en_t4t/21-ECC.usfm

\id ECC - Translation 4 Translators 1
\ide 65001 - Unicode (UTF-8)
\h ECCLESIASTES
\toc1 Ecclesiastes
\toc2 Ecclesiastes
\toc3 Ecc
\mt1 Ecclesiastes
\c 1
\s1 Everything is mysterious
\p
\v 1 \add I am Solomon\add*, the son of  \add King\add* David. \add I rule\add* in Jerusalem  \add and people call me\add* ❛The ◄Preacher/Religious Teacher►❜.
\q1
\v 2 I say that everything is mysterious;
\q2 everything is hard for me to understand;
\q2 it is difficult to understand why everything happens.
\b
\q1
\v 3 ◄What do people gain from all the work that they do here on the earth?/It seems that people gain no lasting benefit from all the work that they do here on the earth.► [RHQ]
\q1
\v 4 \add Each year\add* old people die and babies are born,
\q2 but the earth never changes.
\q1
\v 5 \add Each morning\add* the sun rises, and  \add each evening\add* it sets,
\q2 and  \add then\add* it hurries around to where it started from.
\q1
\v 6 The wind blows south,
\q2 and then it  \add turns around to start blowing to\add* the north.
\q1 It goes around and around in circles.
\q1
\v 7 All the streams flow into the sea,
\q2 but the sea is never full.
\q1 The water returns  \add to the sky\add*, and  \add when it rains\add*, the water returns to the rivers,
\q2 and it flows again to the sea.
\q1
\v 8 Everything is boring,
\q2  \add with the result that\add* we do not even want to talk about it.
\q1 We [SYN] see things,
\q2 but we always want to see more.
\q1 We [SYN] hear things,
\q2 but we always want to hear more.
\q1
\v 9 \add Everything continues to be the same as it has always been\add*; 
\q2 things that happen have happened previously, and they will happen again.
\q2 What has been done before will be done again.
\q1 There is nothing  \add really\add* new in this world [MTY].
\q1
\v 10 Sometimes people say, “Look at this! This is something new [RHQ]!”
\q2 But it has existed previously;
\q1 it existed before we were born.
\q1
\v 11 \add People\add* do not remember the things  \add that happened\add* long ago,
\q2 and in the future, people will not remember what we are doing now.
\s1 What the religious teacher found out about wisdom
\p
\v 12 I, the Religious Teacher, have been the king of Israel  \add for many years, ruling\add* in Jerusalem.
\v 13 By using my wisdom, I concentrated on understanding everything that was being done on the earth [MTY]. \add But I found out that\add* God causes  \add all of\add* us to experience things that cause us to be unhappy/miserable.
\v 14 It seems that nothing that happens on the earth really enables us to do anything useful. It is add  \add like\add* [MET] chasing the wind.
\b
\q1
\v 15 \add Many\add* things that are crooked cannot be caused to become straight;
\q2 we cannot count things that do not exist.
\p
\v 16 I said to myself, “\add Hey\add*, I am wiser than any of the kings that ruled in Jerusalem before I  \add became the king\add*. I am wiser and I know more than any of them!”
\v 17 \add So\add* I determined to learn  \add more\add* about being wise and to learn about knowing about many things, and  \add also\add* to learn about  \add doing things that are\add* very foolish [DOU]. \add But\add* I found out that trying to understand those things was also  \add useless, like\add* chasing the wind.
\q1
\v 18 The wiser I became, the more disappointed I became.
\q2 The more things I knew about, the sadder I became.
\c 2
\s1 Pleasure does not bring happiness
\p
\v 1 \add Then\add* I said to myself, “Okay, I will try to do everything that I enjoy. I will find out whether doing what I enjoy can truly enable me to be happy.” But I found out that doing that was also useless/senseless.
\v 2 \add So\add* I said  \add to myself\add*, “It is foolish to laugh  \add all the time\add*, and continually doing what I enjoy does not seem to bring any lasting benefit.”
\v 3 \add So\add*, after thinking a lot about it, I decided to ◄cheer myself/cause myself to be happy► by drinking  \add a lot of\add* wine. \add So\add* while was still trying to be wise, I decided to do things that  \add many\add* people do to be happy during the short time that they are alive on the earth.
