Study Desk

⁽ⁱ⁾What profit is there to the worker from that in which he toils?

I have seen the ^(j)task which God has given the sons of men with which to occupy themselves.

He has ^(k)made everything ^[b]appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, ^[c]yet so that man ^(l)will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.

I know that there is ^(m)nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good in one's lifetime;

moreover, that every man who eats and drinks sees good in all his labor—it is the ⁽ⁿ⁾gift of God.

I know that everything God does will remain forever; there is nothing to add to it and there is nothing to take from it, for God has so worked that men should ^[d](o)fear Him.

That ^(p)which is has been already and that which will be has already been, for God seeks what has passed by.

Furthermore, I have seen under the sun that in the place of justice there is ^(q)wickedness and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness.

I said ^[e]to myself, "^(r)God will judge both the righteous man and the wicked man," for a ^(s)time for every ^[f]matter and for every deed is there.

I said ^[g]to myself concerning the sons of men, "God has surely tested them in order for them to see that they are but ^(t)beasts."

^(u)For the fate of the sons of men and the fate of beasts ^[h]is the same. As one dies so dies the other; indeed, they all have the same breath and there is no advantage for man over beast, for all is ^[i]vanity.

All go to the same place. All came from the ^(v)dust and all return to the dust.

Who knows that the ^(w)breath of man ascends upward and the breath of the beast descends downward to the earth?

I have seen that ^(x)nothing is better than that man should be happy in his activities, for that is his lot. For who will bring him to see ^(y)what will occur after him?

Then I looked again at all the acts of ^(a)oppression which were being done under the sun. And behold I saw the tears of the oppressed and that they had ^(b)no one to comfort them; and on the side of their oppressors was power, but they had no one to comfort them.

So ^(c)I congratulated the dead who are already dead more than the living who are still living.

But ^(d)better off than both of them is the one who has never existed, who has never seen the evil activity that is done under the sun.

I have seen that every labor and every ^(e)skill which is done is the result of rivalry between a man and his neighbor. This too is ^[a](f)vanity and striving after wind.

The fool ^(g)folds his hands and ^(h)consumes his own flesh.

One hand full of rest is ⁽ⁱ⁾better than two fists full of labor and striving after wind.

Then I looked again at vanity under the sun.

There was a certain man without a ^[b]dependent, having neither a son nor a brother, yet there was no end to all his labor. Indeed, ^(j)his eyes were not satisfied with riches and he never asked, "And ^(k)for whom am I laboring and depriving myself of pleasure?" This too is vanity and it is a ^(l)grievous task.

Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor.

For if ^[c]either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not ^[d]another to lift him up.

Furthermore, if two lie down together they ^[e]keep warm, but ^(m)how can one be warm alone?

And if ^[f]one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.

A ⁽ⁿ⁾poor yet wise lad is better than an old and foolish king who no longer knows how to receive ^[g]instruction.

For he has come ^(o)out of prison to become king, even though he was born poor in his kingdom.

I have seen all the living under the sun throng to the side of the second lad who ^[h]replaces him.

There is no end to all the people, to all who were before them, and even the ones who will come later will not be happy with him, for this too is ^(p)vanity and striving after wind.

^[a](a)Guard your steps as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen rather than to offer the ^(b)sacrifice of fools; for they do not know they are doing evil.

^[b]Do not be ^(c)hasty ^[c]in word or ^[d]impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God. For God is in heaven and you are on the earth; therefore let your ^(d)words be few.

For the dream comes through much ^[e]effort and the voice of a ^(e)fool through many words.

When you ^(f)make a vow to God, do not be late in paying it; for He takes no delight in fools. ^(g)Pay what you vow!

It is ^(h)better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay.

Do not let your ^[f]speech cause ^[g]you to sin and do not say in the presence of the messenger of God that it was a ⁽ⁱ⁾mistake. Why should God be angry on account of your voice and destroy the work of your hands?

For in many dreams and in many words there is ^[h]emptiness. Rather, ^[i](j)fear God.

If you see ^(k)oppression of the poor and ^(l)denial of justice and righteousness in the province, do not be ^(m)shocked at the ^[j]sight; for one ^[k]official watches over another ^[l]official, and there are higher ^[m]officials over them.

After all, a king who cultivates the field is an advantage to the land.

