This book speaks honestly about life’s biggest
questions - why we work so hard, why things feel empty sometimes, and what really
matters in the end. It’s like someone sharing their deepest thoughts about the
struggles, joys, and frustrations we all face. Ecclesiastes invites us to
pause, reflect, and discover that even when life feels meaningless, there’s a
deeper purpose waiting to be found.
Everything Is Meaningless
“Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher.
“Completely meaningless! Everything is meaningless.”
What do people really gain from all their hard work
under the sun?
Generations come and go, but the earth stays the same.
The sun rises and sets, then hurries back to rise again.
The wind blows south, then turns north;
it goes round and round, always coming back on its path.
All streams flow into the sea, but the sea never fills up.
The streams return to where they started.
Everything tires us out more than we can say.
The eye never gets enough of seeing,
and the ear never has its fill of hearing.
What’s been done will be done again;
there’s nothing new under the sun.
Can anyone say, “Hey, this is something new”?
No, it’s been here long ago, even before our time.
No one remembers the people before us,
and those who come after won’t be remembered by us.
Wisdom Is Meaningless
I was king over Israel in Jerusalem, and I put my mind
to studying and exploring all the things done under the heavens.
What a heavy burden God has laid on people!
I’ve seen everything done under the sun; it’s all meaningless, like chasing the
wind.
What’s crooked can’t be made straight,
and what’s missing can’t be counted.
I said to myself, “I’ve become wiser than anyone who
ruled Jerusalem before me;
I have plenty of wisdom and knowledge.”
So I tried to understand wisdom, madness, and foolishness too,
but I found that all of this is also chasing the wind.
With more wisdom comes more sadness;
the more you know, the more you feel pain.
Pleasures Are Meaningless
I said to myself, “Let me test you with pleasure, see
what’s good.”
But that was meaningless too.
I said, “Laughter is madness. What does pleasure really achieve?”
I cheered myself with wine and embraced foolishness,
but my mind still guided me with wisdom.
I wanted to see what’s good for people to do during their short life under the
sun.
I built houses for myself and planted vineyards.
I made gardens and parks, planting all kinds of fruit trees.
I made reservoirs to water flourishing trees.
I bought male and female slaves, and slaves born in my house.
I had more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me.
I gathered silver and gold, and treasures of kings and provinces.
I acquired singers and a harem - the delights of a man’s heart.
I became greater than anyone in Jerusalem before me.
And through all this, my wisdom stayed with me.
I didn’t deny myself anything my eyes wanted,
or refuse my heart any pleasure.
My heart enjoyed all my hard work,
and that was my reward for everything I laboured for.
But when I looked back at all my work and effort,
everything was meaningless - chasing the wind.
I gained nothing under the sun.
Wisdom and Folly Are Meaningless
Then I thought about wisdom, madness, and folly.
What more can a king’s successor do
than what’s already been done?
I saw that wisdom is better than foolishness,
just like light is better than darkness.
The wise have eyes in their heads,
but fools walk in darkness.
Yet I realised that the same fate awaits both:
The fool’s fate will catch up with me too.
So what do I gain by being wise?
I said to myself, “This too is meaningless.”
Wise or foolish, no one is remembered for long;
their days come to an end, and they are forgotten.
Both must die - wise and fool alike.
Hard work Is Meaningless
So, I hated life, because the work under the sun was
painful.
It was all meaningless, like chasing the wind.
I hated all the things I laboured for,
because I have to leave them to whoever comes after me.
Who knows if they will be wise or foolish?
Yet they will own all my hard work,
which I poured my effort and skill into.
This too is meaningless.
My heart began to despair over all my hard work.
A person can work with wisdom, knowledge, and skill,
then leave everything to someone who didn’t work for it.
This too is meaningless and a great misfortune.
What do people get for all their hard work and anxious
striving?
All their days are full of grief and pain,
even their nights don’t bring rest.
This too is meaningless.
A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink,
and enjoy the fruits of their own labour.
This, I see, comes from the hand of God,
because without Him, who can truly enjoy anything?
To those who please God, He gives wisdom, knowledge,
and happiness,
but to sinners He gives the task of gathering wealth
to hand it over to those who please God.
This too is meaningless - chasing the wind.
A Time for Everything
There’s a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the sky:
A time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to cry and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to hug and a time to hold back,
a time to look and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to fix,
a time to stay quiet and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
What do people really get from all their hard work?
I’ve seen the weight God has put on people.
