that the days of his years be many, and his soul be not filled with good, and also that he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he.
6:4 For he cometh in with vanity, and departeth in darkness, and his name shall be covered with darkness.
6:5 Moreover he hath not seen the sun, nor known any thing: this hath more rest than the other.
6:6 Yea, though he live a thousand years twice told, yet hath he seen no good: do not all go to one place? 6:7 All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.
6:8 For what hath the wise more than the fool? what hath the poor, that knoweth to walk before the living? 6:9 Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this is also vanity and vexation of spirit.
6:10 That which hath been is named already, and it is known that it is man: neither may he contend with him that is mightier than he.
6:11 Seeing there be many things that increase vanity, what is man the better? 6:12 For who knoweth what is good for man in this life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun? 7:1 A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one’s birth.
7:2 It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart.
7:3 Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.
7:4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
7:5 It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.
7:6 For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool: this also is vanity.
7:7 Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad; and a gift destroyeth the heart.
7:8 Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
7:9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.
7:10 Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this.
7:11 Wisdom is good with an inheritance: and by it there is profit to them that see the sun.
7:12 For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it.
7:13 Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked? 7:14 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.
7:15 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.
7:16 Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself? 7:17 Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time? 7:18 It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from this withdraw not thine hand: for he that feareth God shall come forth of them all.
7:19 Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city.
7:20 For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.
7:21 Also take no heed unto all words that are spoken; lest thou hear thy servant curse thee: 7:22 For oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.
7:23 All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
7:24 That which is far off, and exceeding deep, who can find it out? 7:25 I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness: 7:26 And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her.
7:27 Behold, this have I found, saith the preacher, counting one by one, to find out the account: 7:28 Which yet my soul seeketh, but I find not: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found.
7:29 Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.
8:1 Who is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? a man’s wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed.
8:2 I counsel thee to keep the king’s commandment, and that in regard of the oath of God.
8:3 Be not hasty to go out of his sight: stand not in an evil thing; for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him.
8:4 Where the word of a king is, there is power: and who may say unto him, What doest thou? 8:5 Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man’s heart discerneth both time and judgment.
8:6 Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great upon him.
8:7 For he knoweth not that which shall be: for who can tell him when it shall be? 8:8 There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it.
8:9 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.
8:10 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.
8:11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.
8:12 Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him: 8:13 But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.
8:14 There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there be just men, unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there be wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also is vanity.
8:15 Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun.
8:16 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:) 8:17 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 farther; though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it.
9:1 For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them.
9:2 All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.
9:3 This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.
9:4 For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.
9:5 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.
9:6 Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the