⁽ⁿ⁾He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its income. This too is ^[n]vanity.

^(o)When good things increase, those who consume them increase. So what is the advantage to their owners except to ^[o]look on?

The sleep of the working man is ^(p)pleasant, whether he eats little or much; but the ^[p]full stomach of the rich man does not allow him to sleep.

There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: ^(q)riches being ^[q]hoarded by their owner to his hurt.

When those riches were lost through ^[r]a bad investment and he had fathered a son, then there was nothing ^[s]to support him.

^(r)As he had come naked from his mother's womb, so will he return as he came. He will ^(s)take nothing from the fruit of his labor that he can carry in his hand.

This also is a grievous evil—exactly as a man ^[t]is born, thus will he ^[u]die. So ^(t)what is the advantage to him who ^(u)toils for the wind?

Throughout his life ^(v)he also eats in darkness with ^(w)great vexation, sickness and anger.

Here is what I have seen to be ^(x)good and ^[v]fitting: to eat, to drink and ^[w]enjoy oneself in all one's labor in which he toils under the sun during the few ^[x]years of his life which God has given him; for this is his ^[y](y)reward.

Furthermore, as for every man to whom ^(z)God has given riches and wealth, He has also ^(aa)empowered him to eat from them and to receive his ^[z]reward and rejoice in his labor; this is the ^(ab)gift of God.

For he will not often ^[aa]consider the ^[ab]years of his life, because ^(ac)God keeps ^[ac]him occupied with the gladness of his heart.

There is an ^(a)evil which I have seen under the sun and it is prevalent ^[a]among men—

a man to whom God has ^(b)given riches and wealth and honor so that his soul ^(c)lacks nothing of all that he desires; yet God has not empowered him to eat from them, for a foreigner ^[b]enjoys them. This is ^[c]vanity and a severe affliction.

If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, however many ^[d]they be, but his soul is not satisfied with good things and he does not even have a proper ^(d)burial, then I say, "Better ^(e)the miscarriage than he,

for it comes in futility and goes into obscurity; and its name is covered in obscurity.

It never sees the sun and it never knows anything; ^[e]it is better off than he.

Even if the other man lives a thousand years twice and does not ^[f]enjoy good things—^(f)do not all go to one place?"

^(g)All a man's labor is for his mouth and yet the ^[g]appetite is not ^[h]satisfied.

For ^(h)what advantage does the wise man have over the fool? What advantage does the poor man have, knowing how to walk before the living?

What the eyes ⁽ⁱ⁾see is better than what the soul ^[i]desires. This too is ^(j)futility and a striving after wind.

Whatever ^(k)exists has already been named, and it is known what man is; for he ^(l)cannot dispute with him who is stronger than he is.

For there are many words which increase futility. What then is the advantage to a man?

For who knows what is good for a man during his lifetime, during the few ^[j]years of his futile life? He will ^[k]spend them like a shadow. For who can tell a man ^(m)what will be after him under the sun?

A ^(a)good name is better than a good ointment, And the ^(b)day of one's death is better than the day of one's birth.

It is better to go to a house of mourning Than to go to a house of feasting, Because ^[a]that is the ^(c)end of every man, And the living ^[b](d)takes it to ^[c]heart.

^(e)Sorrow is better than laughter, For ^(f)when a face is sad a heart may be happy.

The ^[d]mind of the wise is in the house of mourning, While the ^[e]mind of fools is in the house of pleasure.

It is better to ^(g)listen to the rebuke of a wise man Than for one to listen to the song of fools.

For as the ^[f]crackling of ^(h)thorn bushes under a pot, So is the ⁽ⁱ⁾laughter of the fool; And this too is futility.

For ^(j)oppression makes a wise man mad, And a ^(k)bribe ^[g]corrupts the heart.

The ^(l)end of a matter is better than its beginning; ^(m)Patience of spirit is better than haughtiness of spirit.

Do not be ^[h](n)eager in your heart to be angry, For anger resides in the bosom of fools.

Do not say, "Why is it that the former days were better than these?" For it is not from wisdom that you ask about this.

Wisdom along with an inheritance is good And an ^(o)advantage to those who see the sun.

For ^(p)wisdom is ^[i]protection just as money is ^[j]protection, But the advantage of knowledge is that ^(q)wisdom preserves the lives of its possessors.