\v 4 I did great things: I  \add caused\add* houses to be built for myself and vineyards to be planted.
\v 5 I  \add told my workers\add* to make gardens and parks. \add Then\add* I  \add told them to\add* fill the gardens with many kinds of fruit trees.
\v 6 I  \add told them to\add* build reservoirs to store water to irrigate the fruit trees.
\v 7 I bought male and female slaves, and babies  \add who later became my slaves\add* were born in my palace. I also owned more livestock than any of the previous kings in Jerusalem had owned.
\v 8 I also accumulated large amounts of silver and gold  \add that were paid to me\add* from the treasures of kings and rulers of provinces. \add I hired\add* men and women to sing for me, and I had many ◄concubines/slave wives► who gave me  \add much\add* pleasure [EUP].
\v 9 So, I became greater than anyone else who had ever lived in Jerusalem, and I was  \add very\add* wise.
\q1
\v 10 I got everything [LIT] that I [SYN] saw and wanted.
\q2 I did everything [LIT] that I thought would enable me to be happy.
\q1 All those things that I [SYN] enjoyed were  \add like\add* a reward for all my hard work.
\q1
\v 11 \add But\add* then I thought about all the hard work that I [SYN] had done  \add to get all those things\add*, 
\q2 and none of it seems to bring any lasting benefit [DOU].
\q1 It was all  \add like\add* chasing the wind.
\s1 Being wise also seemed useless
\q1
\v 12 Then I started to think about being wise, and  \add also about\add* being foolish [DOU].
\q2  \add I said to myself, “I certainly do not think that\add* [RHQ] the next king will be able to do anything better than I can.”
\q1
\v 13 And I thought, “Surely it is better to be wise than to be foolish,
\q2 like light is better than darkness,
\q1
\v 14 \add because\add* wise people  \add walk in the daylight and\add* [IDI] can see where they are going,
\q2 but foolish people walk in the darkness  \add and cannot see where they are going\add*.”
\q1 But I  \add also\add* realized that both wise people and foolish people eventually die.
\p
\v 15 So I said to myself,
\q1 “I am very wise, but I will  \add die at the end of my life\add* like foolish people do.
\q2 So ◄how has it benefited me to be very wise?/it certainly has not benefited me to be very wise.► [RHQ]
\q1 I do not understand why  \add people consider that\add* it is valuable to be wise.
\q1
\v 16 Wise people and foolish people all die.
\q2 And after we die, we will all eventually be forgotten [DOU].”
\p
\v 17 So I hated being alive, because everything that we do here on the earth [MTY] distresses me. It all seems to be useless  \add like\add* chasing the wind.
\s1 Working hard seemed useless
\p
\v 18 I  \add also began to\add* hate all the hard work that I had done here on the earth, because  \add when I die\add*, everything  \add that I have acquired\add* will belong to the next king.
\v 19 And ◄who/no one► knows [RHQ] whether he will be wise or whether he will be foolish. But even if he is foolish, he will acquire all the things that I worked very hard and wisely to get.
\v 20 I thought about all the hard work that I had done in this world. \add It seemed useless\add*, and I became depressed/discouraged.
\v 21 Some people work wisely and skillfully, using the things that they have learned. But  \add when they die\add*, they leave everything, and someone who has not worked hard acquires those things. And that also  \add seemed to\add* be senseless and caused me to be discouraged.
\v 22 So, it seems that people do not [RHQ] get much for all the hard work that they do and for worrying.
\v 23 Every day the work that they do causes them to experience pain and to be worried. And during the night their minds are not able to rest. That also is very frustrating.
\p
\v 24 \add So I decided that\add* the best thing that we can do is to enjoy what we eat and drink, and  \add also\add* enjoy our work. And I realized that those things are what God intends for us.
\v 25 There is absolutely no one [RHQ] who is able to enjoy those things if God does not give those things to him.
\v 26 God enables those who please him to be wise, to know  \add many things\add*, and to enjoy  \add many things\add*. But if sinful people work hard and become rich, God  \add can\add* take their money away from them and give it to those who please him. But that also is something that is difficult for me to understand. \add Their working hard seems\add* useless, \add like\add* chasing the wind.
\c 3
\s1 There is a right time for everything
\q1
\v 1 There is a right/correct time for everything,
\q2 a time for everything that we do in this world.
