Then I said in my heart, As it happens to the fool, so it happens even to me; and why was I then more wise? And I said in my heart that this also is vanity.

I spoke within my own heart, saying, Lo, I have become great and have gathered more wisdom than all who have been before me in Jerusalem; yea, my heart has seen much of wisdom and knowledge.

And I gave my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly; I have perceived that this also is striving of spirit.

I said in my heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.

I said in my heart concerning the manner of the sons of men, that God tests them, that they might see that they themselves are beasts.

He has said in his heart, I shall not be moved; from generation to generation I shall not be in adversity!

i1 [To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.] i0 par The fool has said in his heart, There is no God! They are corrupt; they have done abominable works, there is no one who does good.

When You say, Seek My face, my heart has said unto You, Your face, O Jehovah, I will seek.

And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved.

O Jehovah, by Your favor You have made my mountain to stand strong; You hid Your face, and I was troubled.

And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.

Then they said to one another, Come, let us make bricks and burn them with burning. They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar.

And they said, Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, that we not be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.

Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they cannot understand one another's speech.

And the king of Syria said, Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel. So he departed and took in his hand ten talents of silver, six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of clothing.

And now I will tell you what I will do to My vineyard; I will take away its hedge, and it shall be burned; and break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down;

Come now, you who say, Today or tomorrow we will go to this city, spend a year there, do business, and make a profit;

Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your calamities that are coming upon you.

Then I praised gladness, because a man has no better thing under the sun than to eat and to drink and to be glad; for that shall remain with him of his labor for the days of his life which God gives him under the sun.

Rejoice in your youth, young man; and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth, and walk in the ways of your heart, and in the sight of your eyes; but know that for all these things, God will bring you into judgment.

The Lord Jehovah has opened My ear, and I was not rebellious, nor turned away backwards.

Behold, all you who kindle a fire, who are surrounded with sparks; walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks which you have kindled. This you shall have from My hand; you shall lie down in sorrow.

There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day.

And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury; you have fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter.

For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, led astray, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.

By however much she has glorified herself and lived luxuriously, by the same amount give her torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart, I sit as queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow.

Therefore her plagues will come in one day; death and mourning and famine. And she will be consumed with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges her.