A   For all these thynges purposed I in my mynd to seke out. The ryghtuous and wyse yea and their ^note workes also are in the h&abar;de of God: and ^note their is no man knoweth eyther the loue or hate of the thyng þt; he hath before him. It happeneth vnto one as vnto another: It goeth &wt; the ryghtuous as &wt; the vngodli &wt; the good ∧ cleane as &wt; the vncleane: &wt; him that offereth as &wt; him that offereth not: lyke as it goeth wyth þe; vertuous, so goeth it also wyth the sinner: As it happeneth vnto the periured, so happeneth it also vnto him þt; is afraied to be forsworne. Amonge all thynges that come to passe vnder the Sunne, this is a mysery, that it happeneth vnto all alyke. This is the cause also that the hertes of men are ful of wyckednes, and mad folishnes is in their hertes as longe as they liue, vntyl they dye.

B   And why? As longe as a man lyueth, he is careles: for a quicke dogg (saye they) is better then a dead lyon: for they that be lyuyng, knowe that they shall dye: but they that be dead, knowe nothinge, neyther deserne they any more. For their memoriall is forgotten, so that they be nether loued, hated ner enuied nether haue they animore parte in the world, in al that is done vnder the Sonne. Go thou thy waye then, eate thy bread wyth ioy, and dryncke thy wyne wyth gladnesse, for thy worckes please God. ^noteLet thy garm&ebar;ts be alway white, and let thy head w&abar;t none oyntment. Vse thy selfe to lyue ioyfully with thy wyfe whom thou leuest, all the dayes of thy life, which is but vaine, that God hath geuen the vnder the Sunne, all the dayes of thy vanite: for that is thy porcion in this lyfe, of all thy laboure and trauayle that thou takeste vnder the Sunne. C   Whatsoeuer thou takest in hande to do, that do wyth all thy power: for among the dead, wher as thou goest vnto, ther is nether worcke, councel, knowledge ner wysdome.

So I turned me vnto other thynges vnder the Sonne, and I sawe, that in runnyng, it helpeth not to be swift: in battayll, it helpeth not to be stronge, to fedynge, it helpeth not to be wyse: to ryches, it helpeth not to be suttell: to be had in fauoure, it helpeth not to be cunnynge: but that all lyeth in tyme and fortune. For a man knoweth not his tyme, but like as the fishes are tak&ebar; wyth the angle

and as the byrdes are catched with the snare Euen so are men taken in the perilous time, when it commeth sodenly vpon them.

D   This wysdome haue I sene also vnder þe; Sunne, and me thought it a great thynge.
There was a litle citie, and a fewe m&ebar; within it: so there came a great kyng and beseged it, and made great bulwarkes agaynste it And in the cytye there was founde a poore man (but he was wyse) which with hys wisdome deliuered the cytye: yet was there no body, that had any respect vnto such a symple man. Then sayde I: wysdome is better then strengthe. Neuertheles, a simple mans wysedome is despised, ∧ his wordes are not herde. A wyse m&abar;s counsayl that is folowed in silence, is farre aboue the cryeng of a captayne among fooles. ^noteFor wysdome is better then harnesse: but one vnthryft alone destroyeth much good.

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