Consider the ^(r)work of God, For who is ^(s)able to straighten what He has bent?

^(t)In the day of prosperity be happy, But ^(u)in the day of adversity consider— God has made the one as well as the other So that man will ^(v)not discover anything that will be after him.

I have seen everything during my ^[k](w)lifetime of futility; there is ^(x)a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness and there is ^(y)a wicked man who prolongs his life in his wickedness.

Do not be excessively ^(z)righteous and do not ^(aa)be overly wise. Why should you ruin yourself?

Do not be excessively wicked and do not be a fool. Why should you ^(ab)die before your time?

It is good that you grasp one thing and also not ^[l]let go of the other; for the one who ^(ac)fears God comes forth with ^[m]both of them.

^(ad)Wisdom strengthens a wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city.

Indeed, ^(ae)there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins.

Also, do not ^[n]take seriously all words which are spoken, so that you will not hear your servant ^(af)cursing you.

For ^[o]you also have realized that you likewise have many times cursed others.

I tested all this with wisdom, and I said, "I will be wise," ^(ag)but it was far from me.

What has been is remote and ^(ah)exceedingly ^[p]mysterious. ^(ai)Who can discover it?

I ^[q](aj)directed my ^[r]mind to know, to investigate and to seek wisdom and an explanation, and to know the evil of folly and the foolishness of madness.

And I discovered more ^(ak)bitter than death the woman whose heart is ^(al)snares and nets, whose hands are chains. ^(am)One who is pleasing to God will escape from her, but ^(an)the sinner will be captured by her.

"Behold, I have discovered this," says the Preacher, "adding one thing to another to find an explanation,

which ^[s]I am still seeking but have not found. I have found one man among a thousand, but I have not found a ^(ao)woman among all these.

Behold, I have found only this, that ^(ap)God made men upright, but they have sought out many devices."

Who is like the wise man and who knows the interpretation of a matter? A man's wisdom ^(a)illumines ^[a]him and causes his ^(b)stern face to ^[b]beam.

I say, "Keep the ^[c]command of the king because of the ^(c)oath ^[d]before God.

Do not be in a hurry ^[e](d)to leave him. Do not join in an evil matter, for he will do whatever he pleases."

Since the word of the king is authoritative, ^(e)who will say to him, "What are you doing?"

He who ^(f)keeps a royal command ^(g)experiences no ^[f]trouble, for a wise heart knows the proper time and procedure.

For ^(h)there is a proper time and procedure for every delight, though a man's trouble is heavy upon him.

If no one ⁽ⁱ⁾knows what will happen, who can tell him when it will happen?

^(j)No man has authority to restrain the wind with the wind, or authority over the day of death; and there is no discharge in the time of war, and ^(k)evil will not deliver ^[g]those who practice it.

All this I have seen and applied my ^[h]mind to every deed that has been done under the sun wherein a man has exercised ^(l)authority over another man to his hurt.

So then, I have seen the wicked buried, those who used to go in and out from the holy place, and they are ^(m)soon forgotten in the city where they did thus. This too is futility.

Because the ⁽ⁿ⁾sentence against an evil deed is not executed quickly, therefore ^(o)the hearts of the sons of men among them are given fully to do evil.

Although a sinner does evil a hundred times and may ^(p)lengthen his life, still I know that it will be ^(q)well for those who fear God, who fear ^[i]Him openly.

But it will ^(r)not be well for the evil man and he will not lengthen his days like a ^(s)shadow, because he does not fear God.

There is futility which is done on the earth, that is, there are ^(t)righteous men to whom it ^[j]happens according to the deeds of the wicked. On the other hand, there are ^(u)evil men to whom it ^[k]happens according to the deeds of the righteous. I say that this too is futility.

So I commended pleasure, for there is nothing good for ^(v)a man under the sun except to eat and to drink and to be merry, and this will stand by him in his ^[l]toils throughout the days of his life which God has given him under the sun.

When I ^(w)gave my heart to know wisdom and to see the task which has been done on the earth (even though one should ^[m](x)never sleep day or night),

and I saw every work of God, I concluded that ^(y)man cannot discover the work which has been done under the sun. Even though man should seek laboriously, he will not discover; and ^(z)though the wise man should say, "I know," he cannot discover.