<p class="poetry">At the beginning his words<n id="1" /> are foolishp> <p class="poetry">and at the end<n id="2" /> his talk<n id="3" /> is wicked madness,<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">I realized that wisdom is preferable to folly,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">just as light is preferable to darkness:p>

<p class="poetry">One dead fly<n id="1" /> makes the perfumer&#8217;s ointment give off a rancid stench,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">so a little folly can outweigh<n id="3" /> much wisdom.<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>

<t /><p class="poetry">Next, I decided to consider<n id="1" /> wisdom, as well as foolish behavior and ideas.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">For what more can the king&#8217;s successor do than what the king<n id="3" /> has already done?p>

<t /><p class="poetry">I tried<n id="1" /> to understand, examine, and comprehend<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">the role of<n id="3" /> wisdom in the scheme of things,<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">and to understand the stupidity of wickedness<n id="5" /> and the insanity of folly.<n id="6" />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>