<p class="poetry">Just as there is futility in many dreams,p> <p class="poetry">so also in many words.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Therefore, fear God!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">and the dust returns to the earth as it was,p> <p class="poetry">and the life&#8217;s breath<n id="1" /> returns to God who gave it.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">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>

<t /><p class="poetry">There is nothing better for<n id="1" /> people<n id="2" /> than<n id="3" /> to eat and drink,p> <p class="poetry">and to find enjoyment<n id="4" /> in their<n id="5" /> work.p> <p class="poetry">I also perceived that this ability to find enjoyment<n id="6" /> comes from God.<n id="7" />p>

<p class="poetry">I thought to myself, &#8220;God will judge both the righteous and the wicked;p> <p class="poetry">for there is an appropriate time for every activity,p> <p class="poetry">and there is a time of judgment<n id="1" /> for every deed. p>

<p class="poetry">I also thought to myself, &#8220;It is<n id="1" /> for the sake of people,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">so God can clearly<n id="3" /> show<n id="4" /> them that they are like animals.p>

<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">This alone have I discovered: God made humankind upright,p> <p class="poetry">but they have sought many evil schemes.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">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">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>

<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>

<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 /><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 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">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">To every man whom God has given wealth, and possessions,p> <p class="poetry">he has also given him the ability<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">to eat from them, to receive his reward and to find enjoyment in his toil;p> <p class="poetry">these things<n id="2" /> are the gift of God.p>