<p class="poetry">For God will evaluate every deed,<n id="1" />p> <p class="bodytext">including every secret thing, whether good or evil.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>

<p class="poetry">I reflected on everything that is accomplished by man<n id="1" /> on earth,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">and I concluded: Everything<n id="3" /> he has accomplished<n id="4" /> is futile<n id="5" /> &#8211; like chasing the wind!<n id="6" />p>

<p class="poetry">I designed<n id="1" /> royal gardens<n id="2" /> and parks<n id="3" /> for myself,p> <p class="poetry">and I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them.p>

<p class="poetry">So I began to despair<n id="1" /> about all the fruit of<n id="2" /> my labor<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">for which I worked so hard<n id="4" /> on earth.<n id="5" />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">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>

<t /><p class="poetry">I have examined all this by wisdom;p> <p class="poetry">I said, &#8220;I am determined<n id="1" /> to comprehend this&#8221;<n id="2" /> &#8211; but it was beyond my grasp.<n id="3" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">Then I considered<n id="1" /> all the skillful work<n id="2" /> that is done:p> <p class="poetry">Surely it is nothing more than<n id="3" /> competition<n id="4" /> between one person and another.<n id="5" />p> <p class="poetry">This also is profitless &#8211; like<n id="6" /> 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">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>

<p class="poetry">All the streams flow<n id="1" /> into the sea, but the sea is not full,p> <p class="poetry">and to the place where the streams flow, there they will flow again.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">All this<n id="1" /> monotony<n id="2" /> is tiresome; no one can bear<n id="3" /> to describe it:<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">The eye is never satisfied with seeing, nor is the ear ever content<n id="5" /> with hearing.p>

<p class="poetry">What exists now<n id="1" /> is what will be,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">and what has been done is what will be done;p> <p class="poetry">there is nothing truly new on earth.<n id="3" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">So I loathed all the fruit of<n id="1" /> my effort,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">for which I worked so hard<n id="3" /> on earth,<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">because<n id="5" /> I must leave it<n id="6" /> behind<n id="7" /> in the hands of my successor.<n id="8" />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">I thought to myself, &#8220;God will judge both the righteous and the wicked;p> <p class="poetry">for there is an appropriate time for every activity,p> <p class="poetry">and there is a time of judgment<n id="1" /> for every deed. 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">This is another misfortune:<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Just as he came, so will he go.p> <p class="poetry">What did he gain from toiling for the wind?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>