\b
\q2
\v 2 There is a time to be born, and there is a time to die.
\q2 There is a time to plant  \add crops/seeds\add*, and there is a time to harvest crops.
\q2
\v 3 There is a time to kill  \add people\add*, and there is a time to heal  \add people\add*.
\q2 There is a time to tear things down, and there is a time to build things.
\q2
\v 4 There is a time to cry, and there is a time to laugh.
\q2 There is a time to mourn, and there is a time to dance  \add joyfully\add*.
\q2
\v 5 There is a time to throw away stones  \add from a field\add*, and there is a time to gather stones  \add to build walls/houses\add*.
\q2 There is a time to embrace  \add people\add*, and there is a time to not embrace  \add people\add*.
\q2
\v 6 There is a time to search for things, and there is a time to stop searching for things.
\q2 There is a time to keep/save things, and there is a time to throw things away.
\q2
\v 7 There is a time to tear  \add our clothes because we are grieving\add*, and there is a time to mend  \add clothes\add*.
\q2 There is a time to say nothing, and there is a time when we should speak.
\q2
\v 8 There is a time when we should love  \add things that people do\add*, and there is a time when we should hate  \add things that people do\add*.
\q2 There is a time for war, and there is a time for peace.
\b
\p
\v 9 ◄What do people gain from all the work that they do?/It seems that people gain very little from all the work that they do.► [RHQ]
\v 10 I have seen the work that God has given people to do.
\v 11 God has appointed a time that is right/correct for everything to happen. He has  \add also\add* caused people to realize that there are things that will endure forever. But in spite of that, no one can completely understand everything that God has done, from the time that he starts doing things until he finishes them.
\v 12 I know that the best [LIT] thing for us people to do is to rejoice and to do good things  \add all\add* during the time that we are alive.
\v 13 And I also know that everyone should eat and drink, and enjoy the work that they do. Those are things that God gives to us.
\v 14 I  \add also\add* know that what God does endures forever. No one can add to what God does, and no one can take away from the things that God does. God does those things in order that people would revere him.
\q1
\v 15 Things that exist now have already existed previously,
\q2 and things that will happen in the future have already happened previously;
\q2 God causes the same things to happen many times.
\s1 Injustices in the world
\p
\v 16 Furthermore, I saw that on this earth [MTY],
\q1 even in the courts where we expect judges to make right decisions about what people had done,
\q2 they did many wicked [DOU] things.
\p
\v 17 \add So\add* I said to myself [SYN], “God will judge  \add both\add* righteous  \add people\add* and wicked  \add people\add*; 
\q1 there is a time  \add for him to do that\add*, 
\q1 because there is a time for him to do everything.”
\p
\v 18 And regarding humans, I  \add also\add* said to myself, “God is testing us, to show us that  \add in one way\add* people are no different than animals,
\v 19 because what happens to people happens to animals. Animals die, and people die. We all must breathe  \add to remain alive\add*. People have no advantage over animals  \add in that\add*, so I have a difficult time in understanding that.
\v 20 \add People and animals\add* all die and are buried. We are all made of soil, and  \add when we die\add*, our corpses become soil again.
\v 21 No one knows [RHQ] for sure that when we die, our souls/spirits go up to heaven and the souls/spirits of animals go down to the place where the dead are.”
\p
\v 22 So I conclude that the best thing for  \add us\add* people to do is to be happy about the work that we do, because that is what God has given to us. I say that because no one of us [RHQ] knows what happens to us after we die.
\c 4
\s1 Other things that he found hard to understand/accept
\p
\v 1 I thought some more about all the suffering that people are caused to experience on the earth [MTY].
\q1 I saw the tears of people who were ◄oppressed/treated cruelly►
\q2 and who had no one to comfort/encourage them.
\q1 Those who oppressed them had power,
\q2 and there was absolutely no one who was able to comfort those who were being oppressed.
\q1
\v 2 \add So\add* I thought that those who are already dead are more fortunate
\q2 than those who are still alive.
\q1
\v 3 And those who have not been born yet
\q2 are more fortunate than those who are still alive and those who have died,
\q1  \add because\add* those who have not been born have not seen all the evil things that are done on the earth.
