¹³ And I gave my heart to searching out in wisdom all things which are done under heaven: it is a hard thing which God has put on the sons of men to do.

¹⁰ I saw the work which God has put on the sons of man.

¹⁷ And I gave my heart to getting knowledge of wisdom, and of the ways of the foolish. And I saw that this again was desire for wind.

¹⁹ With the hard work of your hands you will get your bread till you go back to the earth from which you were taken: for dust you are and to the dust you will go back.

¹⁶ When I gave my mind to the knowledge of wisdom and to seeing the business which is done on the earth (and there are those whose eyes see not sleep by day or by night),

¹⁷ Then I saw all the work of God, and that man may not get knowledge of the work which is done under the sun; because, if a man gives hard work to the search he will not get knowledge, and even if the wise man seems to be coming to the end of his search, still he will be without knowledge.

²⁵ I gave my mind to knowledge and to searching for wisdom and the reason of things, and to the discovery that sin is foolish, and that to be foolish is to be without one's senses.

¹⁵ Have a care for these things; give yourself to them with all your heart, so that all may see how you go forward.

¹² And further, my son, take note of this: of the making of books there is no end, and much learning is a weariness to the flesh.

⁹ All this have I seen, and have given my heart to all the work which is done under the sun: there is a time when man has power over man for his destruction.

⁴ And I saw that the cause of all the work and of everything which is done well was man's envy of his neighbour. This again is to no purpose and a desire for wind.

²⁶ To the man with whom he is pleased, God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy; but to the sinner he gives the work of getting goods together and storing up wealth, to give to him in whom God has pleasure. This again is to no purpose and desire for wind.

²³ All his days are sorrow, and his work is full of grief. Even in the night his heart has no rest. This again is to no purpose.

²⁶ My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes take delight in my ways.

¹⁵ The heart of the man of good sense gets knowledge; the ear of the wise is searching for knowledge.

¹ He who keeps himself separate for his private purpose goes against all good sense.

⁷ The first sign of wisdom is to get wisdom; go, give all you have to get true knowledge.

² So that your ear gives attention to wisdom, and your heart is turned to knowledge;

³ Truly, if you are crying out for good sense, and your request is for knowledge;

⁴ If you are looking for her as for silver, and searching for her as for stored-up wealth;

² The works of the Lord are great, searched out by all those who have delight in them.