<p class="poetry">But better than both is the one who has not been born<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and has not seen the evil things that are done on earth.<n id="2" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">What benefit can a worker<n id="1" /> gain from his toil?<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">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">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">It is better for you not to vowp> <p class="poetry">than to vow and not pay it.<n id="1" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">Wisdom gives a wise person more protection<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">than ten rulers in a city.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">Even though a sinner might commit a hundred crimes<n id="1" /> and still live a long time,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">yet I know that it will go well with God-fearing people<n id="3" /> &#8211; for they stand in fear<n id="4" /> before him.p>

<p class="poetry">Here is<n id="1" /> another<n id="2" /> enigma<n id="3" /> that occurs on earth:p> <p class="poetry">Sometimes there are righteous people who get what the wicked deserve,<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">and sometimes there are wicked people who get what the righteous deserve.<n id="5" />p> <p class="poetry">I said, &#8220;This also is an enigma.&#8221;p>

<p class="poetry">Everyone shares the same fate<n id="1" /> &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">the righteous and the wicked,p> <p class="poetry">the good and the bad,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">the ceremonially clean and unclean,p> <p class="poetry">those who offer sacrifices and those who do not.p> <p class="poetry">What happens to the good person, also happens to the sinner;<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">what happens to those who make vows, also happens to those who are afraid to make vows.p>

<p class="poetry">Enjoy<n id="1" /> life with your beloved wife<n id="2" /> during all the days of your fleeting<n id="3" /> lifep> <p class="poetry">that God<n id="4" /> has given you on earth<n id="5" /> during all your fleeting days;<n id="6" />p> <p class="poetry">for that is your reward in life and in your burdensome work<n id="7" /> on earth.<n id="8" />p>

<p class="poetry">I have observed the burdenp> <p class="poetry">that God has given to people<n id="1" /> to keep them occupied.p>

<p class="poetry">Whatever exists now has already been, and whatever will be has already been;p> <p class="poetry">for God will seek to do again<n id="1" /> what has occurred<n id="2" /> in the past.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">So I considered<n id="1" /> those who are dead and gone<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">more fortunate than those who are still alive.<n id="3" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">Two people are better than one,p> <p class="poetry">because they can reap<n id="1" /> more benefit<n id="2" /> from their labor.p>

<t /><p class="poetry">A poor but wise youth is better than an old and foolish kingp> <p class="poetry">who no longer knows how to receive advice.p>

<t /><p class="poetry">Here is<n id="1" /> another misfortune<n id="2" /> that I have seen on earth,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">and it weighs<n id="4" /> heavily on people:<n id="5" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">Consider the work of God:p> <p class="poetry">For who can make straight what he has bent?p>

<p class="poetry">For<n id="1" /> there is not one truly<n id="2" /> righteous person on the earthp> <p class="poetry">who continually does good and never sins.p>