<p class="poetry">He becomes the victim of his own destructive plans<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and the violence he intended for others falls on his own head.<n id="2" />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">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>

<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="psasuper">A song of ascents,<n id="2" /> by Solomon.p> <p class="poetry">If the <sc>Lordsc> does not build a house,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">then those who build it work in vain.p> <p class="poetry">If the <sc>Lordsc> does not guard a city,<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">then the watchman stands guard in vain.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>

<p class="poetry">A man who is all alone with no companion,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">he has no children nor siblings;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">yet there is no end to all his toil,p> <p class="poetry">and he<n id="3" /> is never satisfied with riches.p> <p class="poetry">He laments,<n id="4" /> &#8220;For whom am I toiling and depriving myself<n id="5" /> of pleasure?&#8221;<n id="6" />p> <p class="poetry">This also is futile and a burdensome task!<n id="7" />p>