Ecclesiastes 1-12

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

Reflections of a Royal Philosopher

1 The words of the Teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.^(A)

The Futility of Seeking Wisdom

¹² I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. ¹³ I applied my mind to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven; it is an unhappy business that God has given to humans to be busy with.^{(I) 14} I saw all the deeds that are done under the sun, and see, all is vanity and a chasing after wind.^(J)

¹⁶ I said to myself, “I have acquired great wisdom, surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me, and my mind has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.”^{(L) 17} And I applied my mind to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is but a chasing after wind.^(M)

The Futility of Self-Indulgence

2 I said to myself, “Come now, I will make a test of pleasure; enjoy yourself.” But again, this also was vanity.^{(O) 2} I said of laughter, “It is mad,” and of pleasure, “What use is it?”^{(P) 3} I searched with my mind how to cheer my body with wine—my mind still guiding me with wisdom—and how to lay hold on folly, until I might see what was good for mortals to do under heaven during the few days of their life. ⁴ I made great works; I built houses and planted vineyards for myself;^{(Q) 5} I made myself gardens and parks and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees.^{(R) 6} I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. ⁷ I bought male and female slaves and had slaves who were born in my house; I also had great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. ⁸ I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and of the provinces; I got singers, both men and women, and delights of the flesh, many concubines.^[b](S)

⁹ So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem; also my wisdom remained with me.^{(T) 10} Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them; I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure from all my toil, and this was my reward from all my toil.^{(U) 11} Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had spent in doing it, and again, all was vanity and a chasing after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.^(V)

Wisdom and Joy Given to One Who Pleases God

¹² So I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly, for what can the king’s successor do? Only what has already been done.^{(W) 13} Then I saw that wisdom excels folly as light excels darkness.

Yet I perceived that the same fate befalls all of them.^{(X) 15} Then I said to myself, “What happens to the fool will happen to me also; why then have I been so very wise?” And I said to myself that this also is vanity.^{(Y) 16} For there is no enduring remembrance of the wise or of fools, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. How can the wise die just like fools? ¹⁷ So I hated life because what is done under the sun was grievous to me, for all is vanity and a chasing after wind.^(Z)

¹⁸ I hated all my toil in which I had toiled under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to my successor,^{(AA) 19} and who knows whether he will be wise or foolish? Yet he will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity. ²⁰ So I turned and gave my heart up to despair concerning all the toil of my labors under the sun,^{(AB) 21} because sometimes one who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill must leave all to be enjoyed by another who did not toil for it. This also is vanity and a great evil.^{(AC) 22} What do mortals get from all the toil and strain with which they toil under the sun?^{(AD) 23} For all their days are full of pain, and their work is a vexation; even at night their minds do not rest. This also is vanity.^(AE)

²⁴ There is nothing better for mortals than to eat and drink and find enjoyment in their toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God,^{(AF) 25} for apart from him^[c] who can eat or who can have enjoyment? ²⁶ For to the one who pleases him God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he gives the work of gathering and heaping, only to give to one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind.^(AG)

Everything Has Its Time

3 For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven:^(AH)

The God-Given Task

⁹ What gain have the workers from their toil?^{(AN) 10} I have seen the business that God has given to everyone to be busy with.^{(AO) 11} He has made everything suitable for its time; moreover, he has put a sense of past and future into their minds, yet they cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.^{(AP) 12} I know that there is nothing better for them than to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live; ¹³ moreover, it is God’s gift that all should eat and drink and take pleasure in all their toil. ¹⁴ I know that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it nor anything taken from it; God has done this so that all should stand in awe before him.^{(AQ) 15} That which is already has been, that which is to be already is, and God seeks out what has gone by.^[d](AR)

Judgment and the Future Belong to God

¹⁶ Moreover, I saw under the sun that, in the place of justice, wickedness was there, and in the place of righteousness, wickedness was there as well. ¹⁷ I said to myself, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for he has appointed a time for every matter and for every work.”^{(AS) 18} I said to myself with regard to humans that God is testing^[e] them to show that they are but animals.^{(AT) 19} For the fate of humans and the fate of animals is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and humans have no advantage over the animals, for all is vanity.^{(AU) 20} All go to one place, all are from the dust, and all turn to dust again.^{(AV) 21} Who knows whether the human spirit goes upward and the spirit of animals goes downward to the earth?^{(AW) 22} So I saw that there is nothing better than that all should enjoy their work, for that is their lot; who can bring them to see what will be after them?^(AX)

