<p class="poetry">So I considered<n id="1" /> those who are dead and gone<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">more fortunate than those who are still alive.<n id="3" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">But whoever is among<n id="1" /> the living<n id="2" /> has hope;p> <p class="poetry">a live dog is better than a dead lion.p>

<p class="poetry">Enjoy<n id="1" /> life with your beloved wife<n id="2" /> during all the days of your fleeting<n id="3" /> lifep> <p class="poetry">that God<n id="4" /> has given you on earth<n id="5" /> during all your fleeting days;<n id="6" />p> <p class="poetry">for that is your reward in life and in your burdensome work<n id="7" /> on earth.<n id="8" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">I have concluded<n id="1" /> that there is nothing better for people<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">than<n id="3" /> to be happy and to enjoyp> <p class="poetry">themselves<n id="4" /> as long as they live,p>

<p class="poetry">So what advantage does a wise man have over a fool?<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">And what advantage<n id="2" /> does a pauper gain by knowing how to survive?<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Feasts<n id="1" /> are made<n id="2" /> for laughter,p> <p class="poetry">and wine makes life merry,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">but money is the answer<n id="4" /> for everything.p>

<p class="poetry">For no one knows what is best for a person during his life<n id="1" /> &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">during the few days of his fleeting life &#8211; p> <p class="poetry">for<n id="2" /> they pass away<n id="3" /> like a shadow.p> <p class="poetry">Nor can anyone tell him what the future will hold for him on earth.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">So I loathed<n id="1" /> life<n id="2" /> because whatp> <p class="poetry">happens<n id="3" /> on earth<n id="4" /> seems awful to me;p> <p class="poetry">for all the benefits of wisdom<n id="5" /> are futile &#8211; like chasing the wind.p>

<p class="poetry">I considered all the living who walk on earth,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">as well as the successor<n id="2" /> who would arise<n id="3" /> in his place.p>

<p class="poetry">For he does not think<n id="1" /> much about the fleeting<n id="2" /> days of his lifep> <p class="poetry">because God keeps him preoccupied<n id="3" /> with the joy he derives from his activity.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">It is better to go to a funeral<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">than a feast.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">For death<n id="3" /> is the destiny<n id="4" /> of every person,<n id="5" />p> <p class="poetry">and the living should<n id="6" /> take this<n id="7" /> to heart.p>

<p class="poetry">For the living know that they will die, but the dead do not know anything;p> <p class="poetry">they have no further reward &#8211; and even the memory of them disappears.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">I thought deeply<n id="1" /> about the effects of<n id="2" /> indulging<n id="3" /> myself<n id="4" /> with winep> <p class="poetry">(all the while<n id="5" /> my mind was guiding me<n id="6" /> with wisdom)<n id="7" />p> <p class="poetry">and the effects of<n id="8" /> behaving foolishly,<n id="9" />p> <p class="poetry">so that<n id="10" /> I might discover what is profitable<n id="11" />p> <p class="poetry">for people<n id="12" /> to do on earth<n id="13" /> during the few days<n id="14" /> of their lives.p>

<t /><p class="poetry">I have seen personally what is the only beneficial and appropriate course of action for people:<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">to eat and drink,<n id="2" /> and find enjoyment in all their<n id="3" /> hard work<n id="4" /> on earth<n id="5" />p> <p class="poetry">during the few days of their life which God has given them,p> <p class="poetry">for this is their reward.<n id="6" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">So I recommend the enjoyment of life,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">for there is nothing better on earth<n id="2" /> for a person to do<n id="3" /> except<n id="4" /> to eat, drink, and enjoy<n id="5" /> life.<n id="6" />p> <p class="poetry">So<n id="7" /> joy<n id="8" /> will accompany him in his toilp> <p class="poetry">during the days of his life which God gives him on earth.<n id="9" />p>

<p class="poetry">This is the unfortunate fact<n id="1" /> about everything that happens on earth:<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">the same fate awaits<n id="3" /> everyone.p> <p class="poetry">In addition to this, the hearts of all people<n id="4" /> are full of evil,p> <p class="poetry">and there is folly in their hearts during their lives &#8211; then they die.<n id="5" />p>