| 第1段 | |
| 中文： | 我将一切事放在心上，详细考究，就知道义人和智慧人，并他们的作为，都在神手中。或是爱，或是恨，都在他们的前面，人不能知道。 |
| 英文： | For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them. |
| 第2段 | |
| 中文： | 凡临到众人的事，都是一样。义人和恶人，都遭遇一样的事。好人，洁净人和不洁净人，献祭的与不献祭的，也是一样。好人如何，罪人也如何。起誓的如何，怕起誓的也如何。 |
| 英文： | All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath. |
| 第3段 | |
| 中文： | 在日光之下所行的一切事上，有一件祸患，就是众人所遭遇的，都是一样。并且世人的心，充满了恶。活着的时候心里狂妄，后来就归死人那里去了。 |
| 英文： | This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead. |
| 第4段 | |
| 中文： | 与一切活人相连的，那人还有指望。因为活着的狗，比死了的狮子更强。 |
| 英文： | For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion. |
| 第5段 | |
| 中文： | 活着的人，知道必死。死了的人，毫无所知。也不在得赏赐，他们的名无人记念。 |
| 英文： | For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. |
| 第6段 | |
| 中文： | 他们的爱，他们的恨，他们的嫉妒，早都消灭了。在日光之下所行的一切事上，他们永不再有分了。 |
| 英文： | Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun. |
| 第7段 | |
| 中文： | 你只管去欢欢喜喜吃你的饭。心中快乐喝你的酒。因为神已经悦纳你的作为。 |
| 英文： | Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works. |
| 第8段 | |
| 中文： | 你的衣服当时常洁白。你头上也不要缺少膏油。 |
| 英文： | Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment. |
| 第9段 | |
| 中文： | 在你一生虚空的年日，就是神赐你在日光之下虚空的年日，当同你所爱的妻，快活度日。因为那是你生前，在日光之下劳碌的事上所得的分。 |
| 英文： | Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun. |
| 第10段 | |
| 中文： | 凡你手所当作的事，要尽力去作。因为在你所必去的阴间，没有工作，没有谋算，没有知识，也没有智慧。 |
| 英文： | Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest. |
| 第11段 | |
| 中文： | 我又转念，见日光之下，快跑的未必能嬴，力战的未必得胜，智慧的未必得粮食，明哲的未必得赀财，灵巧的未必得喜悦。所临到众人的，是在乎当时的机会。 |
| 英文： | I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all. |
| 第12段 | |
| 中文： | 原来人也不知道自己的定期。鱼被恶网圈住，鸟被网罗捉住，祸患忽然临到的时候，世人陷在其中，也是如此。 |
| 英文： | For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them. |
| 第13段 | |
| 中文： | 我见日光之下有一样智慧，据我看乃是广大， |
| 英文： | This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto me: |
| 第14段 | |
| 中文： | 就是有一小城，其中的人数稀少，有大君王来攻击，修筑营垒，将城围困。 |
| 英文： | There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it: |
| 第15段 | |
| 中文： | 城中有一个贫穷的智慧人，他用智慧救了那城，却没有人记念那穷人。 |
| 英文： | Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man. |
| 第16段 | |
| 中文： | 我就说，智慧胜过勇力。然而那贫穷人的智慧，被人藐视，他的话也无人听从。 |
| 英文： | Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard. |
| 第17段 | |
| 中文： | 宁可在安静之中听智慧人的言语，不听掌管愚昧人的喊声。 |
| 英文： | The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools. |
| 第18段 | |
| 中文： | 智慧胜过打仗的兵器。但一个罪人，能败坏许多善事。 |
| 英文： | Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good. |