\p
\v 4 I also thought about all the hard work that people do and the skills that they have. And I thought about how they compete with each other because they are envious of others, \add and I concluded that\add* this also is something that is not accomplishing anything useful, \add like\add* chasing the wind.
\b
\q1
\v 5 Foolish people  \add refuse to work\add*; 
\q2 they sit idly, with their hands folded, \add and do not work\add*.
\q2  \add So\add* they ruin themselves.
\q1
\v 6 \add So I say\add*, “It is better to be content with not having much money,
\q2 than to work very hard and try to get a lot of money,
\q2 which is  \add as useless as\add* chasing the wind.”
\b
\p
\v 7 I thought about something else that happens on the earth [MTY] that seems senseless.
\q1
\v 8 There are men who live alone;
\q2 they do not have a wife or children or any brothers living with them;
\q1 every day they work  \add very hard\add*, without stopping, to get a lot of money,
\q2 but they are never satisfied with the things that they have.
\q1 They never ask  \add themselves\add*, 
\q2 “Why am I working very hard to earn more money?
\q1 Why am I not doing things that would cause me to be happy?”
\q2 What they do also seems senseless.
\b
\q1
\v 9 Having someone  \add work\add* with you is better than being by yourself  \add all the time\add*.
\q2 If you have a friend, he can help you to do your work.
\q1
\v 10 If you fall down, he can help you get up again.
\q2 But if you fall down when you are alone, you will have trouble,
\q2 because there is no one to help you stand up.
\q1
\v 11 Similarly, if two people sleep together,
\q2 they can help each other to remain warm.
\q But someone who sleeps alone will certainly not [RHQ] be warm.
\q1
\v 12 Someone who is alone can easily be attacked and defeated by another person,
\q2 but two people can help each other and ◄resist/defend themselves against► someone who attacks them.
\q1  \add Three people can defend themselves even more easily\add*, 
\q2  \add like\add* a rope that is made from three cords is harder to break  \add than a rope made from two cords\add*.
\s1 When a poor young man becomes king
\p
\v 13 A young man who is poor but wise is a better person than a foolish old king who refuses to pay attention when people try to give him good advice.
\v 14 It is possible for a young man like that to succeed and some day become king, even if his parents were poor or even if he was in prison some time.
\v 15 But then some other young man becomes king, and everyone ◄starts to support/is pleased with► him.
\v 16 Large crowds of people crowd around him. But after a few years, they will reject him, \add too\add*. So it is all senseless, \add like\add* chasing after the wind.
\c 5
\s1 Be careful about making promises
\p
\v 1 When you enter God's temple, you should be sure to listen carefully. Doing that is better than offering sacrifices to God  \add and then not obeying him\add*, which is foolish.
\b
\q1
\v 2 Think carefully before you speak [MTY]
\q2 or before you promise God that you will do something [IDI].
\q1  \add Do not forget that\add* God is in heaven  \add and he is all-powerful\add* 
\q2 and you are here on the earth,
\q2 so think carefully before you  \add make any promises to God\add*.
\q1
\v 3 If you are continually thinking  \add and worrying\add* about things,
\q2 you will have bad dreams about them and not rest  \add well\add*.
\q1 And the more you talk,
\q2 the more likely it will be that you will say things that are foolish.
\p
\v 4 When you solemnly promise God that you will do something, do not foolishly delay in doing it, because God is not pleased with foolish people. Do  \add all\add* the things that you promise God that you will do.
\v 5 It is better to not promise  \add anything\add* than to promise to do something, and  \add then\add* not do it.
\v 6 Do not let the things that you promise to do cause you to sin by not doing them. And  \add when you promise God to do something and do not do it\add*, do not say to God's priest that is was a mistake for you to promise to do that. If you do that, God will certainly [RHQ] become very angry with you, and he will take from you everything that you [SYN] have worked to acquire.
\v 7 Promising to do something and not doing it is like [SIM] a dream that has no value; instead, revere God  \add by doing what you promised him that you would do\add*.
\s1 Officials cheat each other
\p
\v 8 Do not be surprised if you see poor  \add people\add* being ◄oppressed/treated cruelly► \add by powerful/influential people\add*, or if you see judges making unjust decisions throughout the land. \add That happens\add* because the people who do that are supervised  \add and cheated by\add* more important officials [DOU],
\v 9 and even the king forces the people to give him some of the crops that they harvest.
