¹For I applied my heart to all this, to examine all this – the fact that the righteous and the wise and their works are in the hand of God. Mankind does not know whether either love or hatred will come – everything lies in front of them. ²Everything happens similarly to everyone. There is one result for the righteous and for the wicked, for the good and for the clean and for the unclean, and for him who sacrifices and for him who does not sacrifice.

As for the good,

So for the sinner,

As for him who swears an oath,

So for him who fears an oath.

³This is an evil thing among everything that has been done under the sun, for there is one result for all, and also the heart of the sons of Adam is full of evil. And folly is in their heart during their life, and afterwards they proceed to the dead. ⁴For whoever is joined to all the living has confidence. For

A living dog is better than a dead lion.

⁵Yet the living know that they will die,

But the dead don't know anything,

Nor do they have a reward any more,

For memory of them is forgotten.

⁶Also their love and their hatred

And their jealousy have already passed away.

And they age-abidingly no longer have a portion

In anything that has been done under the sun.

⁷Go and eat your bread with joy,

And drink your wine with a merry heart,

For God has already accepted your works.

⁸Let your clothes be white at all times,

And let not oil be lacking on your head.

⁹Spend life with the woman you love all the days of your vain life which he has given you under the sun – all the days of your vanity – for that is your portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun. ¹⁰Do with your strength whatever your hand finds to do, for there is no occupation or explanation or knowledge or wisdom in the underworld to which you are going. ¹¹I again saw under the sun that

The race is not for the swift,

And war is not for the valiant,

Nor is bread for the wise,

Nor is wealth for the prudent,

Nor is grace for those who have knowledge,

For an occasion and an incident befall them all.

¹²For man does not know his time either;

He is like a fish caught in a nasty net,

Or like birds caught in a snare.

The sons of Adam are ensnared like them,

In an evil hour,

When it suddenly falls on them.

¹³I have also seen this wisdom under the sun, and it seems to me to be great: ¹⁴there was a small town, with few people in it, and a great king came against it and surrounded it, and he built great siegeworks against it. ¹⁵But in it was found a poor man, but wise, and he delivered the city by his wisdom. Yet no man remembered that poor man.” ¹⁶And I said,

“Wisdom is better than valour,

But the wisdom of the poor man is despised,

And his words are not heard.

¹⁷The words of the wise are heard in quiet

More than the shout of a ruler among fools.

¹⁸Wisdom is better than equipment for battle,

But one sinner can ruin much good.