For you know in your own heart that you also have cursed others many times.

Surely the king’s authority is absolute; no one can say to him, “What are you doing?”

Surely no one knows the future, and no one can tell another person what will happen.

The toil of a stupid fool wears him out, because he does not even know the way to the city.

before the sun and the light of the moon and the stars grow dark, and the clouds disappear after the rain;

and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the life’s breath returns to God who gave it.

I thought deeply about the effects of indulging myself with wine (all the while my mind was guiding me with wisdom) and the effects of behaving foolishly, so that I might discover what is profitable for people to do on earth during the few days of their lives.

God has made everything fit beautifully in its appropriate time, but he has also placed ignorance in the human heart so that people cannot discover what God has ordained, from the beginning to the end of their lives.

God gives a man riches, property, and wealth so that he lacks nothing that his heart desires, yet God does not enable him to enjoy the fruit of his labor – instead, someone else enjoys it! This is fruitless and a grave misfortune.

While applying my mind to everything that happens in this world, I have seen all this: Sometimes one person dominates other people to their harm.

So I recommend the enjoyment of life, for there is nothing better on earth for a person to do except to eat, drink, and enjoy life. So joy will accompany him in his toil during the days of his life which God gives him on earth.

When I tried to gain wisdom and to observe the activity on earth – even though it prevents anyone from sleeping day or night –

Just as you do not know the path of the wind, or how the bones form in the womb of a pregnant woman, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything.

So remember your Creator in the days of your youth – before the difficult days come, and the years draw near when you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”;

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

Next, I decided to consider wisdom, as well as foolish behavior and ideas. For what more can the king’s successor do than what the king has already done?

So I perceived there is nothing better than for people to enjoy their work, because that is their reward; for who can show them what the future holds?

I considered all the living who walk on earth, as well as the successor who would arise in his place.

Just as he came forth from his mother's womb, naked will he return as he came, and he will take nothing in his hand that he may carry away from his toil.

Whatever has happened was foreordained, and what happens to a person was also foreknown. It is useless for him to argue with God about his fate because God is more powerful than he is.