<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">Do not rush out of the king&#8217;s presence in haste &#8211; do not delay when the matter is unpleasant,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">for he can do whatever he pleases.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>

<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>

<p class="poetry">If the anger<n id="1" /> of the ruler flares up<n id="2" /> against you, do not resign<n id="3" /> from your position,<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">for a calm<n id="5" /> response<n id="6" /> can undo<n id="7" /> great offenses.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">when those who keep watch over the house<n id="1" /> begin to tremble,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">and the virile men begin to stoop over,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">and the grinders<n id="4" /> begin to cease because they grow few,p> <p class="poetry">and those who look through the windows grow dim,<n id="5" />p>

<p class="poetry">Having heard everything, I have reached this conclusion:<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Fear God and keep his commandments,p> <p class="poetry">because this is the whole duty<n id="2" /> of man.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>

<p class="poetry">I did not restrain myself from getting whatever I wanted;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">I did not deny myself anything that would bring me pleasure.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">So all my accomplishments gave me joy;<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">this was my reward for all my effort.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">For to the one who pleases him,<n id="1" /> God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy,p> <p class="poetry">but to the sinner, he gives the task of amassing<n id="2" /> wealth<n id="3" /> &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">only to give<n id="4" /> it<n id="5" /> to the one who pleases God.p> <p class="poetry">This<n id="6" /> task of the wicked<n id="7" /> is futile &#8211; like chasing the wind!p>

<t /><p class="poetry">I also know that whatever God does will endure forever;p> <p class="poetry">nothing can be added to it, and nothing taken away from it.p> <p class="poetry">God has made it this way, so that men will fear him.p>

<t /><p class="poetry">Then I considered<n id="1" /> all the skillful work<n id="2" /> that is done:p> <p class="poetry">Surely it is nothing more than<n id="3" /> competition<n id="4" /> between one person and another.<n id="5" />p> <p class="poetry">This also is profitless &#8211; like<n id="6" /> chasing the wind.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">Do not be rash with your mouth or hasty in your heart to bring up a matter before God,p> <p class="poetry">for God is in heaven and you are on earth!p> <p class="poetry">Therefore, let your words be few.p>

<p class="poetry">Do not let your mouth cause you<n id="1" /> to sin,p> <p class="poetry">and do not tell the priest,<n id="2" /> &#8220;It was a mistake!&#8221;<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">Why make God angry at you<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">so that he would destroy the work of your hands?&#8221;p>

<t /><p class="poetry">If you see the extortion<n id="1" /> of the poor,p> <p class="poetry">or the perversion<n id="2" /> of justice and fairness in the government,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">do not be astonished by the matter.p> <p class="poetry">For the high official is watched by a higher official,<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">and there are higher ones over them!<n id="5" />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">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>