כִּי אֶת־כָּל־זֶה נָתַתִּי אֶל־לִבִּי ולָבוּר אֶת־כָּל־זֶה אֲשֶׁר הַצַּדִּיקִים וְהַחֲכָמִים וַעֲבָדֵיהֶם בְּיַד הָאֱלֹהִים גַּם־אַהֲבָה גַם־שִׂנְאָה אֵין יוֹדֵעַ הָאָדָם הַכֹּל לִפְנֵיהֶם

For all this, the present reality, I have taken to my heart, as I wish to clarify all this, to examine what is true, good, and important and what is false, evil, and inconsequential. I discovered that the righteous, the wise, and their acolytes, or their deeds, are in the hand of God. Both love and hatred, man does not know. People are not even fully aware of their own feelings, and this prevents them from finding their way in the world. Everything is potentially before them. All kinds of events over which they have no control can happen to them.

הַכֹּל כַּאֲשֶׁר לַכֹּל מִקְרֶה אֶחָד לַצַּדִּיק וְלָרָשָׁע לַטּוֹב וְלַטָּהוֹר וְלַטָּמֵא וְלַזֹּבֵחַ וְלַאֲשֶׁר אֵינֶנּוּ זֹבֵחַ כַּטּוֹב כַּחֹטֶא הַנִּשְׁבָּע כַּאֲשֶׁר שְׁבוּעָה יָרֵא

Everything is as it is for everyone. Anything can happen to any individual. There is one fate for the righteous and for the wicked, for the good, for the pure and for the impure, for one who sacrifices offerings and for one who does not sacrifice; like the good, so is the sinner; one who takes oaths, and who therefore might occasionally take a false oath, is like one who is leery of taking an oath.

זֶה רָע בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר־נַעֲשָׂה תַּחַת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ כִּי־מִקְרֶה אֶחָד לַכֹּל וְגַם לֵב בְּנֵי־הָאָדָם מָלֵא־רָע וְהוֹלֵלוֹת בִּלְבָבָם בְּחַיֵּיהֶם וְאַחֲרָיו אֶל־הַמֵּתִים

This is evil among everything that is performed under the sun: That there is one fate for all, the wicked and the righteous alike. The human eye cannot discern the link between people’s deeds and the events of their lives, all their successes and failures, which is one reason man feels that life is meaningless. Also, due to the fact that people do not see any necessary connection between actions and consequences, the heart of the son of man is full of evil, and debauchery and drunkenness is in their heart during their lives. And afterward, it, the heart, is destined only to join the dead.

כִּי מִי אֲשֶׁר יְחֻבַּר אֶל כָּל־הַחַיִּים יֵשׁ בִּטָּחוֹן כִּי־לְכֶלֶב חַי הוּא טוֹב מִן־הָאַרְיֵה הַמֵּת

For only whoever is joined to any of the forms of the living has hope; for example, a living dog is better than a dead lion. Life, no matter how lowly, is better than death.

כִּי הַחַיִּים יוֹדְעִים שֶׁיָּמֻתוּ וְהַמֵּתִים אֵינָם יוֹדְעִים מְאוּמָה וְאֵין־עוֹד לָהֶם שָׂכָר כִּי נִשְׁכַּח זִכְרָם

For only the living know for a certainty that they will die; but the dead do not know anything, and what is more, they no longer have a reward, as their memory is forgotten.

גַּם אַהֲבָתָם גַּם־שִׂנְאָתָם גַּם־קִנְאָתָם כְּבָר אָבָדָה וְחֵלֶק אֵין־לָהֶם עוֹד לְעוֹלָם בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר־נַעֲשָׂה תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ

Even their love, even their hatred, and even their envy have already perished, vanished and dissipated after their death; they will never again have a portion in anything that is performed under the sun. There is no trace of their history, exploits, and adventures in this world. The confidence gained in that very knowledge, slight or troubling though it may be, renders conscious, living people superior to the dead, who have no knowledge at all.

לֵךְ אֱכֹל בְּשִׂמְחָה לַחְמֶךָ וּשְׁתֵה בְלֶב־טוֹב יֵינֶךָ כִּי כְבָר רָצָה הָאֱלֹהִים אֶת־מַעֲשֶׂיךָ

In conclusion, go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a good heart. Find satisfaction in your simple life, and avoid the upheavals of emotions like envy, animosity, and lust, as this lifestyle of simple joy will enable you to know that God has already accepted your actions.

בְּכָל־עֵת יִהְיוּ בְגָדֶיךָ לְבָנִים וְשֶׁמֶן עַל־רֹאשְׁךָ אַל־יֶחְסָר

At all times, may your garments be white. Wear pleasant, simple, and clean clothes. And may the oil on your head not be lacking.Anoint your hair with oil and thereby groom it.

רְאֵה חַיִּים עִם־אִשָּׁה אֲשֶׁר־אָהַבְתָּ כָּל־יְמֵי חַיֵּי הֶבְלֶךָ אֲשֶׁר נָתַן־לְךָ תַּחַת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ כֹּל יְמֵי הֶבְלֶךָ כִּי זה הוּא חֶלְקְךָ בַּחַיִּים וּבַעֲמָלְךָ אֲשֶׁר־אַתָּה עָמֵל תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ

Appreciate life with a woman whom you love all the days of your futile life, which He has given you under the sun, all the days of your futility. Even if you are not wise, and your life is meaningless, you should still find a way to enjoy your futile existence, as that is your portion in life and in your toil that you toil under the sun. This is your fate; be happy with it. Even if your life has no meaning to you, at least take comfort in a reasonable and unpretentious life.

