3:1 For everything 1 there is an appointed time, 2
and an appropriate time 3 for every activity 4 on earth: 5
3:2 A time to be born, 6 and a time to die; 7
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; 8
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 9 gain from his toil? 10
3:10 I have observed the burden
that God has given to people 11 to keep them occupied.
3:11 God has made everything fit beautifully 12 in its appropriate time,
but 13 he has also placed ignorance 14 in the human heart 15
so that 16 people 17 cannot discover what God has ordained, 18
from the beginning to the end 19 of their lives. 20
3:12 I have concluded 21 that there is nothing better for people 22
than 23 to be happy and to enjoy
themselves 24 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 25 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 26 what has occurred 27 in the past. 28
3:16 I saw something else on earth: 29
In the place of justice, there was wickedness,
and in the place of fairness, 30 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 31 for every deed.
3:18 I also thought to myself, “It is 32 for the sake of people, 33
so God can clearly 34 show 35 them that they are like animals.
3:19 For the fate of humans 36 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 37 ascends upward,
and the animal’s spirit descends into the earth?
3:22 So I perceived there is nothing better than for people 38 to enjoy their work, 39
because that is their 40 reward;
for who can show them what the future holds? 41
4:1 So 42 I again considered 43 all the oppression 44 that continually occurs 45 on earth. 46
This is what I saw: 47
The oppressed 48 were in tears, 49 but no one was comforting them;
no one delivers 50 them from the power of their oppressors. 51
4:2 So I considered 52 those who are dead and gone 53
more fortunate than those who are still alive. 54
4:3 But better than both is the one who has not been born 55
and has not seen the evil things that are done on earth. 56
4:4 Then I considered 57 all the skillful work 58 that is done:
Surely it is nothing more than 59 competition 60 between one person and another. 61
This also is profitless – like 62 chasing the wind.
4:5 The fool folds his hands and does no work, 63
so he has nothing to eat but his own flesh. 64
4:6 Better is one handful with some rest
than two hands full of toil 65 and chasing the wind.
4:7 So 66 I again considered 67 another 68 futile thing on earth: 69
4:8 A man who is all alone with no companion, 70
he has no children nor siblings; 71
yet there is no end to all his toil,
and he 72 is never satisfied with riches.
He laments, 73 “For whom am I toiling and depriving myself 74 of pleasure?” 75
This also is futile and a burdensome task! 76
4:9 Two people are better than one,
because they can reap 77 more benefit 78 from their labor.
4:10 For if they fall, one will help his companion up,
but pity 79 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 80 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 81 to become king,
even though he had been born poor in what would become his 82 kingdom.
4:15 I considered all the living who walk on earth, 83
as well as the successor 84 who would arise 85 in his place.
4:16 There is no end to all the people 86 nor to the past generations, 87
yet future generations 88 will not rejoice in him.
This also is profitless and like 89 chasing the wind.
5:1 90 Be careful what you do 91 when you go to the temple 92 of God;
draw near to listen 93 rather than to offer a sacrifice 94 like fools, 95
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, 96
so 97 the rash vow 98 of a fool occurs 99 when there are many words.
5:4 When you make a vow 100 to God, do not delay in paying it. 101
For God 102 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. 103
5:6 Do not let your mouth cause you 104 to sin,
and do not tell the priest, 105 “It was a mistake!” 106
Why make God angry at you 107
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. 108
Therefore, fear God!
5:8 If you see the extortion 109 of the poor,
or the perversion 110 of justice and fairness in the government, 111
do not be astonished by the matter.
For the high official is watched by a higher official, 112
and there are higher ones over them! 113
5:9 The produce of the land is seized 114 by all of them,
even the king is served 115 by the fields. 116
5:10 The one who loves money 117 will never be satisfied with money, 118
he who loves wealth 119 will never be satisfied 120 with his 121 income.
This also is futile.
5:11 When someone’s 122 prosperity 123 increases, those who consume it also increase;
so what does its owner 124 gain, except that he gets to see it with his eyes? 125
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 126 a misfortune 127 on earth 128 that I have seen:
Wealth hoarded by its owner to his own misery.
5:14 Then that wealth was lost through bad luck; 129
although he fathered a son, he has nothing left to give him. 130
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: 131
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, 132
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: 133
to eat and drink, 134 and find enjoyment in all their 135 hard work 136 on earth 137
during the few days of their life which God has given them,
for this is their reward. 138
5:19 To every man whom God has given wealth, and possessions,
he has also given him the ability 139
to eat from them, to receive his reward and to find enjoyment in his toil;
these things 140 are the gift of God.
5:20 For he does not think 141 much about the fleeting 142 days of his life
because God keeps him preoccupied 143 with the joy he derives from his activity. 144
6:1 Here is 145 another misfortune 146 that I have seen on earth, 147
and it weighs 148 heavily on people: 149
6:2 God gives a man riches, property, and wealth
so that he lacks nothing that his heart 150 desires, 151
yet God does not enable 152 him to enjoy 153 the fruit of his labor 154 –
instead, someone else 155 enjoys 156 it! 157
This is fruitless and a grave misfortune. 158
6:3 Even if a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years –
even if he lives a long, long time, 159 but cannot enjoy his prosperity –
even if he were to live forever 160 –
I would say, “A stillborn child 161 is better off than he is!” 162
6:4 Though the stillborn child 163 came into the world 164 for no reason 165 and departed into darkness,
though its name is shrouded in darkness, 166
6:5 though it never saw the light of day 167 nor knew anything, 168
yet it has more rest 169 than that man –
6:6 if he should live a thousand years twice, yet does not enjoy his prosperity.
For both of them die! 170
6:7 All of man’s labor is for nothing more than 171 to fill his stomach 172 –
yet his appetite 173 is never satisfied!
6:8 So what advantage does a wise man have over a fool? 174
And what advantage 175 does a pauper gain by knowing how to survive? 176
6:9 It is better to be content with 177 what the eyes can see 178
than for one’s heart always to crave more. 179
This continual longing 180 is futile – like 181 chasing the wind.
6:10 Whatever has happened was foreordained, 182
and what happens to a person 183 was also foreknown.
It is useless for him to argue with God about his fate
because God is more powerful than he is. 184
6:11 The more one argues with words, the less he accomplishes. 185
How does that benefit him? 186
6:12 For no one knows what is best for a person during his life 187 –
during the few days of his fleeting life –
for 188 they pass away 189 like a shadow.
Nor can anyone tell him what the future will hold for him on earth. 190