11 Because pitgam (sentence) against a ma'aseh hara'ah (an evil work) is not executed speedily, therefore the lev of the bnei haAdam is fully set in them to do rah.
12 Though a choteh do rah an hundred times, and his yamim be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear HaElohim, which fear before Hashem;
13 But it shall not be well with the rasha, neither shall he lengthen his yamim like a tzel (shadow); because he feareth not before Elohim.
14 There is a hevel which is done upon ha'aretz; that there be tzaddikim, unto whom it happeneth according to the ma'aseh haresha'im; again, there be resha'im, to whom it happeneth according to the ma'aseh hatzaddikim; I say that this also is hevel.
15 Then I commended simchah, because a man hath no better thing under the shemesh, than to eat, and to drink, and to have simchah; for that shall accompany him in his amal the yamim of his life, which HaElohim giveth him under the shemesh.
16 When I applied mine lev to have da'as of chochmah, and to see the business that is done upon ha'aretz, though one's eynayim see sleep neither yom nor lailah,
17 then I beheld kol ma'aseh HaElohim, that haAdam cannot comprehend the ma'aseh that is done under the shemesh; because though haAdam labor to seek it out, yet he shall not comprehend it; moreover, though a chacham claim to have da'as of it, yet shall he not be able to comprehend it.