4 Again I saw all the oppressions that are practiced under the sun. Look, the tears of the oppressed—with no one to comfort them! On the side of their oppressors there was power—with no one to comfort them.^{(AY) 2} And I commended the dead, who have already died, more than the living, who are still alive, ³ but better than both is the one who has not yet been and has not seen the evil deeds that are done under the sun.^(AZ)

⁴ Then I saw that all toil and all skill in work come from one person’s envy of another. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind.^(BA)

⁷ Again, I saw vanity under the sun: ⁸ the case of solitary individuals, without sons or brothers; yet there is no end to all their toil, and their eyes are never satisfied with riches. “For whom am I toiling,” they ask, “and depriving myself of pleasure?” This also is vanity and an unhappy business.^(BD)

The Value of a Friend

⁹ Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their toil. ¹⁰ For if they fall, one will lift up the other, but woe to one who is alone and falls and does not have another to help. ¹¹ Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone?^{(BE) 12} And though one might prevail against another, two will withstand one. A threefold cord is not quickly broken.

¹³ Better is a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who will no longer take advice.^{(BF) 14} One can indeed come out of prison to reign, even though born poor in the kingdom.^{(BG) 15} I saw all the living who, moving about under the sun, follow that^[f] youth who replaced the king;^{[g] 16} there was no end to all those people whom he led.^[h] Yet those who come later will not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a chasing after wind.^(BH)

Reverence, Humility, and Contentment

5 ^[i]Guard your steps when you go to the house of God; to draw near to listen is better than the sacrifice offered by fools, for they do not know how to keep from doing evil.^{[j](BI) 2 [k]}Never be rash with your mouth nor let your heart be quick to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you upon earth; therefore let your words be few.^(BJ)

³ For dreams come with many cares, and a fool’s voice with many words.

⁴ When you make a vow to God, do not delay fulfilling it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Fulfill what you vow.^{(BK) 5} It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not fulfill it.^{(BL) 6} Do not let your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake; why should God be angry at your words and destroy the work of your hands?

⁷ With many dreams come vanities and a multitude of words,^[l] but fear God.^(BM)

⁸ If you see in a province the oppression of the poor and the violation of justice and right, do not be amazed at the matter, for the high official is watched by a higher, and there are yet higher ones over them.^{(BN) 9} But all things considered, this is an advantage for a land: a king for a plowed field.^[m]

¹⁰ The lover of money will not be satisfied with money, nor the lover of wealth with gain. This also is vanity.^(BO)

¹¹ When goods increase, those who eat them increase, and what gain has their owner but to see them with his eyes?

¹² Sweet is the sleep of laborers, whether they eat little or much, but the abundance of the rich will not let them sleep.^(BP)

¹³ There is a grievous ill that I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owners to their hurt,^{(BQ) 14} and those riches were lost in a bad venture; though they are parents of children, they have nothing in their hands. ¹⁵ As they came from their mother’s womb, so they shall go again, naked as they came; they shall take nothing for their toil that they may carry away with their hands.^{(BR) 16} This also is a grievous ill: just as they came, so shall they go, and what gain do they have from toiling for the wind?^{(BS) 17} Besides, all their days they eat in darkness, in much anger and sickness and resentment.^(BT)

¹⁸ This is what I have seen to be good: it is fitting to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of the life God gives us, for this is our lot.^{(BU) 19} Likewise, all to whom God gives wealth and possessions and whom he enables to enjoy them and to accept their lot and find enjoyment in their toil—this is the gift of God.^{(BV) 20} For they will scarcely brood over the days of their lives because God keeps them occupied with the joy of their hearts.

The Frustration of Desires

6 There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it lies heavy upon humankind:^{(BW) 2} those to whom God gives wealth, possessions, and honor, so that they lack nothing of all that they desire, yet God does not enable them to enjoy these things, but a stranger enjoys them. This is vanity; it is a grievous ill.^{(BX) 3} A man may father a hundred children and live many years, but however many are the days of his years, if he does not enjoy life’s good things or has no burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he.^{(BY) 4} For it comes in vanity and goes in darkness, and in darkness its name is covered; ⁵ moreover, it has not seen the sun or known anything, yet it finds rest rather than he. ⁶ Even though he should live a thousand years twice over yet enjoy no good—do not all go to one place?

