then, my child, do this in order to deliver yourself, because you have fallen into your neighbor’s power: go, humble yourself, and appeal firmly to your neighbor.

till an arrow pierces his liver – like a bird hurrying into a trap, and he does not know that it will cost him his life.

All the relatives of a poor person hate him; how much more do his friends avoid him – he pursues them with words, but they do not respond.

When you gaze upon riches, they are gone, for they surely make wings for themselves, and fly off into the sky like an eagle!

for he is like someone calculating the cost in his mind. “Eat and drink,” he says to you, but his heart is not with you;

If you say, “But we did not know about this,” does not the one who evaluates hearts consider? Does not the one who guards your life know? Will he not repay each person according to his deeds?

For as the churning of milk produces butter and as punching the nose produces blood, so stirring up anger produces strife.

Next, I decided to consider wisdom, as well as foolish behavior and ideas. For what more can the king’s successor do than what the king has already done?

For the wise man, like the fool, will not be remembered for very long, because in the days to come, both will already have been forgotten. Alas, the wise man dies – just like the fool!

For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge, and skill; however, he must hand over the fruit of his labor as an inheritance to someone else who did not work for it. This also is futile, and an awful injustice!

For all day long his work produces pain and frustration, and even at night his mind cannot relax! This also is futile!

There is nothing better for people than to eat and drink, and to find enjoyment in their work. I also perceived that this ability to find enjoyment comes from God.

I thought to myself, “God will judge both the righteous and the wicked; for there is an appropriate time for every activity, and there is a time of judgment for every deed.

For if they fall, one will help his companion up, but pity the person who falls down and has no one to help him up.

When you make a vow to God, do not delay in paying it. For God takes no pleasure in fools: Pay what you vow!

When someone’s prosperity increases, those who consume it also increase; so what does its owner gain, except that he gets to see it with his eyes?

Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these days?” for it is not wise to ask that.

It is best to take hold of one warning without letting go of the other warning; for the one who fears God will follow both warnings.

Do not rush out of the king’s presence in haste – do not delay when the matter is unpleasant, for he can do whatever he pleases.

Go, eat your food with joy, and drink your wine with a happy heart, because God has already approved your works.