"... In the book of Ecclesiastes, Qohelet holds the retribution principle at arm’s length, but he does hold it. He advises his readers to fulfill ritual obligations to avoid inciting divine wrath (Ecclesiastes 5:1-7), but his most direct discussion of the retribution principle is in Ecclesiastes 8:12—9:4. He labels the experiences that contradict the retribution principle as meaningless (Ecclesiastes 8:14), but despite those contradictions he advises that it will go better for those who fear God (Ecclesiastes 8:12-13). His teaching can be summarized in the advice that people should live as if the retribution principle were true, but that they should not expect it to be reflected in their personal circumstances. He refuses to employ the retribution principle in theodicy because “No one can comprehend what goes on under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 8:17). A further caveat, however, is that the retribution principle itself is ultimately meaningless because “all share a common destiny” (Ecclesiastes 9:2): death overtakes them all ..."