1Who is such as a wise man? and who knoweth the solving, either expounding, of a word? The wisdom of a man shineth in his cheer; and the mightiest shall change his face.

2I keep the mouth of the king, and the commandments and [the] swearings of God.

3Haste thou not to go away from his face, and dwell thou not in evil work. For he shall do all thing, that he will;

4and his word is full of power, and no man may say to him, Why doest thou so?

5He that keepeth the commandment of God, shall not feel anything of evil; the heart of a wise man understandeth time and answer.

6Time and season is to each work; and much torment is of a man,

7for he knoweth not [the] things passed, and he may not know by any messenger [the] things to come.

8It is not in the power of man to forbid the spirit, that is, his soul, from going out from the body, neither he hath power in the day of death, neither he is suffered to have rest, when the battle nigheth; neither wickedness shall save a wicked man.

9I beheld all these things, and I gave mine heart in all works, that be done under the sun. Sometime a man is lord of a man, to his evil.

10I saw wicked men buried, which, when they lived yet, were in holy place; and they were praised in the city, as men of just [or rightwise] works; but also this is vanity.

11Forsooth for the sentence is not brought forth soon against evil men, the sons of men do evils without any dread.

12Nevertheless of that, that a sinner doeth evil an hundred times, and is suffered by patience, I knew that good it shall be to men dreading God, that reverence his face, or presence.

13Good be not to the wicked man, neither his days be made long; but pass they as shadow, that dread not the face of the Lord.

14Also another vanity there is, that is done on earth. Just [or rightwise] men there be, to whom evils come, as if they did the works of wicked men; and wicked men there be, that be as secure, as if they had done the deeds of just [or rightwise] men; but I deem also this most vain.

15Therefore I praised gladness, that no good was to a man under the sun, but to eat, and drink, and to be joyful; and that he should bear away with himself only this of his travail, in the days of his life, which God gave to him under the sun.

16And I setted mine heart to know wisdom, and to understand the parting, which is turned in earth. A man is, that by days and nights, taketh not sleep with his eyes.

17And I understood, that of all the works of God, a man may find no reason of those things, that be done under the sun; and inasmuch as he travaileth more to seek, by so much he shall find less; yea, though a wise man say that he knoweth, he shall not be able to find.