⁷ All human toil is for the mouth, yet the appetite is not satisfied.^{(BZ) 8} For what advantage have the wise over fools? And what do the poor have who know how to conduct themselves before the living?^{(CA) 9} Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of desire; this also is vanity and a chasing after wind.^(CB)

¹⁰ Whatever has come to be has already been named, and it is known what humans are and that they are not able to dispute with those who are stronger.^{(CC) 11} The more words, the more vanity, so how is one the better? ¹² For who knows what is good for mortals while they live the few days of their vain life, which they pass like a shadow? For who can tell them what will be after them under the sun?^(CD)

A Disillusioned View of Life

¹⁴ In the day of prosperity, be joyful, and in the day of adversity, consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that mortals may not find out anything that comes after them.^(CN)

The Riddles of Life

¹⁵ In my vain life I have seen everything; there are righteous people who perish in their righteousness, and there are wicked people who prolong their life in their evildoing.^{(CO) 16} Do not be too righteous, and do not act too wise; why should you destroy yourself?^{(CP) 17} Do not be too wicked, and do not be a fool; why should you die before your time? ¹⁸ It is good that you should take hold of the one without letting go of the other, for the one who fears God shall succeed with both.

¹⁹ Wisdom gives strength to the wise more than ten rulers who are in a city.^(CQ)

²⁰ Surely there is no one on earth so righteous as to do good without ever sinning.^(CR)

²¹ Do not give heed to everything that people say, or you may hear your servant cursing you; ²² your heart knows that many times you have yourself cursed others.

²³ All this I have tested by wisdom; I said, “I will be wise,” but it was far from me.^{(CS) 24} That which is, is far off, and deep, very deep; who can find it out?^{(CT) 25} I turned my mind to know and to search out and to seek wisdom and the sum of things and to know that wickedness is folly and that foolishness is madness.^{(CU) 26} I found more bitter than death the woman who is a trap, whose heart is nets, whose hands are fetters; one who pleases God escapes her, but the sinner is taken by her.^{(CV) 27} See, this is what I found, says the Teacher, adding one thing to another to find the sum,^{(CW) 28} which my mind has sought repeatedly, but I have not found. One man among a thousand I found, but a woman among all these I have not found. ²⁹ See, this alone I found, that God made human beings straightforward, but they have devised many schemes.^(CX)

Obey the King and Enjoy Yourself

² Keep^[n] the king’s command, and because of your sacred oath^{(CZ) 3} do not be terrified; go from his presence; do not delay when the matter is unpleasant, for he does whatever he pleases. ⁴ For the word of the king is powerful, and who can say to him, “What are you doing?”^{(DA) 5} Whoever obeys a command will meet no harm, and the wise mind will know the time and way. ⁶ For every matter has its time and way, although the troubles of mortals lie heavy upon them.^{(DB) 7} Indeed, they do not know what is to be, for who can tell them how it will be?^{(DC) 8} No one has power over the wind^[o] to restrain the wind^[p] or power over the day of death; there is no discharge from the battle, nor does wickedness deliver those who practice it.^{(DD) 9} All this I observed, applying my mind to all that is done under the sun, while one person exercises authority over another to the other’s hurt.^(DE)

God’s Ways Are Inscrutable

¹⁰ Then I saw the wicked approaching to sacrifice;^[q] they go in and out of the holy place, and they boast^[r] in the city that they have done such things. This also is vanity. ¹¹ Because sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the human heart is fully set to do evil. ¹² Though sinners do evil a hundred times and prolong their lives, yet I know that it will be well with those who fear God, because they stand in fear before him,^{(DF) 13} but it will not be well with the wicked, neither will they prolong their days like a shadow, because they do not stand in fear before God.^(DG)

¹⁴ There is a vanity that takes place on earth, that there are righteous people who are treated according to the conduct of the wicked and wicked people who are treated according to the conduct of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity.^{(DH) 15} So I commend enjoyment, for there is nothing better for people under the sun than to eat and drink and enjoy themselves, for this will go with them in their toil through the days of life that God gives them under the sun.^(DI)

