Letter to my old friend...

My days here on earth are numbered...

I will not be here for too long...

I have seen under the sun that in the place of justice there is wickedness and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness. I said to myself, "God will judge both the righteous man and the wicked man," for a time for every matter and for every deed is there. I said to myself concerning the sons of men, "God has surely tested the in order for them to see that they are but beasts." For the fate of the sons of men and the fate of beasts in the same. As one dies so dies the other; indeed, they all have the same breath and there is no advantage for man over beast, for all is vanity. All go to the same place. All came from the dust and all return to the dust...

Then I looked again at all the acts of oppression which were being done under the sun. And behold I saw the tears of the oppressed and that they had no one to comfort them; and on the side of their oppressors was power, but they had no one to comfort them.

So I congratulated the dead who are already dead more than the living who are still living. But better off than both of them is the one who has never existed, who have never seen the evil activity that is done under the sun...

I have seen that every labor and every skill which is done is the result of rivalry between a man and his neighbor. This too is vanity and striving after wind. The fool folds his hands and consumes his own flesh.

Then I looked again at vanity under the sun. There was a certain man without a dependent, having neither a son nor a brother, yet there was no end to all his labor. Indeed, his eyes were not satisfied with riches and he never asked, "And for whom am I laboring and depriving myself of pleasure:" This too is vanity and it is a grievous task...


So I said, "Wisdom is better than strength." But the wisdom of the poor man is despised and his words are not heeded. The words of the wise heard in quietness are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools. Wisdom is better than weapons of war...

The words of wise men are like goads, and masters of those collections given by one Shepherd. But beyond this, be warned; the writing of many books is endless, and excessive devotion to books is wearying to the body...

All is vanity.

Oh man, what is good?

Guard your steps as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools; for they do not know they are doing evil. Do not be hasty in word or impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God. For God is in heaven and you are on the earth...

Eccl. 3:6-4:12 12:11-14
Micah 6:8