He makes everything beautiful in its own time.
He’s also put eternity in our hearts, but no one can fully understand what God
does from start to finish.
I know the best thing for people is to be happy and do good while they’re
alive.
That they can eat, drink, and enjoy the fruits of their hard work - that’s a
gift from God.
Everything God does lasts forever; nothing can be added or taken away.
God does it so people will respect Him.
Whatever is, has already been,
and what will be has happened before;
and God will judge everything that’s happened.
I saw something else on earth:
in places where there should be justice, there was wickedness.
I said to myself,
“God will judge both the good and the bad,
because there’s a time for every deed.”
I also thought, “God tests people so they see they’re
like animals.
Surely humans have the same fate as animals - when one dies, the other dies
too.
They all share the same breath; humans have no real advantage.
Everything is meaningless.
They all go to the same place, coming from dust and returning to dust.
Who knows if the human spirit rises up, or if the spirit of animals goes down
into the earth?”
So, I saw that there’s nothing better than to enjoy
your work, because that’s your share in life.
Who can tell you what will happen after you’re gone?
Oppression, Hard Work, and Loneliness
Again, I saw all the oppression happening under the sun:
I saw the tears of those being oppressed - no one to comfort them;
the oppressors had power - no one to comfort those they hurt.
I thought, the dead who have already died are better off than the living still
alive.
But better than both is the one who was never born - who hasn’t seen the evil
done under the sun.
I also saw that all hard work and achievement comes
from one person envying another.
That too is meaningless - like chasing the wind.
Lazy fools ruin themselves.
Better to have a little with peace than lots with constant hard work chasing
after the wind.
There was a man all alone - no children or brothers.
He worked without end but never enjoyed what he had.
He asked, “Why am I working so hard and not enjoying life?”
That’s meaningless - a miserable life.
Two people are better than one,
because they get more from their work.
If one falls, the other can help them up.
But if someone falls and has no one to help, that’s rough.
If two lie down together, they stay warm.
One alone can’t keep warm.
If someone attacks one person, two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is hard to break.
Advancement is Meaningless
Better to be a poor but wise young person than an old foolish king who won’t
listen.
The youth might come from prison or be born poor, but the people follow the new
leader.
There were many people before them, but those who come later aren’t always
pleased.
This too is meaningless - chasing the wind.
Keep Your Promise to God
Watch your step when you go to God’s house.
Go to listen, not just to offer sacrifices like fools who don’t know what
they’re doing.
Don’t be quick with your mouth or hasty in your heart to speak to God.
God is in heaven, and you are on earth - so keep your words few.
Dreams come when you have many worries, and many words are the mark of a fool.
When you make a vow to God, don’t delay fulfilling it.
He doesn’t like fools; keep your promises.
Better not to promise than to promise and not deliver.
Don’t let your words lead you into sin or say your vow was a mistake - why make
God angry and ruin your work?
Many words are meaningless.
So fear God.
“The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord.”
Wealth is Meaningless
If you see the poor being oppressed and justice denied, don’t be surprised;
one official watches another, and above them are even more.
The king profits from the land.
Those who love money never have enough;
those who love wealth are never satisfied.
This too is meaningless.
As goods increase, so do the people who consume them.
What good are they to the owners except to look at them?
A worker’s sleep is sweet, whether they eat little or
much.
But the rich can’t sleep because of their abundance.
I’ve seen a great evil:
wealth hoarded to harm its owners,
or lost by misfortune,
so the children have nothing to inherit.
Everyone comes naked from their mother’s womb and
leaves the same way.
They can’t take anything from their hard work.
This is a terrible evil:
they eat in darkness, filled with frustration and anger.
What I’ve seen is good: it’s right to eat, drink, and
enjoy your hard work in life, for that is your share.
When God gives wealth and the ability to enjoy it, accepting your lot and being
happy - that’s a gift.
People rarely think about their short lives because God keeps them busy with
gladness.
More on Wealth and Enjoyment
I’ve seen another evil:
God gives some people wealth and honor, but they can’t enjoy it - others enjoy
it instead.
This is meaningless and a serious evil.
A man may have many children and live many years, but
if he can’t enjoy his wealth or get a proper burial, he’s worse off than a
stillborn child.
It comes without meaning, leaves in darkness, and its name is forgotten.
Though it never saw the sun, it rests more than that man - even if the man
lives many years but fails to enjoy his wealth.
Don’t all go to the same place?
