I have seen under the sun, to keep wealth to the hurt of him that hath it.

For the rich man perisheth with great sorrow: and if he have begotten a son, he hath nothing left in his hand.

As he came naked from his mother’s womb, so he goeth again as he came, and taketh nothing of his work in his hand with him when he goeth.

This is an evil plague, because he is gone as he came. What profit is it to him, that he hath wrought in the wind?

For all his life he hath eaten in darkness, and in great sorrow, and in sickness, and in grief.

Now therefore I consider it good to eat and to drink, and to be of good cheer in all the work that a man doeth under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for that is his portion.

For unto whomsoever God giveth riches, and goods, and power, to eat thereof, and to drink thereof for his portion, and to be merry in his labour, this is the gift of God.

For he thinketh not much of the miserable life, because God delighteth his heart.
(Ecclesiastes)
Chapter 6
Avarice and worldly honor a vain thing.

It is a calamity that I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men: 2. One to whom God hath given riches, goods, and honor, and lacketh none that his heart desireth, and yet God giveth him not power to enjoy them, but another devoureth them: this is vain and an evil plague.

If he beget an hundred children, and live so long, that he live many years, and his soul be not satisfied with good, and remain without a grave, of him I say that untimely birth is better than he.

For in vanity he cometh, and in darkness he passeth away, and his name abideth in darkness, 5. Is not glad of the sun, and knows no rest either here or there.

Though he live two thousand years, yet hath he no good courage. Is it not all in one place?

To every man is laid up work according to his measure: but the heart cannot keep it up.

For what doth a wise man judge more than a fool? What dare Anne, that he should be among the living?

It is better to use the present good, than to think of other things. This is also vanity and misery.

What is the matter, though a man be highly renowned, yet know ye that he is a man, and be not grieved with that which is too mighty for him?

For the vain thing is too much: what hath a man more of it?
(Ecclesiastes)
Chapter 7
From means to bliss.

For who knoweth what shall profit a man in life, as long as he liveth in his vanity, which passeth away as a shadow? Or who shall tell man what shall come after him under the sun?

a good rumour is better than good ointment, and the day of death neither the day of birth.

It is better to go into the house of complaint than into the house of drunkenness: in the latter is the end of all men, and the living take it to heart.

It is better to mourn than to laugh: for by mourning the heart is made better.

The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, and the heart of fools in the house of gladness.

It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise than to hear the song of fools.

For the laughter of the fool is as the crackling of thorns among pots; and that also is vain.

A contumacious man maketh a wise man unwilling, and corrupteth a meek heart.

the end of a thing is better than its beginning. A patient spirit is better than a high spirit.

Be not quick to anger: for anger resteth in the heart of a fool.

Say not, What is it that the former days were better than these? For thou askest not wisely.

wisdom is good with an inheritance, and helps that one may rejoice in the sun.

For wisdom shieldeth, and money also shieldeth: but wisdom giveth life to him that hath it.

Behold the works of God: for who can make evil that which he bendeth?

Be of good cheer in the good day, and take the evil day also for good: for this God hath made beside that, that man should not know what is to come.

All manner of things have I seen in the time of my vanity. There is a righteous man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is an ungodly man that liveth long in his wickedness.

Be not too righteous, nor too wise, lest thou corrupt thyself.

Be not overmuch ungodly, and be not foolish, lest thou die untimely.

It is good for thee to take hold of these things, and not to let those things out of thine hand: for he that feareth God escapeth all these things.

Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men that are in the city. For there is not a man upon the earth that doeth good, and sinneth not.

Neither take to thine heart all that is said, lest thou hear thy servant curse thee.

For thine heart knoweth that thou hast often cursed others also.

All these things have I tried wisely. I thought I would be wise; but she came farther from me.

It is far off; what shall it be? and it is very deep; who shall find it?

I turned my heart to know, and to search, and to seek wisdom and arts; to know the folly of the wicked, and the error of the foolish,

And found that such a woman, whose heart is a net and a snare, and her hands are bands, is more bitter than death. He that pleaseth God shall escape her; but the sinner shall be snared by her.

Behold, these things have I found, saith the preacher, one by one, that I might learn art.

And my soul seeketh yet, and hath not found it. I have found one man in a thousand, but I have not found a woman among them all.

Behold, I have found that God hath made man upright: but they seek many arts.
Ch. 8, v. 1. who is so wise? and who can interpret it?
(Ecclesiastes)
Chapter 8
Other rules to happiness against this life vanity.

The wisdom of man enlighteneth his face: but he that is bold is hostile, 2. I keep the word of the King and the oath of God.

Hasten not to depart from his presence, neither tarry in evil: for he doeth that which he lusteth after.

There is power in the king’s word: and who shall say unto him, What doest thou?

He that keepeth the commandment shall know no evil: but the heart of a wise man knoweth the time and the manner.

For to every purpose there is a season and a time: for the calamity of man is much with him.

For he knoweth not what hath been; and who shall tell him what shall be?

A man hath not power over the spirit to resist the spirit; neither hath he power in the time of death, neither is he loosed in the battle: neither doth the ungodly deliver the ungodly.

I have seen all these things, and have set my heart upon all the works that are done under the sun. One man at a time ruleth over another to his own hurt.

And there I saw the wicked buried, which had walked, and had walked in the holy place, and
were forgotten in the city, because they had done so. This also is vain.

Because judgment of evil works is not soon executed, thereby men’s hearts are filled with doing evil.

Though a sinner do evil a hundred times, and yet live long, yet I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, that fear his face.

For it shall not prosper the wicked, neither shall they live long, as a shadow, that fear not God.

There is a vanity that is done in the earth. The righteous are as though they had the works of the wicked; and the wicked are as though they had the works of the righteous. And I said, This also is vanity.

Therefore I commend joy, that there is nothing better for a man under the sun, than to eat and to drink, and to be merry: and such shall he have of the work of his life, which God giveth him under the sun.

I gave my heart to know the wisdom, and to behold the travail that is upon the earth, that no man should see sleep with his eyes day or night.

And I saw all the works of God. For a man cannot find the work that is done under the sun; and the more a man labors to seek, the less he finds. Though he say, I am wise, and know it, yet can he not find it.
(Ecclesiastes)
Chapter 9
Let vanity be confronted, and let wisdom be exercised.

For I have taken all these things to heart, to search out all these things, that the righteous and the wise are, and their subjects in the hand of God. But no man knoweth neither the love nor the hate of any that he hath before him.

It befalleth one as well as another, the righteous as well as the wicked, the good and the clean as well as the unclean, he that sacrificeth as well as he that sacrificeth not. As it is with the good, so it is with the sinner. As it is with the perjurer, so it is with him who fears the oath.

This is an evil thing of all that is done under