<p class="poetry">For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter,p> <p class="poetry">for the oppression<n id="1" /> of the king<n id="2" /> is severe upon his victim.<n id="3" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">What does a man acquire from all his laborp> <p class="poetry">and from the anxiety that accompanies his toil on earth?<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">Do not be excessively wicked and do not be a fool;p> <p class="poetry">otherwise<n id="1" /> you might die before your time.p>

<t /><p class="poetry">Send<n id="1" /> your grain<n id="2" /> overseas,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">for after many days you will get a return.<n id="4" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">A good reputation<n id="1" /> is better<n id="2" /> than precious<n id="3" /> perfume;<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">likewise,<n id="5" /> the day of one&#8217;s<n id="6" /> death<n id="7" /> is better than the day of one&#8217;s birth.<n id="8" />p>

<p class="poetry">For like the crackling of quick-burning thorns<n id="1" /> under a cooking pot,p> <p class="poetry">so is the laughter of the fool.p> <p class="poetry">This kind of folly<n id="2" /> also is useless.<n id="3" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">Go, eat your food<n id="1" /> with joy,p> <p class="poetry">and drink your wine with a happy heart,p> <p class="poetry">because God has already approved your works.p>

<t /><p class="poetry">Wisdom, like<n id="1" /> an inheritance, is a good thing;p> <p class="poetry">it benefits those who see the light of day.<n id="2" />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">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">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">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>

<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">If an iron axhead<n id="1" /> is blunt and a workman<n id="2" /> does not sharpen<n id="3" /> its edge,<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">he must exert a great deal of effort;<n id="5" />p> <p class="poetry">so wisdom has the advantage of giving success.p>

<p class="poetry">I also amassed silver and gold for myself,p> <p class="poetry">as well as valuable treasures<n id="1" /> taken from kingdoms and provinces.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">I acquired male singers and female singers for myself,p> <p class="poetry">and what gives a man sensual delight<n id="3" /> &#8211; a harem of beautiful concubines!<n id="4" />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">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">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">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">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>