<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">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>

<t /><p class="poetry">Next, I decided to consider<n id="1" /> wisdom, as well as foolish behavior and ideas.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">For what more can the king&#8217;s successor do than what the king<n id="3" /> has already done?p>

<p class="poetry">The wise man can see where he is going,<n id="1" /> but the fool walks in darkness.p> <p class="poetry">Yet I also realized that the same fate<n id="2" /> happens to them both.<n id="3" />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>

<t /><p class="poetry">There is nothing better for<n id="1" /> people<n id="2" /> than<n id="3" /> to eat and drink,p> <p class="poetry">and to find enjoyment<n id="4" /> in their<n id="5" /> work.p> <p class="poetry">I also perceived that this ability to find enjoyment<n id="6" /> comes from God.<n id="7" />p>

<p class="poetry">For if they fall, one will help his companion up,p> <p class="poetry">but pity<n id="1" /> the person who falls down and has no one to help him up.p>

<p class="poetry">I considered all the living who walk on earth,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">as well as the successor<n id="2" /> who would arise<n id="3" /> in his place.p>

<p class="poetry">When you make a vow<n id="1" /> to God, do not delay in paying it.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">For God<n id="3" /> takes no pleasure in fools:p> <p class="poetry">Pay what you vow!p>

<p class="poetry">For he does not think<n id="1" /> much about the fleeting<n id="2" /> days of his lifep> <p class="poetry">because God keeps him preoccupied<n id="3" /> with the joy he derives from his activity.<n id="4" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">During the days of my fleeting life<n id="1" /> I have seen both<n id="2" /> of these things:p> <p class="poetry">Sometimes<n id="3" /> a righteous person dies prematurely<n id="4" /> in spite of<n id="5" /> his righteousness,p> <p class="poetry">and sometimes<n id="6" /> a wicked person lives long<n id="7" /> in spite of his evil deeds.p>

<p class="poetry">It is best to take hold of one warning<n id="1" /> without letting go of the other warning;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">for the one who fears God will follow<n id="3" /> both warnings.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">Also, do not pay attention to everything that people<n id="1" /> say;p> <p class="poetry">otherwise,<n id="2" /> you might even hear<n id="3" /> your servant cursing you.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>

<p class="poetry">There was once<n id="1" /> a small city with a few men in it,p> <p class="poetry">and a mighty king attacked it, besieging<n id="2" /> it and building strong<n id="3" /> siege works against it.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>

<t /><p class="poetry">Not only was the Teacher wise,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">but he also taught knowledge to the people;p> <p class="poetry">he carefully evaluated<n id="2" /> and arranged<n id="3" /> many proverbs.p>

<p class="poetry">For God will evaluate every deed,<n id="1" />p> <p class="bodytext">including every secret thing, whether good or evil.p>