Everything is meaningless 1 The words of the Teacher,son of David, king of Jerusalem: 2 ‘Meaningless! Meaningless!’ says the Teacher. ‘Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.’ 3 What do people gain…

Pleasures are meaningless 1 I said to myself, ‘Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good.’ But that also proved to be meaningless. 2…

A time for everything 1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: 2 a time to be born and a time to…

Oppression, toil, friendlessness 1 Again I looked and saw all the oppression that was taking place under the sun: I saw the tears of the oppressed – and they have…

Fulfil your vow to God 1 Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who…

1 I have seen another evil under the sun, and it weighs heavily on mankind: 2 God gives some people wealth, possessions and honour, so that they lack nothing their…

Wisdom 1 A good name is better than fine perfume, and the day of death better than the day of birth. 2 It is better to go to a house…

1 Who is like the wise? Who knows the explanation of things? A person’s wisdom brightens their face and changes its hard appearance. Obey the king 2 Obey the king’s…

A common destiny for all 1 So I reflected on all this and concluded that the righteous and the wise and what they do are in God’s hands, but no…

1 As dead flies give perfume a bad smell, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honour. 2 The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart…