<p class="poetry">It is better to go to a funeral<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">than a feast.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">For death<n id="3" /> is the destiny<n id="4" /> of every person,<n id="5" />p> <p class="poetry">and the living should<n id="6" /> take this<n id="7" /> to heart.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">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">This alone have I discovered: God made humankind upright,p> <p class="poetry">but they have sought many evil schemes.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">Not only that,<n id="1" /> but I have seen the wicked approaching<n id="2" /> and entering the temple,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">and as they left the holy temple,<n id="4" /> theyp> <p class="poetry">boasted<n id="5" /> in the city that they had done so.p> <p class="poetry">This also is an enigma.<n id="6" />p>

<p class="poetry">When<n id="1" /> a sentence<n id="2" /> is not executed<n id="3" /> at once against a crime,<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">the human heart<n id="5" /> is encouraged to do evil.<n id="6" />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>

<t /><p class="poetry">But whoever is among<n id="1" /> the living<n id="2" /> has hope;p> <p class="poetry">a live dog is better than a dead lion.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">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">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>

<t /><p class="poetry">I thought to myself,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;I have become much wiser<n id="2" /> than any of my predecessors who ruled<n id="3" /> over Jerusalem;<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">I<n id="5" /> have acquired much wisdom and knowledge.&#8221;<n id="6" />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>

<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">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>

<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>