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¹ For I considered all this in my heart, so that I could declare it all: that the righteous and the wise and their works are in the hand of God. People know neither love nor hatred by anything they see before them.² All things come alike to all: One event happens to the righteous and the wicked;To the good, [fn] the clean, and the unclean;To him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice.As is the good, so is the sinner;He who takes an oath as he who fears an oath. ³ This is an evil in all that is done under the sun: that one thing happens to all. Truly the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil; madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

⁴ But for him who is joined to all the living there is hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion. ⁵ For the living know that they will die; But the dead know nothing, And they have no more reward, For the memory of them is forgotten. ⁶ Also their love, their hatred, and their envy have now perished; Nevermore will they have a share In anything done under the sun. ⁷ Go, eat your bread with joy, And drink your wine with a merry heart; For God has already accepted your works. ⁸ Let your garments always be white, And let your head lack no oil. ⁹ Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life which He has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity; for that is your portion in life, and in the labor which you perform under the sun. ¹⁰ Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.

¹¹ I returned and saw under the sun that-- The race is not to the swift, Nor the battle to the strong, Nor bread to the wise, Nor riches to men of understanding, Nor favor to men of skill; But time and chance happen to them all. ¹² For man also does not know his time: Like fish taken in a cruel net, Like birds caught in a snare, So the sons of men are snared in an evil time, When it falls suddenly upon them.

¹³ This wisdom I have also seen under the sun, and it seemed great to me:¹⁴ There was a little city with few men in it; and a great king came against it, besieged it, and built great snares [fn] around 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 same poor man. ¹⁶ Then I said: "Wisdom is better than strength. Nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, And his words are not heard. ¹⁷ Words of the wise, spoken quietly, should be heard Rather than the shout of a ruler of fools. ¹⁸ Wisdom is better than weapons of war; But one sinner destroys much good."