I passed by the field of a sluggard, by the vineyard of a man lacking sense,
Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits lacks sense.
All this I observed while applying my heart to all that is done under the sun, when man had power over man to his hurt. Then I saw the wicked buried. They used to go in and out of the holy place and were praised in the city where they had done such things. This also is vanity. Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil.
Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest. How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,
As I have seen, those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same.
Again I saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun. And behold, the tears of the oppressed, and they had no one to comfort them! On the side of their oppressors there was power, and there was no one to comfort them. And I thought the dead who are already dead more fortunate than the living who are still alive. But better than both is he who has not yet been and has not seen the evil deeds that are done under the sun. Then I saw that all toil and all skill in work come from a man's envy of his neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind. The fool folds his hands and eats his own flesh.
On the lips of him who has understanding, wisdom is found, but a rod is for the back of him who lacks sense.
He who commits adultery lacks sense; he who does it destroys himself.
I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread.
“I will show you; hear me, and what I have seen I will declare
Behold, this we have searched out; it is true. Hear, and know it for your good.”
In my vain life I have seen everything. There is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his evildoing.
The upright see it and are glad, and all wickedness shuts its mouth.
Unless otherwise indicated, all content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Contact me: openbibleinfo (at) gmail.com.