Everyone’s hard work is for their mouth, but their
appetite is never satisfied.
What advantage do the wise have over fools?
What do the poor gain by knowing how to behave?
Better to enjoy what you see than chase after things you don’t need.
This too is meaningless - chasing the wind.
Everything already has a name, and we know what humans
are.
No one can argue with someone stronger.
More words mean less meaning - how does that help anyone?
Who knows what’s good in life, during these few
meaningless days we have, like a shadow?
Who can tell what happens after we’re gone?
Wisdom
A good reputation is better than fine perfume.
The day you die is better than the day you’re born.
It’s better to go to a funeral than a party,
because death comes to everyone; the living should remember this.
Sadness can be better than laughter because it keeps your heart honest.
The wise think about death, but fools only want to have fun.
It’s better to listen to the wise than to fools’ songs.
Fools’ laughter is like dry thorns crackling - meaningless.
Bribes corrupt the heart.
The end of a matter is better than its start.
Patience is better than pride.
Don’t get angry quickly - that’s foolish.
Don’t say, “The old days were better,”
because that’s not wise.
Wisdom is like an inheritance - it’s good and helps
those alive.
Wisdom protects like money does, but its real power is in knowledge.
It preserves those who have it.
Think about what God has done:
who can fix what He’s made crooked?
When times are good, enjoy them; when bad, remember God made both.
No one can predict the future.
I’ve seen that sometimes the righteous suffer, and the
wicked live long in sin.
Don’t be too righteous or too wise - why hurt yourself?
Don’t be too wicked or a fool - why die too soon?
It’s good to hold on to both wisdom and common sense.
Those who fear God avoid extremes.
Wisdom makes one person stronger than ten rulers in a
city.
No one is perfectly righteous or never sins.
Don’t believe everything people say - you might even hear your servant curse
you.
You know deep down you’ve cursed others too.
I tried to be wise but it was beyond me.
Everything is far and mysterious - who can figure it all out?
I searched to understand wisdom and the ways of the world,
and to understand wickedness and foolishness.
I found something worse than death:
a woman who traps and chains a man’s heart.
A man who pleases God will avoid her, but sinners will be caught.
Don’t be impulsive in your spirit or foolish - why die
before your time?
Don’t be quick to get angry; anger stays in the lap of fools.
Better to eat a little with peace than a house full of
feasting with anger.
Don’t strive to get rich - why risk your life?
Wealth can disappear overnight.
Obey the King
Listen,
obey the king’s orders, hey, because you made a promise before God. Don’t rush
to leave the king’s presence or stand up for something that’s not right - the
king’s going to do what he wants anyway. His word is final; who’s going to tell
him otherwise?
If you follow his commands, you’ll be safe. A wise
person knows when to act and how to handle things properly. Everything has its
own time and way, even if life can be heavy and tough.
No one knows what’s coming in the future, so who can
really say what’s going to happen? Just like no one can hold back the wind, no
one can control when their time on earth ends. Wickedness won’t let go of those
who practice it, just like no soldier escapes war.
I’ve seen this all clearly - sometimes people who act
bossy bring trouble on themselves. I’ve seen wicked people get buried after
being praised for their deeds in the city, but in the end, it’s all empty.
When justice takes too long, people’s hearts fill up
with plans to do bad stuff. Even if a wicked person lives long after doing many
wrongs, it will be better for those who respect God. The wicked won’t really
get away - their days will fade quickly like a shadow.
Sometimes the righteous get what the wicked deserve,
and the wicked get what the righteous deserve - that’s just how it is, even
though it feels wrong. So, enjoy your life! Eat, drink, and be happy - that’s
the best thing you can do under the sun. Joy will be your companion in your
work all the days God gives you.
I thought about wisdom and how hard people work, even losing sleep sometimes. But God’s work is mysterious - no one really understands everything. Even the wise can’t fully figure it out.
A Common Destiny for All
Thinking
about all this, I saw that the righteous, the wise, and what they do are in
God’s hands. Nobody knows if they’ll get love or hate. Everyone shares the same
fate - good or bad, clean or dirty, those who make sacrifices or don’t.
Good people and sinners have the same destiny; those
who swear oaths and those who are scared to do so - it’s all the same in the
end.
Here’s the hard truth: everyone faces the same fate.
People’s hearts are full of evil, and they’re a little crazy while they live,
then they end up dead. The living have hope - even a dog that’s alive is better
off than a dead lion.
