not allow him to sleep.

5:13 Here is ²⁸⁷  a misfortune ²⁸⁸  on earth ²⁸⁹  that I have seen:

Wealth hoarded by its owner to his own misery.

5:14 Then that wealth was lost through bad luck; ²⁹⁰ 

although he fathered a son, he has nothing left to give him. ²⁹¹ 

5:15 Just as he came forth from his mother's womb, naked will he return as he came,

and he will take nothing in his hand that he may carry away from his toil.

5:16 This is another misfortune: ²⁹² 

Just as he came, so will he go.

What did he gain from toiling for the wind?

5:17 Surely, he ate in darkness every day of his life, ²⁹³ 

and he suffered greatly with sickness and anger.

5:18 I have seen personally what is the only beneficial and appropriate course of action for people: ²⁹⁴ 

to eat and drink, ²⁹⁵  and find enjoyment in all their ²⁹⁶  hard work ²⁹⁷  on earth ²⁹⁸ 

during the few days of their life which God has given them,

for this is their reward. ²⁹⁹ 

5:19 To every man whom God has given wealth, and possessions,

he has also given him the ability ³⁰⁰ 

to eat from them, to receive his reward and to find enjoyment in his toil;

these things ³⁰¹  are the gift of God.

5:20 For he does not think ³⁰²  much about the fleeting ³⁰³  days of his life

because God keeps him preoccupied ³⁰⁴  with the joy he derives from his activity. ³⁰⁵ 

6:1 Here is ³⁰⁶  another misfortune ³⁰⁷  that I have seen on earth, ³⁰⁸ 

and it weighs ³⁰⁹  heavily on people: ³¹⁰ 

6:2 God gives a man riches, property, and wealth

so that he lacks nothing that his heart ³¹¹  desires, ³¹² 

yet God does not enable ³¹³  him to enjoy ³¹⁴  the fruit of his labor ³¹⁵  –

instead, someone else ³¹⁶  enjoys ³¹⁷  it! ³¹⁸ 

This is fruitless and a grave misfortune. ³¹⁹ 

6:3 Even if a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years –

even if he lives a long, long time, ³²⁰  but cannot enjoy his prosperity –

even if he were to live forever ³²¹  –

I would say, “A stillborn child ³²²  is better off than he is!” ³²³ 

6:4 Though the stillborn child ³²⁴  came into the world ³²⁵  for no reason ³²⁶  and departed into darkness,

though its name is shrouded in darkness, ³²⁷ 

6:5 though it never saw the light of day ³²⁸  nor knew anything, ³²⁹ 

yet it has more rest ³³⁰  than that man –

6:6 if he should live a thousand years twice, yet does not enjoy his prosperity.

For both of them die! ³³¹ 

6:7 All of man’s labor is for nothing more than ³³²  to fill his stomach ³³³  –

yet his appetite ³³⁴  is never satisfied!

6:8 So what advantage does a wise man have over a fool? ³³⁵ 

And what advantage ³³⁶  does a pauper gain by knowing how to survive? ³³⁷ 

6:9 It is better to be content with ³³⁸  what the eyes can see ³³⁹ 

than for one’s heart always to crave more. ³⁴⁰ 

This continual longing ³⁴¹  is futile – like ³⁴²  chasing the wind.