¹⁶ When I applied my mind to know wisdom and to see the business that is done on earth, how one’s eyes see sleep neither day nor night, ¹⁷ then I saw all the work of God, that no one can find out what is happening under the sun. However much they may toil in seeking, they will not find it out; even though those who are wise claim to know, they cannot find it out.^(DJ)

Take Life as It Comes

9 All this I laid to heart, examining it all, how the righteous and the wise and their deeds are in the hand of God; whether it is love or hate one does not know. Everything that confronts them ² is vanity,^[s] since the same fate comes to all, to the righteous and the wicked, to the good and the evil,^[t] to the clean and the unclean, to those who sacrifice and those who do not sacrifice. As are the good, so are the sinners; those who swear are like those who shun an oath.^{(DK) 3} This is an evil in all that happens under the sun, that the same fate comes to everyone. Moreover, the hearts of humans are full of evil; madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead.^{(DL) 4} But whoever is joined with all the living has hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion. ⁵ The living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no more reward, and even the memory of them is lost.^{(DM) 6} Their love and their hate and their envy have already perished; never again will they have any share in all that happens under the sun.^(DN)

⁷ Go, eat your bread with enjoyment and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has long ago approved what you do.^{(DO) 8} Let your garments always be white; do not let oil be lacking on your head.^{(DP) 9} Enjoy life with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life that are given you under the sun,^[u] because that is your portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun.^{(DQ) 10} Whatever your hand finds to do, do with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.^(DR)

¹¹ Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to the skillful, but time and chance happen to them all.^{(DS) 12} For no one can anticipate one’s time. Like fish taken in a cruel net or like birds caught in a snare, so mortals are snared at a time of calamity, when it suddenly falls upon them.^(DT)

Wisdom Superior to Folly

¹³ I have also seen this example of wisdom under the sun, and it seemed great to me. ¹⁴ There was a little city with few people in it. A great king came against it and besieged it, building great siegeworks against 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 poor man.^{(DU) 16} So I said, “Wisdom is better than might; yet the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heeded.”^(DV)

Miscellaneous Observations

⁵ There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, as great an error as if it proceeded from the ruler: ⁶ folly is set in many high places, and the rich sit in a low place.^{(EA) 7} I have seen slaves on horseback and princes walking on the ground like slaves.

The Value of Diligence

⁵ Just as you do not know how the breath comes to the bones in the mother’s womb, so you do not know the work of God, who makes everything.^(EN)

⁶ In the morning sow your seed, and at evening do not let your hands be idle, for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good.^(EO)

Youth and Old Age

⁷ Light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun.^(EP)

⁸ Even those who live many years should rejoice in them all, yet let them remember that the days of darkness will be many. All that comes is vanity.^(EQ)

⁹ Rejoice, young man, while you are young, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Follow the inclination of your heart and the desire of your eyes, but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.^(ER)

¹⁰ Banish anxiety from your mind, and put away pain from your body, for youth and the dawn of life are vanity.^(ES)

12 Remember your creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years draw near when you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”; ² before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened and the clouds return with^[w] the rain; ³ in the day when the guards of the house tremble, and the strong men are bent, and the women who grind cease working because they are few, and those who look through the windows see dimly; ⁴ when the doors on the street are shut, and the sound of the grinding is low, and one rises up at the sound of a bird, and all the daughters of song are brought low;^{(ET) 5} when one is afraid of heights, and terrors are in the road; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along,^[x] and the caper bud falls; because all must go to their eternal home, and the mourners will go about the streets;^{(EU) 6} before the silver cord is snapped,^[y] and the golden bowl is broken, and the pitcher is broken at the fountain, and the wheel broken at the cistern, ⁷ and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the breath^[z] returns to God who gave it.^{(EV) 8} Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher; all is vanity.

Epilogue

⁹ Besides being wise, the Teacher also taught the people knowledge, weighing and studying and arranging many proverbs.^{(EW) 10} The Teacher sought to find pleasing words, and he wrote words of truth plainly.^(EX)

¹¹ The sayings of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings that are given by one shepherd.^{[aa](EY) 12} Of anything beyond these, my child, beware. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

¹³ The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God, and keep his commandments, for that is the whole duty of everyone.^{(EZ) 14} For God will bring every deed into judgment, including^[ab] every secret thing, whether good or evil.^(FA)