<p class="poetry">What they loved,<n id="1" /> as well as what they hated<n id="2" /> and envied,<n id="3" /> perished long ago,p> <p class="poetry">and they no longer have a part in anything that happens on earth.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">For you know in your own heart<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">that you also have cursed others many times.p>

<p class="poetry">So I thought to myself, &#8220;The fate of the fool will happen even to me!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Then what did I gain by becoming so excessively<n id="2" /> wise?&#8221;<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">So I lamented to myself,<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;The benefits of wisdom<n id="5" /> are ultimately<n id="6" /> meaningless!&#8221;p>

<p class="poetry">For all day long<n id="1" /> his work produces pain and frustration,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">and even at night his mind cannot relax!<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">This also is futile!p>

<p class="poetry">All of man&#8217;s labor is for nothing more than<n id="1" /> to fill his stomach<n id="2" /> &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">yet his appetite<n id="3" /> is never satisfied!p>

<t /><p class="poetry">Again,<n id="1" /> I observed this on the earth:<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">the race is not always<n id="3" /> won by the swiftest,p> <p class="poetry">the battle is not always won by the strongest;p> <p class="poetry">prosperity<n id="4" /> does not always belong to those who are the wisest,p> <p class="poetry">wealth does not always belong to those who are the most discerning,p> <p class="poetry">nor does success<n id="5" /> always come to those with the most knowledge &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">for time and chance may overcome<n id="6" /> them all.p>

<p class="poetry">A man who is all alone with no companion,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">he has no children nor siblings;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">yet there is no end to all his toil,p> <p class="poetry">and he<n id="3" /> is never satisfied with riches.p> <p class="poetry">He laments,<n id="4" /> &#8220;For whom am I toiling and depriving myself<n id="5" /> of pleasure?&#8221;<n id="6" />p> <p class="poetry">This also is futile and a burdensome task!<n id="7" />p>

<p class="poetry">and also that everyone should eat and drink, and find enjoyment in all his toil,p> <p class="poetry">for these things<n id="1" /> are a gift from God.p>

<p class="poetry">Furthermore, if two lie down together, they can keep each other warm,p> <p class="poetry">but how can one person keep warm by himself?p>

<p class="poetry">For he came out of prison<n id="1" /> to become king,p> <p class="poetry">even though he had been born poor in what would become his<n id="2" /> kingdom.p>

<p class="poetry">Surely, he ate in darkness every day of his life,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and he suffered greatly with sickness and anger.p>

<p class="poetry">though it never saw the light of day<n id="1" /> nor knew anything,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">yet it has more rest<n id="3" /> than that man &#8211;p>

<p class="poetry">It is better to be content with<n id="1" /> what the eyes can see<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">than for one&#8217;s heart always to crave more.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">This continual longing<n id="4" /> is futile &#8211; like<n id="5" /> chasing the wind.p>

<p class="poetry">For like the crackling of quick-burning thorns<n id="1" /> under a cooking pot,p> <p class="poetry">so is the laughter of the fool.p> <p class="poetry">This kind of folly<n id="2" /> also is useless.<n id="3" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">This is what I also observed about wisdom on earth,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and it is a great burden<n id="2" /> to me:p>

<p class="poetry">Even when a fool walks along the road he lacks sense,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and shows<n id="2" /> everyone what a fool he is.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">There is no end to all the people<n id="1" /> nor to the past generations,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">yet future generations<n id="3" /> will not rejoice in him.p> <p class="poetry">This also is profitless and like<n id="4" /> chasing the wind.p>

<t /><p class="poetry">So I reflected on all this,<n id="1" /> attempting to clear<n id="2" /> it all up.p> <p class="poetry">I concluded that<n id="3" /> the righteous and the wise, as well as their works, are in the hand of God;p> <p class="poetry">whether a person will be loved or hated<n id="4" /> &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">no one knows what lies ahead.<n id="5" />p>

<p class="poetry">No one remembers the former events,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">nor will anyone remember<n id="2" /> the events that are yet to happen;<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">they will not be remembered by the future generations.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">So I decided<n id="1" /> to discern the benefit of<n id="2" /> wisdom and knowledge over<n id="3" /> foolish behavior and ideas;<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">however, I concluded<n id="5" /> that even<n id="6" /> this endeavor<n id="7" /> is like<n id="8" /> trying to chase the wind!<n id="9" />p>