Ecclesiastes (Kohelet)

that whatever God does will be forever. There is no adding to it, there 1s. is no taking away; and God has made quite sure that He be feared. That which has been is already here, and that which is to be has already been. 16 And God is seeking after the pursued. Another thing that I saw beneath the sun: In a place of judgment - there are the evils. In a place of justice - 17 evil is there. I said to my mind: God will judge both the righteous and the wicked, for the time comes for every deed, for all that is done, there. 18 And I said to my mind of the sons of man: God set them apart, to find 19 that they are nothing but cattle. For the fate of man is the fate of cattle; the same fate awaits them both, the death of one is like the death of the other, and their spirits are the same, and the pre-eminence of man over 20 beast is nothing, for it is all but shallow breath. All end in the same place; 21 all emerge from dust and all go back to dust. Who can say that the spirit 22 of aman rises up while the spirit of a beast sinks into the ground? I saw that there is no good at all but for man to take pleasure in his works; for that is his share. For who will bring him to see what will become of it all when he is gone? 41 But! turned again and saw all those made victims beneath the sun. There they were: the victims’ tears and none to console them; power at the hands 2 of their oppressors, and none to console them. And I thought the dead 3 more fortunate, who have died already, than the living who yet live. But better than either are those who are yet to be, for they have seen none of the evil that is wrought beneath the sun. 4 And Isaw all the labor that is performed, all the skill - saw that it is all but one man’s jealousy for another; this too is shallow breath and courting the 5 wind. The fool crosses his hands and eats his own flesh. Better a handful of peace than two hands full of labor and courting the wind. 1 I turned again and saw shallow breath beneath the sun. It happens that a man may be alone, with no fellow, no child even, or brother, and there may be no end to all his labor. His eye, too, will never see enough of riches; and who, after all, am I laboring for, and starving my spirit of good? This too is 9 shallow breath and a wretched business. Two are better than one, for they 10 have some good return for all their labor. For if they fall down, they will help each other rise. But pity the one who falls alone, for who will ever raise him? 11 Two people lying down together are warm; but how can one ever be warm