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 manknowetheitherlove or hatred by all that is before them.
2
All things come alike to all: there is oneevent to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him thatsacrificeth, and to him thatsacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he thatsweareth, as he thatfeareth an oath.
3
This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is oneevent 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.
4For to him that isjoined to all the living there ishope: for a livingdogisbetter than a deadlion.
5
For the livingknow that they shall die: but the deadknow not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.
6
Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is nowperished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.
7
Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merryheart; for Godnowaccepteth thy works.
8
Let thy garments be alwayswhite; and let thy headlack no ointment.
9Livejoyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.
10
Whatsoever thy handfindeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.
11
I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chancehappeneth to them all.
12
For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evilnet, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of mensnared in an eviltime, when it fallethsuddenly upon them.
13Thiswisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto me:
14
There was a littlecity, and fewmen within it; and there came a greatking against it, and besieged it, and builtgreatbulwarks against it:
15
Now there was found in it a poorwiseman, and he by his wisdomdelivered the city; yet no manremembered that same poorman.
16
Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
17
The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools.
18Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but onesinnerdestroyethmuchgood.