<p class="poetry">The sun rises<n id="1" /> and the sun sets;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">it hurries away<n id="3" /> to a place from which it rises<n id="4" /> again.<n id="5" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">So<n id="1" /> I again considered<n id="2" /> another<n id="3" /> futile thing on earth:<n id="4" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">What benefit<n id="1" /> do people<n id="2" /> get from all the effortp> <p class="poetry">which<n id="3" /> they expend<n id="4" /> on earth?<n id="5" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">Wisdom, like<n id="1" /> an inheritance, is a good thing;p> <p class="poetry">it benefits those who see the light of day.<n id="2" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">Light<n id="1" /> is sweet,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">and it is pleasant for a person<n id="3" /> to see the sun.<n id="4" />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">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>

<t /><p class="poetry">What does a man acquire from all his laborp> <p class="poetry">and from the anxiety that accompanies his toil on earth?<n id="1" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">I saw something else on earth:<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">In the place of justice, there was wickedness,p> <p class="poetry">and in the place of fairness,<n id="2" /> there was wickedness.p>

<t /><p class="poetry">Here is<n id="1" /> a misfortune<n id="2" /> on earth<n id="3" /> that I have seen:p> <p class="poetry">Wealth hoarded by its owner to his own misery.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>

<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">I have seen another<n id="1" /> misfortune<n id="2" /> on the earth:<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">It is an error a ruler makes.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">before the sun and the light<n id="1" /> of the moon and the stars grow dark,p> <p class="poetry">and the clouds disappear<n id="2" /> after the rain;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">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">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>

<p class="poetry">Yet when I reflected on everything I had accomplished<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and on all the effort that I had expended to accomplish it,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">I concluded:<n id="3" /> &#8220;All these<n id="4" /> achievements and possessions<n id="5" /> are ultimately<n id="6" /> profitless<n id="7" /> &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">like chasing the wind!p> <p class="poetry">There is nothing gained<n id="8" /> from them<n id="9" /> on earth.&#8221;<n id="10" />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>

<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>