My thoughts also turned to appraising wisdom and madness and folly. 13I found that
Wisdom is superior to folly
As light is superior to darkness;
14A wise man has his eyes in his head,
Whereas a fool walks in darkness.
But I also realized that the same fate awaits them both. 15So I reflected: “The fate of the fool is also destined for me; to what advantage, then, have I been wise?” And I came to the conclusion that that too was futile, 16because the wise man, just likee the fool, is not remembered forever; for, as the succeeding days roll by, both are forgotten. Alas, the wise man dies, just likee the fool!
17And so I loathed life. For I was distressed by all that goes on under the sun, because everything is futile and pursuit of wind.
18So, too, I loathed all the wealth that I was gaining under the sun. For I shall leave it to the man who will succeed me—19and who knows whether he will be wise or foolish?— and he will control all the wealth that I gained by toil and wisdom under the sun. That too is futile. 20And so I came to view with despair all the gains I had made under the sun. 21For sometimes a person whose fortune was made with wisdom, knowledge, and skill must hand it on to be the portion of somebody who did not toil for it. That too is futile, and a grave evil. 22For what does a man get for all the toiling and worrying he does under the sun? 23All his days his thoughts are grief and heartache, and even at night his mind has no respite. That too is futile!
24There is nothing worthwhile for a man but to eat and drink and afford himself enjoyment with his means. And even that, I noted, comes from God. 25For who eats and who enjoys but myself?f 26To the man, namely, who pleases Him He has given g-the wisdom and shrewdness to enjoy himself;-g and to him who displeases, He has given the urge to gather and amass—only for handing on to one who is pleasing to God. That too is futile and pursuit of wind.
3
A season is set for everything, a time for every experience under heaven:a
2A time for b-being born-b and a time for dying,
A time for planting and a time for uprooting the planted;
3A time for c-slaying and a time for healing,-c
A time for tearing down and a time for building up;
4A time for weeping and a time for laughing,
A time for wailing and a time for dancing;
5A time for throwing stones and a time for gathering stones,
A time for embracing and a time for shunning embraces;
6A time for seeking and a time for losing,
A time for keeping and a time for discarding;
7A time for ripping and a time for sewing,
A time for silence and a time for speaking;
8A time for loving and a time for hating;
A time for war and a time for peace.
9What value, then, can the man of affairs get from what he earns? 10I have observed the business that God gave man to be concerned with: 11He brings everything to pass precisely at its time; He also puts eternity in their mind,d but without man ever guessing, from first to last, all the things that God brings to pass. 12Thus I realized that the only worthwhile thing there is for them is to enjoy themselves and do what is goode in their lifetime; 13also, that whenever a man does eat and drink and get enjoyment out of all his wealth, it is a gift of God.
14I realized, too, that whatever God has brought to pass will recur evermore:
Nothing can be added to it
And nothing taken from it—
and God has brought to pass that men revere Him.
15fWhat is occurring occurred long since,
And what is to occur occurred long since:
and God seeks the pursued. 16And, indeed, I have observed under the sun:
Alongside justice there is wickedness,
Alongside righteousness there is wickedness.
17I mused: “God will doom both righteous and wicked, for g-there is-g a time for every experience and for every happening.” 18fSo I decided, as regards men, to dissociate them [from] the divine beings and to face the fact that they are beasts.h 19For in respect of the fate of man and the fate of beast, they have one and the same fate: as the one dies so dies the other, and both have the same lifebreath; man has no superiority over beast, since both amount to nothing. 20Both go to the same place; both came from dust and both return to dust. 21Who knows if a man’s lifebreath does rise upward and if a beast’s breath does sink down into the earth?
22I saw that there is nothing better for man than to enjoy his possessions, since that is his portion. For who can enable him to see what will happen afterward?
4 I further observeda all the oppression that goes on under the sun: the tears of the oppressed, with none to comfort them; and the power of their oppressors—with none to comfort them. 2Then I accounted those who died long since more fortunate than those who are still living; 3and happier than either are those who have not yet come into being and have never witnessed the miseries that go on under the sun.
4I have also noted that all labor and skillful enterprise come from men’s envy of each other—another futility and pursuit of wind!
5[True,]
The fool folds his hands togetherb
And has to eat his own flesh.
6[But no less truly,]
Better is a handful of gratification
Than two fistfuls of labor which is pursuit of wind.
7And I have noted this further futility under the sun: 8the case of the man who is alone, with no companion, who has neither son nor brother; yet he amasses wealth without limit, and his eye is never sated with riches. For whom, now, c-is he amassing it while denying himself-c enjoyment? That too is a futility and an unhappy business.
9dTwo are better off than one, in that they have greater e-benefit from-e their earnings. 10For should they fall, one can raise the other; but woe betide him who is alone and falls with no companion to raise him! 11Further, when two lie together they are warm; but how can he who is alone get warm? 12Also, if one attacks, two can stand up to him. A three-fold cord is not readily broken!
13Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer has the sense to heed warnings. 14For the former can emerge from a dungeon to become king; while the latter, even if born to kingship, can become a pauper.f 15[However,] I reflected about g-all the living who walk under the sun with-g that youthful successor who steps into his place. 16Unnumbered are the multitudes of all those who preceded them;h and later generations will not acclaim him either.i For thatj too is futile and pursuit of wind.
17k-Be not overeager to go-k to the House of God: more acceptable is obedience than the offering of fools, for they know nothing [but] to do wrong.
5 Keep your mouth from being rash, and let not your throata be quick to bring forth speech before God. For God is in heaven and you are on earth; that is why your words should be few. 2Just as dreams come with much brooding, so does foolish utterance come with much speech. 3When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. For He has no pleasure in fools; what you vow, fulfill. 4It is better not to vow at all than to vow and not fulfill. 5Don’t let your mouth bring you into disfavor, and don’t plead before the messengerb that it was an error, c-but fear God;-c else God may be angered by your talk and destroy your possessions. 6dFor much dreaming leads to futility and to superfluous talk.
7If you see in a province oppression of the poor and suppression of right and justice, don’t wonder at the fact; for one high official is protected by a higher one, and both of them by still higher ones. 8Thus the greatest advantage in all the land is his: he controls a field that is cultivated.e
9A lover of money never has his fill of money, nor a lover of wealth his fill of income. That too is futile. 10As his substance increases, so do those who consume it; what, then, does the success of its owner amount to but feasting his eyes? 11A worker’sf sleep is sweet, whether he has much or little to eat; but the rich man’s abundance doesn’t let him sleep.
12Here is a grave evil I have observed under the sun: riches hoarded by their owner to his misfortune, 13in that those riches are lost in some unlucky venture; and if he begets a son, he has nothing in hand.
14g-Another grave evil is this: He must depart just as he came.-g As he came out of his mother’s womb, so must he depart at last, naked as he came. He can take nothing of his wealth to carry with him. 15So what is the good of his toiling for the wind? 16Besides, all his days h-he eats in darkness,-h with much vexation and grief and anger.
17Only this, I have found, is a real good: that one should eat and drink and get pleasure with all the gains he makes under the sun, during the numbered days of life that God has given him; for that is his portion. 18Also, whenever a man is given riches and
