<p class="poetry">The sleep of the laborer is pleasant &#8211; whether he eats little or much &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">but the wealth of the rich will not allow him to sleep.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">But it will not go well with the wicked,p> <p class="poetry">nor will they<n id="1" /> prolong their<n id="2" /> days like a shadow,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">because they<n id="4" /> do not stand in fear<n id="5" /> before God.p>

<p class="poetry">What they loved,<n id="1" /> as well as what they hated<n id="2" /> and envied,<n id="3" /> perished long ago,p> <p class="poetry">and they no longer have a part in anything that happens on earth.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">Whatever you find to do with your hands,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">do it with all your might,p> <p class="poetry">because there is neither work nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom in the grave,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">the place where you will eventually go.<n id="3" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">There is no end to the making<n id="2" /> of many books,p> <p class="poetry">and much study is exhausting to the body.<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">There is no end to all the people<n id="1" /> nor to the past generations,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">yet future generations<n id="3" /> will not rejoice in him.p> <p class="poetry">This also is profitless and like<n id="4" /> chasing the wind.p>

<t /><n id="1" /><p class="poetry">Be careful what you do<n id="2" /> when you go to the temple<n id="3" /> of God;p> <p class="poetry">draw near to listen<n id="4" /> rather than to offer a sacrifice<n id="5" /> like fools,<n id="6" />p> <p class="poetry">for they do not realize that they are doing wrong.p>

<p class="poetry">God gives a man riches, property, and wealthp> <p class="poetry">so that he lacks nothing that his heart<n id="1" /> desires,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">yet God does not enable<n id="3" /> him to enjoy<n id="4" /> the fruit of his labor<n id="5" /> &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">instead, someone else<n id="6" /> enjoys<n id="7" /> it!<n id="8" />p> <p class="poetry">This is fruitless and a grave misfortune.<n id="9" />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>

<t /><p class="poetry">When I tried<n id="1" /> to gain<n id="2" /> wisdomp> <p class="poetry">and to observe the activity<n id="3" /> on earth &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">even though it prevents anyone from sleeping day or night<n id="4" /> &#8211;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">Everyone shares the same fate<n id="1" /> &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">the righteous and the wicked,p> <p class="poetry">the good and the bad,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">the ceremonially clean and unclean,p> <p class="poetry">those who offer sacrifices and those who do not.p> <p class="poetry">What happens to the good person, also happens to the sinner;<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">what happens to those who make vows, also happens to those who are afraid to make vows.p>

<p class="poetry">Just as you do not know the path<n id="1" /> of the wind,p> <p class="poetry">or how the bones form<n id="2" /> in the womb of a pregnant woman,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">so you do not know the work of God who makes everything.p>

<p class="poetry">Sow your seed in the morning,p> <p class="poetry">and do not stop working<n id="1" /> until the evening;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">for you do not know which activity<n id="3" /> will succeed<n id="4" /> &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">whether this one or that one, or whether both will prosper equally.<n id="5" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">So remember<n id="1" /> your Creator in the days of your youth &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">before<n id="2" /> the difficult<n id="3" /> days come,p> <p class="poetry">and the years draw near when you will say, &#8220;I have no pleasure in them&#8221;;p>