1 For I considered all this in my heart, so that I could declare it all:that the righteous and the wise and their worksarein the hand of God. People know neither love nor hatredbyanythingtheyseebefore them.
2 All thingscomealike to all:
One eventhappensto the righteous and the wicked;
To the good, the clean, and the unclean;
To him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice.
As is the good, soisthe sinner;
He who takes an oath ashewho fears an oath.
3 Thisisan evil in all that is done under the sun: that one thinghappensto all. Truly the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil; madnessisin their hearts while they live, and after thattheygoto the dead.
4 But for him who is joined to all the living there is hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion.
5 For the living know that they will die;
# Butthe dead know nothing,
And they have no more reward,
# Forthe memory of them is forgotten.
6 Also their love, their hatred, and their envy have now perished;
Nevermore will they have a share
In anything done under the sun.
7 Go,eat your bread with joy,
And drink your wine with a merry heart;
For God has already accepted your works.
8 Let your garments always be white,
And let your head lack no oil.
9 Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life which He has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity;for thatisyour portion in life, and in the labor which you perform under the sun.
10 Whatever your hand finds to do, doitwith yourmight; forthereisno work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.
11 I returnedand saw under the sun that—
The raceisnot to the swift,
Nor the battle to the strong,
Nor bread to the wise,
Nor riches to men of understanding,
Nor favor to men of skill;
# But time andchance happen to them all.
12 Forman also does not know his time:
Like fish taken in a cruel net,
Like birds caught in a snare,
# So the sons of menaresnared in an evil time,
When it falls suddenly upon them.
Wisdom Superior to Folly
13 This wisdom I have also seen under the sun, and itseemedgreat to me:
14 Therewasa little city with few men in it; and a great king came against it, besieged it, and built great snares around it.
15 Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that same poor man.
16 Then I said:
# “Wisdomisbetter thanstrength.
# Neverthelessthe poor man’s wisdomisdespised,
And his words are not heard.
17 Words of the wise,spokenquietly,shouldbeheard
Rather than the shout of a ruler of fools.
18 Wisdomisbetter than weapons of war;
# Butone sinner destroys much good.”