<p class="poetry">But better than both is the one who has not been born<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and has not seen the evil things that are done on earth.<n id="2" />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">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>

<t /><p class="poetry">So<n id="1" /> I again considered<n id="2" /> all the oppression<n id="3" /> that continually occurs<n id="4" /> on earth.<n id="5" />p> <p class="poetry">This is what I saw:<n id="6" />p> <p class="poetry">The oppressed<n id="7" /> were in tears,<n id="8" /> but no one was comforting them;p> <p class="poetry">no one delivers<n id="9" /> them from the power of their oppressors.<n id="10" />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">For no one knows what is best for a person during his life<n id="1" /> &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">during the few days of his fleeting life &#8211; p> <p class="poetry">for<n id="2" /> they pass away<n id="3" /> like a shadow.p> <p class="poetry">Nor can anyone tell him what the future will hold for him on earth.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">While applying<n id="1" /> my mind<n id="2" /> to everything<n id="3" /> that happens in this world,<n id="4" /> I have seen all this:p> <p class="poetry">Sometimes one person<n id="5" /> dominates<n id="6" /> other people<n id="7" /> to their harm.<n id="8" />p>

<p class="poetry">This is the unfortunate fact<n id="1" /> about everything that happens on earth:<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">the same fate awaits<n id="3" /> everyone.p> <p class="poetry">In addition to this, the hearts of all people<n id="4" /> are full of evil,p> <p class="poetry">and there is folly in their hearts during their lives &#8211; then they die.<n id="5" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">Again,<n id="1" /> I observed this on the earth:<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">the race is not always<n id="3" /> won by the swiftest,p> <p class="poetry">the battle is not always won by the strongest;p> <p class="poetry">prosperity<n id="4" /> does not always belong to those who are the wisest,p> <p class="poetry">wealth does not always belong to those who are the most discerning,p> <p class="poetry">nor does success<n id="5" /> always come to those with the most knowledge &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">for time and chance may overcome<n id="6" /> them all.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>