The living know they will die, but the dead don’t know
anything anymore. They don’t get any more rewards, and soon they’re forgotten.
Their love, hate, and jealousy are gone, never to take part in anything under
the sun again.
So go on, enjoy your food and drink with a happy heart. God has already blessed what you do. Wear your best clothes, put oil on your head, and enjoy life with the one you love. This life is short and meaningless, so make the most of it. Whatever work you find, give it your all because after death, there’s no work or planning or wisdom.
The Race and Wisdom
I’ve
seen that the race isn’t always won by the fastest, or the battle by the
strongest. Food doesn’t always go to the wise, wealth not always to the smart,
or Favor to the learned - time and chance happen to everyone.
Nobody knows when their time will come. People get caught in bad times like fish in a net or birds in a trap. Trouble can come suddenly and unexpectedly.
Wisdom Over Foolishness
I
also saw a story that made me think: a small city with only a few people was
attacked by a powerful king who surrounded it. There was a poor but wise man
who saved the city, but no one remembered him. So, I say, wisdom is better than
strength. But the poor man’s wisdom gets ignored, and his words don’t get
listened to.
The quiet advice of the wise is better than the loud shouting of a foolish ruler. Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one bad person can ruin a lot of good.
Foolishness and Kingship
Just
like dead flies ruin perfume, a little foolishness spoils wisdom and honour.
The wise heart leans right, but fools lean left. Even fools show their
stupidity on the road.
If a leader gets angry with you, don’t leave your post
- stay calm and you might settle the issue.
I’ve seen foolish mistakes come from rulers. Sometimes
fools get high positions, while rich people are kept low. I’ve seen slaves
riding horses while princes walk like slaves.
If you dig a pit, you might fall into it; break
through a wall, a snake might bite you. Cut wood, and you might get hurt. If
your axe is dull, you need more strength, but skill will bring success.
If a snake bites before the charmer calms it, the
charmer doesn’t get paid.
Wise words are kind, but fools get burned by their own
lips. At first, their words are nonsense; later, they turn into wicked madness,
and fools just keep talking too much.
No one knows what’s coming next - who can tell what’ll
happen after?
Fools get tired from their hard work because they don’t even know the way to town.
Advice for the Land
Woe
to the land whose king was a servant and whose princes party in the morning.
Blessed is the land whose king is noble and whose princes eat at the right time
- strength, not drunkenness.
Lazy hands make the house leak, while feasts bring
laughter, wine makes life merry, and money can solve many problems.
Don’t speak bad about the king, even in your thoughts. Don’t curse the rich in your bedroom, because birds in the sky might hear and tell what you say.
Invest Wisely
Send
your grain across the sea; after many days, you might get a return. Invest in
many ventures, because you never know what disaster might hit.
If clouds are full of water, they pour rain on the
earth. If a tree falls north or south, it stays where it falls.
If you watch the wind too much, you won’t plant; if
you stare at the clouds, you won’t harvest.
You don’t know where the wind goes or how a baby forms
in the mother’s womb, so you can’t understand everything God does.
Plant your seed in the morning and don’t rest your hands in the evening, because you don’t know what will succeed - maybe this, maybe that, maybe both.
Remember Your Creator
Light
is good, and it’s nice to see the sun. No matter how many years you live, enjoy
them all. But remember that dark days will come, and everything ahead can feel
meaningless.
Young people, enjoy your youth! Follow your heart and
what your eyes see, but remember that God will judge all your actions.
So, don’t carry worries in your heart, and let go of
your troubles, because youth and strength are fleeting.
Remember your Creator while you’re young, before hard
times come and the years approach when you won’t enjoy life anymore.
Before the sun, moon, and stars grow dark, and the
clouds return after rain.
When those who keep the house tremble, strong men
stoop, grinders grow few, eyes dim, doors close, grinding noise fades, birds
sing faintly, people fear heights and dangers, almond trees blossom,
grasshoppers drag, and desire fades.
Then people go to their final home, and mourners walk
the streets.
Remember God before the silver cord breaks, the golden
bowl shatters, the pitcher breaks at the spring, the wheel at the well.
Dust returns to the ground, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
Closing
The
Teacher was wise and shared knowledge. He searched for the right words and
wrote truthfully.
The wise words are like sharp nails driven in by one
shepherd. Be careful not to add too many other things.
Books never end, and studying too much tires the body.
Fear God and keep His commands, because that’s what
everyone should do.
God will judge every deed, including hidden things — good or bad.
Amen.