1. Obey the king's command (1-8)

The Teacher first asks two rhetorical questions about wisdom. Both imply an answer of "no". No one is like the wise person and no one really understands the nature of things. But wisdom leads us to the decision to obey our leaders. This is true both because all authority comes from God and because of fear of retribution.

2. No one can comprehend what goes on under the sun (9-17)

The Teacher turned his mind to the wickedness of the world. He saw that, even though the wicked deserve punishment and the righteous deserve prosperity, sometimes the opposite happens. The righteous perish, and the wicked prosper. This too is meaningless. The Teacher concluded from this that we should enjoy our lives. We should eat, drink and be glad. God will give us joy all the days of our lives. We may not be able to comprehend all that God has done under the sun, but He has allowed us to enjoy it.