<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>

<p class="poetry">if he should live a thousand years twice, yet does not enjoy his prosperity.p> <p class="poetry">For both of them die!<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">Do not say, &#8220;Why were the old days better than these days?&#8221;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">for it is not wise to ask that.<n id="2" />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">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">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">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">Divide your merchandise<n id="1" /> among seven or even eight<n id="2" /> investments,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">for you do not know<n id="4" /> what calamity<n id="5" /> may happen on earth.p>

<p class="poetry">before the silver cord is removed,p> <p class="poetry">or the golden bowl is broken,p> <p class="poetry">or the pitcher is shattered at the well,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">or the water wheel<n id="2" /> is broken at the cistern &#8211;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">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">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>

<p class="poetry">Surely, no one<n id="1" /> knows his appointed time!<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Like fish that are caught in a deadly<n id="3" /> net, and like birds that are caught in a snare &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">just like them, all people<n id="4" /> are ensnared<n id="5" /> at an unfortunate<n id="6" /> time that falls upon them suddenly.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">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>

<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>