<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>

<p class="poetry">I have observed the burdenp> <p class="poetry">that God has given to people<n id="1" /> to keep them occupied.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>

<t /><p class="poetry">Here is<n id="1" /> another misfortune<n id="2" /> that I have seen on earth,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">and it weighs<n id="4" /> heavily on people:<n id="5" />p>

<p class="poetry">For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter,p> <p class="poetry">for the oppression<n id="1" /> of the king<n id="2" /> is severe upon his victim.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">For the fate of humans<n id="1" /> and the fate of animals are the same:p> <p class="poetry">As one dies, so dies the other; both have the same breath.p> <p class="poetry">There is no advantage for humans over animals,p> <p class="poetry">for both are fleeting.p>

<p class="poetry">Surely, no one<n id="1" /> knows his appointed time!<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Like fish that are caught in a deadly<n id="3" /> net, and like birds that are caught in a snare &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">just like them, all people<n id="4" /> are ensnared<n id="5" /> at an unfortunate<n id="6" /> time that falls upon them suddenly.p>

<p class="poetry">I also amassed silver and gold for myself,p> <p class="poetry">as well as valuable treasures<n id="1" /> taken from kingdoms and provinces.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">I acquired male singers and female singers for myself,p> <p class="poetry">and what gives a man sensual delight<n id="3" /> &#8211; a harem of beautiful concubines!<n id="4" />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>

<p class="poetry">I also thought to myself, &#8220;It is<n id="1" /> for the sake of people,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">so God can clearly<n id="3" /> show<n id="4" /> them that they are like animals.p>

<p class="poetry">Who really knows if the human spirit<n id="1" /> ascends upward,p> <p class="poetry">and the animal&#8217;s spirit descends into the earth?p>

<p class="poetry">So I perceived there is nothing better than for people<n id="1" /> to enjoy their work,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">because that is their<n id="3" /> reward;p> <p class="poetry">for who can show them what the future holds?<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">This alone have I discovered: God made humankind upright,p> <p class="poetry">but they have sought many evil schemes.p>

<p class="poetry">When<n id="1" /> a sentence<n id="2" /> is not executed<n id="3" /> at once against a crime,<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">the human heart<n id="5" /> is encouraged to do evil.<n id="6" />p>

<p class="poetry">yet a fool keeps on babbling.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">No one knows what will happen;p> <p class="poetry">who can tell him what will happen in the future?<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">So, if a man lives many years, let him rejoice in them all,p> <p class="poetry">but let him remember that the days of darkness<n id="1" /> will be many &#8211; all that is about to come is obscure.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">Having heard everything, I have reached this conclusion:<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Fear God and keep his commandments,p> <p class="poetry">because this is the whole duty<n id="2" /> of man.p>

<p class="poetry">then I discerned all that God has done:<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">No one really comprehends what happens<n id="2" /> on earth.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">Despite all human<n id="4" /> efforts to discover it, no one can ever grasp<n id="5" /> it.<n id="6" />p> <p class="poetry">Even if<n id="7" /> a wise person claimed<n id="8" /> that he understood,p> <p class="poetry">he would not really comprehend<n id="9" /> it.<n id="10" />p>

<p class="poetry">I decided<n id="1" /> to carefully<n id="2" /> and thoroughly examine<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">all that has been accomplished on earth.<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">I concluded:<n id="5" /> God has given people<n id="6" /> a burdensome task<n id="7" />p> <p class="poetry">that keeps them<n id="8" /> occupied.<n id="9" />p>