כֹּל אֲשֶׁר תִּמְצָא יָדְךָ לַעֲשׂוֹת בְּכֹחֲךָ עֲשֵׂה כִּי אֵין מַעֲשֶׂה וְחֶשְׁבּוֹן וְדַעַת וְחָכְמָה בִּשְׁאוֹל אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה הֹלֵךְ שָׁמָּה

Everything that you are capable of doing with your strength, whatever you are capable of doing, you should do, here and now, as there is no action, scheme, knowledge, or wisdom in the grave where you are going. After death, you cannot perform any more deeds,, and considerations of all kinds disappear. Therefore, it is advisable to live a life of comfort, and enjoy a happy marriage, while working in accordance with the possibilities open before you.

שַׁבְתִּי וְרָאֹה תַחַת־הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ כִּי לֹא לַקַּלִּים הַמֵּרוֹץ וְלֹא לַגִּבּוֹרִים הַמִּלְחָמָה; וְגַם לֹא לַחֲכָמִים לֶחֶם וְגַם לֹא לַנְּבֹנִים עֹשֶׁר; וְגַם לֹא לַיֹּדְעִים חֵן כִּי־עֵת וָפֶגַע יִקְרֶה אֶת־כֻּלָּם

Yet I again saw under the sun that even for one who lives a simple life there is no guarantee of security and calm. I saw that winning the race is not guaranteed to the swift, as one who runs fast is not always able to escape or apprehend what he pursues, and triumph in the war is not assured to the valiant; also not to the wise is bread, a livelihood, guaranteed, and also not to the clever is wealth, and also not to the knowledgeable is favor. Although wisdom and knowledge are generally beneficial, they are not always appreciated by others. Rather, time and chance befalls all of them. The life of any one of these talented people is liable to be destroyed.

כִּי גַּם לֹא־יֵדַע הָאָדָם אֶת־עִתּוֹ כַּדָּגִים שֶׁנֶּאֱחָזִים בִּמְצוֹדָה רָעָה וְכַצִּפֳּרִים הָאֲחֻזוֹת בַּפָּח כָּהֵם יוּקָשִׁים בְּנֵי הָאָדָם לְעֵת רָעָה כְּשֶׁתִּפּוֹל עֲלֵיהֶם פִּתְאֹם

For man also does not know his time, the future that awaits him. He does not know when he will experience failure and from where it will come. Just like the fish that are trapped, suffering, in an evil net, and like the birds that are trapped in the snare, so are the sons of man snared at an evil time, when it falls upon them suddenly. People can likewise find themselves suddenly in a trap from which they cannot escape. Even one who focuses on the present and represses all troubling thoughts of death, while depending on his inherent or acquired virtues, is not protected from life’s trials and tribulations.

גַּם זֹה רָאִיתִי חָכְמָה תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ וּגְדוֹלָה הִיא אֵלָי

This phenomenon too I have I seen under the sun as wisdom, and it is great to me:

עִיר קְטַנָּה וַאֲנָשִׁים בָּהּ מְעָט וּבָא־אֵלֶיהָ מֶלֶךְ גָּדוֹל וְסָבַב אֹתָהּ וּבָנָה עָלֶיהָ מְצוֹדִים גְּדֹלִים

There was a small city, but few men in it, and a great king came against it, and surrounded it, and built great siege works against it, ready to attack.

ומָצָא בָהּ אִישׁ מִסְכֵּן חָכָם וּמִלַּט הוּא אֶת־הָעִיר בְּחָכְמָתוֹ ואָדָם לֹא זָכַר אֶת־הָאִישׁ הַמִּסְכֵּן הַהוּא

In this situation, it might seem that the city has no chance. But a poor, or wretched, and wise man was found in it, and he saved the city in his wisdom, but after a while nobody remembered that poor man. The leaders of the city took all the credit and praise for themselves, and everyone forgot the poor but wise man.

וְאָמַרְתִּי אָנִי טוֹבָה חָכְמָה מִגְּבוּרָה וְחָכְמַת הַמִּסְכֵּן בְּזוּיָה וּדְבָרָיו אֵינָם נִשְׁמָעִים

I said in conclusion that wisdom is still better than courage, even though the wisdom of the poor man is scorned, and his words are not heard, accepted and remembered, and his deserved fame is taken by others.

דִּבְרֵי חֲכָמִים בְּנַחַת נִשְׁמָעִים מִזַּעֲקַת מוֹשֵׁל בַּכְּסִילִים

Nevertheless, in other circumstances a wise man is accorded recognition and people listen to him, thanks to his manner of speech: The words of the wise, softly spoken, are better heard than the crying out of a ruler of fools. One who imposes authority over fools often has to raise his voice, but they take no notice of him anyway.

טוֹבָה חָכְמָה מִכְּלֵי קְרָב וְחוֹטֶא אֶחָד יְאַבֵּד טוֹבָה הַרְבֵּה

Therefore, wisdom is ultimately better than weapons of battle, and still, it does not guarantee the wise man’s fate, as one sinner who fails to recognize the benefit that the wise man provides destroys much good, since he causes it to be forgotten. Alternatively, wisdom is better than weapons of war, and yet it does not ensure military success, as even if the army follows the wise man’s advice, a single traitor can ruin the entire strategy.