\s1 The futility of wealth
\q1
\v 10 Everyone who tries to  \add get as much\add* money as they can
\q2 will never think that they have enough.
\q1 They will never be satisfied with the money that they have.
\q2 That also is senseless.
\b
\q1
\v 11 The more money that we have,
\q2 the more people want us to spend our money to buy things for them.
\q1 So people who have a lot of money do not [RHQ] benefit from it;
\q2 they see [MTY] it when they get it, but it soon ◄disappears/is completely spent►.
\b
\q1
\v 12 Those who work hard sleep peacefully  \add at night\add*, 
\q2 even if they do not have much food to eat.
\q1 But rich  \add people\add* do not sleep well,
\q2 because  \add they worry\add* about their money.
\b
\p
\v 13 I have seen  \add another\add* terrible thing that happens here on the earth [MTY]:
\q1 People save  \add up all\add* their money and become rich,
\q2  \add but\add* they are not helped by saving a lot of money,
\q1
\v 14 \add because\add* something happens that causes their money to be gone,
\q2 and when they die,
\q2 there is no money for their children to get/inherit.
\q1
\v 15 When we are born,
\q2 we do not bring anything with us,
\q1 and when we die,
\q2 we take nothing with us
\q1 from all that we have earned by our working hard.
\p
\v 16 That also seems senseless.
\q1 People bring nothing  \add into the world when they are born\add*, 
\q2 and they leave  \add this world\add* taking nothing with them.
\q1 They have worked hard,
\q2 but they receive no lasting benefit [MET].
\q1
\v 17 \add Furthermore, rich people\add* are always miserable [MET] and sad,
\q2 and depressed/discouraged and often sick and ◄resentful/thinking that what has happened to them is unfair►.
\p
\v 18 So, the best thing for people to do here on the earth during the few years that God allows them to be alive is to eat and drink and to enjoy their work, because those are the things that God has given to them.
\v 19 If people are rich and have a lot of possessions, and are able to ◄enjoy/be happy with► the things that they have and to enjoy their work, those things are  \add also\add* gifts from God.
\v 20 Those people do not think much about  \add everything that has happened\add* during the time that they have been alive, because God enables them to be happy doing everything that they do.
\c 6
\p
\v 1 I have seen something  \add else here\add* on this earth that troubles people.
\v 2 God enables some people to get a lot of money and possessions and to be honored; they have everything [LIT] that they want. But God  \add sometimes\add* does not allow them to continue to enjoy those things. Someone else gets them and enjoys them. That seems senseless and unfair.
\p
\v 3 Someone might have a hundred children and live for many years. But if he is not able to enjoy the things that he has acquired, and if he is not buried  \add properly after he dies\add*, \add I say that\add* a child that is dead when it is born is more fortunate.
\v 4 That dead baby's birth is meaningless; it does not even have a name. It goes directly to the place where there is only darkness.
\v 5 It does not  \add live to\add* see the sun or know anything. But it finds more rest than rich people do  \add who are alive\add*.
\v 6 Even if people live for two thousand years, if they do not enjoy the things that God gives to them, \add it would have been better for them never to have been born\add*.
\q1  \add All people who live a long time\add* certainly [RHQ] all go to the same place—  \add to the grave\add*.
\q1
\v 7 People work hard to  \add earn enough money to buy\add* food to eat [MTY],
\q2 but  \add often\add* they never get enough to eat.
\q1
\v 8 So it seems that [RHQ] wise people do not receive more lasting benefits
\q2 than foolish people do.
\q1 And it seems that [RHQ] poor people do not benefit from knowing how to conduct their lives.
\q1
\v 9 It is better to enjoy the things that we already have [MTY]
\q2 than to constantly want more things;
\q1 continually wanting more things is  \add senseless\add*, 
\q2  \add like \add*chasing the wind.
\b
\q1
\v 10 All the things that exist  \add on the earth\add* have been given names.
\q2 And everyone knows what people are like,
\q1  \add so\add* it is useless to argue with someone (OR, with God)
\q2 who is stronger than we are.
\q1
\v 11 The more  \add that we\add* talk,
\q2 the more  \add often we say things that are\add* senseless,
\q2 so it certainly does not [RHQ] benefit us to talk a lot.
