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Although some themes, such as wisdom and folly, death, enjoyment, and inheritance, appear consistently throughout the book, some scholars propose a division between two halves: 1.1–6.9 focuses more on the conditions of the world, and 6.10–12.14 on human abilities and inabilities to comprehend these conditions. But coherence and structure appear unsystematically, in erratic patterns. This random, fleeting sense of unity fits the book's overall perspective on the world as without any underlying or overarching cohesion.
Re: The structure of Ecclesiastes
In contrast to traditional teachings as in Proverbs or Sirach, Ecclesiastes describes the world as a place of vibrant ephemerality.
God is the agent responsible for constituting the world as a place of unpredictability, and creating humans with fundamental limitations. Ecclesiastes counsels readers not to strive for ideals of fullness, stability, or wisdom. Humans should instead invest in social relationships and productive labor while they are capable of enjoying their desires.
Many early Jewish and Christian interpreters used Solomon's life as a template through which to read the text. While the Talmud claims that Hezekiah and his scribes were responsible for Ecclesiastes (b. B. Bat. 14b–15a), rabbinic literature overwhelmingly presents the book as a product of Solomon's later years, after he repented of idolatry and became disillusioned with his life (cf. Song Rabbah and Qohelet Rabbah). One medieval Jewish tradition suggests that God took the throne from the elderly Solomon, who then wrote Ecclesiastes while struggling and homeless (Targum Qohelet 1.12).
Most early and medieval Christian theologians transformed Ecclesiastes's impious teachings into a series of exhortations to ignore the transient material world and focus on the divine.
Many modern readers, however, have found in Ecclesiastes deep resonances with contemporary philosophical movements such as existentialism and pessimism. After twentieth-century horrors such as the Shoah, Ecclesiastes's bitter but honest realism resonates with many who feel skeptical about the world's moral coherence.
Yes‼️
2Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher,a vanity of vanities! All is vanity.
3What do people gain from all the toil at which they toil under the sun? 4A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever.
8All thingsb are wearisome; more than one can express; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, or the ear filled with hearing. 9What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; there is nothing new under the sun.
10Is there a thing of which it is said, “See, this is new”? It has already been, in the ages before us. 11The people of long ago are not remembered, nor will there be any remembrance of people yet to come by those who come after them.
14I saw all the deeds that are done under the sun; and see, all is vanity and a chasing after wind.b
15What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is lacking cannot be counted.
18For in much wisdom is much vexation, and those who increase knowledge increase sorrow.
13Then I saw that wisdom excels folly as light excels darkness.
14The wise have eyes in their head, but fools walk in darkness. Yet I perceived that the same fate befalls all of them. 15Then I said to myself, “What happens to the fool will happen to me also; why then have I been so very wise?” And I said to myself that this also is vanity.
22What do mortals get from all the toil and strain with which they toil under the sun? 23For all their days are full of pain, and their work is a vexation; even at night their minds do not rest. This also is vanity.
24There is nothing better for mortals than to eat and drink, and find enjoyment in their toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God; 25for apart from himb who can eat or who can have enjoyment?
3 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: 2a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; 3a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 4a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 5a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 6a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to throw away; 7a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to
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14I know that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it; God has done this, so that all should stand in awe before him. 15That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already is; and God seeks out what has gone by.a
17I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for he has appointed a time for every matter, and for every work.
22So I saw that there is nothing better than that all should enjoy their work, for that is their lot; who can bring them to see what will be after them?
I saw that all toil and all skill in work come from one person's envy of another.
9Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. 10For if they fall, one will lift up the other; but woe to one who is alone and falls and does not have another to help.
11Again, if two lie together, they keep warm; but how can one keep warm alone? 12And though one might prevail against another, two will withstand one. A threefold cord is not quickly broken.
Guard your steps when you go to the house of God; to draw near to listen is better than the sacrifice offered by fools; for they do not know how to keep from doing evil.e
2fNever be rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be quick to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven, and you upon earth; therefore let your words be few.
5It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not fulfill it.
6Do not let your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake; why should God be angry at your words, and destroy the work of your hands?
10The lover of money will not be satisfied with money; nor the lover of wealth, with gain.
11When goods increase, those who eat them increase; and what gain has their owner but to see them with his eyes?
12Sweet is the sleep of laborers, whether they eat little or much; but the surfeit of the rich will not let them sleep.
13There is a grievous ill that I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owners to their hurt, 14and those riches were lost in a bad venture; though they are parents of children, they have nothing in their hands. 15As they came from their mother's womb, so they shall go again, naked as they came; they shall take nothing for their toil, which they may carry away with their hands.
7All human toil is for the mouth, yet the appetite is not satisfied.
9Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of desire;
2It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting; for this is the end of everyone, and the living will lay it to heart.
3Sorrow is better than laughter, for by sadness of countenance the heart is made glad.
5It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise than to hear the song of fools.
9Do not be quick to anger, for anger lodges in the bosom of fools.
10Do not say, “Why were the former days better than these?” For it is not from wisdom that you ask this.
13Consider the work of God; who can make straight what he has made crooked?
14In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider; God has made the one as well as the other, so that mortals may not find out anything that will come after them.
16Do not be too righteous, and do not act too wise; why should you destroy yourself? 17Do not be too wicked, and do not be a fool; why should you die before your time? 18It is good that you should take hold of the one, without letting go of the other; for the one who fears God shall succeed with both.
29See, this alone I found, that God made human beings straightforward, but they have devised many schemes.
Wisdom makes one's face shine, and the hardness of one's countenance is changed.
6For every matter has its time and way, although the troubles of mortals lie heavy upon them. 7Indeed, they do not know what is to be, for who can tell them how it will be?
8No one has power over the windb to restrain the wind,b or power over the day of death; there is no discharge from the battle, nor does wickedness deliver those who practice it.
12Though sinners do evil a hundred times and prolong their lives, yet I know that it will be well with those who fear God, because they stand in fear before him, 13but it will not be well with the wicked, neither will they prolong their days like a shadow, because they do not stand in fear before God.
10Whatever your hand finds to do, do with your might;
“Wisdom is better than might; yet the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heeded.”
17The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded than the shouting of a ruler among fools. 18Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one bungler destroys much good.
