During the days of my fleeting life I have seen both of these things: Sometimes a righteous person dies prematurely in spite of his righteousness, and sometimes a wicked person lives long in spite of his evil deeds.

Here is another enigma that occurs on earth: Sometimes there are righteous people who get what the wicked deserve, and sometimes there are wicked people who get what the righteous deserve. I said, “This also is an enigma.”

I realized that wisdom is preferable to folly, just as light is preferable to darkness:

Two people are better than one, because they can reap more benefit from their labor.

Here is a misfortune on earth that I have seen: Wealth hoarded by its owner to his own misery.

Here is another misfortune that I have seen on earth, and it weighs heavily on people:

The more one argues with words, the less he accomplishes. How does that benefit him?

For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter, for the oppression of the king is severe upon his victim.

I have seen another misfortune on the earth: It is an error a ruler makes.

Is there anything about which someone can say, “Look at this! It is new!”? It was already done long ago, before our time.

For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge, and skill; however, he must hand over the fruit of his labor as an inheritance to someone else who did not work for it. This also is futile, and an awful injustice!

But whoever is among the living has hope; a live dog is better than a dead lion.

A man who is all alone with no companion, he has no children nor siblings; yet there is no end to all his toil, and he is never satisfied with riches. He laments, “For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?” This also is futile and a burdensome task!