\p
\v 12 We live for only a short time; we disappear like [SIM] a shadow disappears  \add in the sunlight\add*. No one [RHQ] knows what is best for us while we are alive, and no one [RHQ] knows what will happen to us after we die [EUP].
\c 7
\s1 The best things in life
\q1
\v 1 \add Having\add* a good reputation [MTY] is better than fine perfume,
\q2 and the day that we die is better than the day that we are born.
\q1
\v 2 It is better to go to a house where people are mourning \add about someone who has died\add*
\q2 than to go to a house where people are feasting,
\q1 because everyone will die some day,
\q2 and people who are alive should think seriously [IDI] about that.
\q1
\v 3 It is better to be sad than to be \add always\add* laughing,
\q2 because being sad can cause us to think more about how we should conduct our lives [IDI].
\q1
\v 4 Wise \add people\add* who go to where others are mourning think about \add the fact that some day they also will\add* die,
\q2 but foolish people [PRS] \add do not think about that\add*; they are always [MTY] laughing.
\q1
\v 5 It is better to pay attention to \add someone who is wise \add*rebuking you
\q2 than to listen to the songs of a foolish person.
\q1
\v 6 By \add listening to\add* foolish people laughing
\q2 we will not \add learn anymore than by listening to\add* the crackling of thorns \add being burned\add* under a pot.
\q2 Listening to fools is senseless.
\q1
\v 7 When wise people say to others, “You must pay me a lot of money for me to protect you,”
\q2 that causes those wise people to become foolish,
\q2 and \add accepting\add* bribes causes people to become unable to do what is fair/just.
\b
\q1
\v 8 Finishing something is better than starting something,
\q2 and being patient is better than being proud.
\q1
\v 9 Do not quickly ◄lose your temper/react to things angrily►,
\q2 because it is foolish people [SYN] who become very angry.
\b
\q1
\v 10 Do not say, “Things were a lot better [RHQ] previously,”
\q2 because it is people who are not wise who say that.
\b
\q1
\v 11 Being wise is better than inheriting \add valuable things\add*;
\q2 being wise provides lasting benefits for every person on the earth [MTY] who becomes wise.
\q1
\v 12 We are \add sometimes\add* protected by being wise
\q2 like we are \add sometimes\add* protected by having a lot of money,
\q1 but being wise is better \add than having a lot of money\add*,
\q2 \add because\add* being wise prevents us from \add doing foolish things that would\add* cause us to die.
\b
\p
\v 13 Think \add carefully about\add* what God has done.
\q1 Certainly no one can [RHQ] cause to become straight
\q2 the things that God has caused to be crooked.
\q1
\v 14 When things are going well for you, be happy,
\q2 and when things are not going well for you,
\q1 remember that God is the one who causes good things to happen
\q2 and who also causes disasters.
\b
\p
\v 15 During all the time that I have been alive I have seen a lot of [HYP] things that seem senseless.
\q1 I have seen righteous people die \add while they are still young\add*,
\q2 and I have seen wicked people remain alive for a very long time
\q2 in \add spite of\add* their continuing to be wicked.
\q1
\v 16 \add So\add* do not think that you are very righteous
\q2 and do not think that you are very wise,
\q2 \add because if you think those things\add*, you will destroy yourself.
\q1
\v 17 If you do what is evil or do what is foolish,
\q2 you might die while you are still young.
\q1
\v 18 Continue to avoid doing what is evil and doing what is foolish;
\q2 avoid doing both of those things by continually revering God.
\b
\q1
\v 19 If you are wise, you will be more powerful/influential
\q2 than the ten most powerful/influential men in your city.
\b
\q1
\v 20 There is no one in this world who \add always\add* does what is right
\q2 and who never sins.
\b
\q1
\v 21 Do not pay attention [IDI] to everything that people say,
\q2 because if you do that, you might hear your servant cursing you.
\q1
\v 22 You know in your inner being that you have also cursed other people.
\b
\p
\v 23 I said \add to myself\add* that I would use my wisdom to study all the things \add that I have written about\add*,
\q1 but I was not able to do it successfully.
\q1
\v 24 Wisdom seems to be far from me;
\q2 there is no one [RHQ] who can truly understand everything.
