| There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens. | For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven. |
| He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. | He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. |
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| I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. | I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God's gift to man. |
| And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person’s envy of another. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. | Then I saw that all toil and all skill in work come from a man's envy of his neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind. |
| Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor. | Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. |
| If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. | For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! |
| Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. | And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken. |
| When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. | When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. |
| Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless. | He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity. |
| As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owners except to feast their eyes on them? | When goods increase, they increase who eat them, and what advantage has their owner but to see them with his eyes? |
| Everyone comes naked from their mother’s womb, and as everyone comes, so they depart. They take nothing from their toil that they can carry in their hands. | As he came from his mother's womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil that he may carry away in his hand. |
| This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given them—for this is their lot. | Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his lot. |
| Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God. | Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God. |
| Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?” For it is not wise to ask such questions. | Say not, “Why were the former days better than these?” For it is not from wisdom that you ask this. |
| When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future. | 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 man may not find out anything that will be after him. |
| When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, people’s hearts are filled with schemes to do wrong. | Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil. |
| Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do. | Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do. |
| Words from the mouth of the wise are gracious, but fools are consumed by their own lips. | The words of a wise man's mouth win him favor, but the lips of a fool consume him. |
| As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things. | As you do not know the way the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything. |
| So then, banish anxiety from your heart and cast off the troubles of your body, for youth and vigor are meaningless. | Remove vexation from your heart, and put away pain from your body, for youth and the dawn of life are vanity. |
| Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, “I find no pleasure in them”. | Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”. |
| Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. | The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. |
| For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief. | For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow. |
