<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>

<t /><p class="poetry">Whatever has happened was foreordained,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and what happens to a person<n id="2" /> was also foreknown.p> <p class="poetry">It is useless for him to argue with God about his fatep> <p class="poetry">because God is more powerful than he is.<n id="3" />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">What I have continually sought, I have not found;p> <p class="poetry">I have found only<n id="1" /> one upright<n id="2" /> man among a thousand,p> <p class="poetry">but I have not found one upright woman among all of them.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>

<t /><p class="poetry">Who is<n id="1" /> a<n id="2" /> wise person? Who knows the solution<n id="3" /> to a problem?<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">A person&#8217;s wisdom brightens his appearance,<n id="5" /> and softens<n id="6" /> his harsh countenance.<n id="7" />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">However, a poor but wise man lived in the city,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and he could have delivered<n id="2" /> the city by his wisdom,p> <p class="poetry">but no one listened<n id="3" /> to that poor man.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>

<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>

<p class="poetry">For to the one who pleases him,<n id="1" /> God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy,p> <p class="poetry">but to the sinner, he gives the task of amassing<n id="2" /> wealth<n id="3" /> &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">only to give<n id="4" /> it<n id="5" /> to the one who pleases God.p> <p class="poetry">This<n id="6" /> task of the wicked<n id="7" /> is futile &#8211; like chasing the wind!p>

<p class="poetry">God has made everything fit beautifully<n id="1" /> in its appropriate time,p> <p class="poetry">but<n id="2" /> he has also placed ignorance<n id="3" /> in the human heart<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">so that<n id="5" /> people<n id="6" /> cannot discover what God has ordained,<n id="7" />p> <p class="poetry">from the beginning to the end<n id="8" /> of their lives.<n id="9" />p>

<p class="poetry">To every man whom God has given wealth, and possessions,p> <p class="poetry">he has also given him the ability<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">to eat from them, to receive his reward and to find enjoyment in his toil;p> <p class="poetry">these things<n id="2" /> are the gift of God.p>

<p class="poetry">In times of prosperity<n id="1" /> be joyful,p> <p class="poetry">but in times of adversity<n id="2" /> consider this:p> <p class="poetry">God has made one as well as the other,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">so that no one can discover what the future holds.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">Just as no one has power over the wind to restrain it,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">so no one has power over the day of his<n id="2" /> death.p> <p class="poetry">Just as no one can be discharged during the battle,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">so wickedness cannot rescue the wicked.<n id="4" />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>