\q1
\v 25 But I decided to investigate things and
\q2 by my wisdom try to understand the reason for everything.
\q1 I also wanted to understand why people act wickedly
\q2 and why they act very foolishly.
\b
\q1
\v 26 \add One thing I learned was that\add* ◄allowing a woman to seduce you/having sex with a woman to whom you are not married► is worse than dying.
\q2 A woman who tries to seduce men is \add as dangerous as\add* a trap [MET].
\q1 \add If you allow her to put\add* her arms \add around you, it will be as though she will be fastening you with\add* chains.
\q1 Women like that will capture sinful men,
\q2 but men who please God will escape from such women.
\b
\p
\v 27 This is what I have learned:
\q1 I tried to learn more and more about things
\q2 to try to find out the reason for everything,
\q2
\v 28 and I continued to try to learn more,
\q1 but I could not find \add all that I was searching for\add*.
\q2 \add But\add* one thing that I found out was that among one thousand \add people\add* I found one righteous man,
\q1 but I did not find even one righteous woman.
\q1
\v 29 \add But\add* I did learn one thing:
\q2 When God created people, they were righteous,
\q2 but they have found many ways to do many evil things.
\c 8
\q1
\v 1 \add I will tell you about\add* those who are truly wise [RHQ]
\q2 with the result that they can explain why everything happens.
\q1 \add But\add* being wise enables people to be happy [MTY]
\q2 and enables them to smile.
\s1 Obey the king
\p
\v 2 You solemnly promised God that you would obey what the king commands, so do that.
\v 3 Do not quickly disobey the king. And do not join with those who want to rebel against him, because the king will do what he wants to do.
\v 4 We need to obey what the king says more than we need to obey what anyone else says; no one can say to the king, “◄Why are you doing that?/You should not be doing that.► [RHQ]”
\q1
\v 5 If you obey what the king commands,
\q2 he will not harm you.
\q1 \add So\add* be wise, and know the correct/right time to do things and the right way to do them.
\q1
\v 6 Although people experience many troubles/difficulties,
\q2 there is a right/correct time to do things, and there is a right/correct way \add to do them\add*.
\b
\q1
\v 7 No one knows what will happen in the future,
\q2 so there is no one [RHQ] who can tell us what is going to happen.
\q1
\v 8 We cannot control the wind,
\q2 and we cannot control when we will die.
\q1 Soldiers are not permitted to go home during a battle,
\q2 and evil people will not be saved by \add doing what is\add* evil.
\p
\v 9 I thought about all those things, and I thought about all [HYP] the other things that happen on this earth. I saw that \add sometimes\add* people cause those whom they control to suffer.
\v 10 I also saw that \add sometimes\add* after evil \add people\add* die, they are highly honored at their funerals by the people in the cities where they had done \add evil\add* deeds. It seemed to be difficult to understand why that happens.
\p
\v 11 If evil people are not immediately punished, it causes \add other\add* people [SYN] to \add also\add* want to do evil things.
\v 12 But even if sinful people commit a hundred crimes, and \add even if they\add* live for a long time, I know that things will go better for those who greatly respect and revere God.
\v 13 \add I also know\add* that things will not go well go for those who are evil, because they do not revere God. Shadows \add do not last a long time\add*. Similarly [SIM], evil people will not live a long time.
\p
\v 14 Another thing that \add sometimes\add* happens on this earth is that bad things happen to righteous people, and good things happen to evil people. It is difficult to understand why that happens.
\v 15 \add So\add* I decided that I would recommend that people be happy while they are alive, because the best thing that people can do here on this earth is to eat and drink and be happy. Enjoying doing those things will help people while they do their work, all the days that God has given to them to remain alive here on the earth.
\p
\v 16 I thought about being wise and about people who work very hard on this earth, working day and night and not taking time to sleep.
\v 17 Then I thought about everything [HYP] that God has done, and I realized that no one can understand everything that happens here on this earth. Truly, people are not able to fully understand everything \add that God understands\add*, even if they try hard to do that. Even if wise people claim that they understand it all, they cannot.
\c 9
\s1 Everyone dies
\p
\v 1 I thought about all those things, and I concluded that God controls  \add what happens to\add* everyone, even those who are wise and those who are righteous. No one knows whether  \add others\add* will love them or whether they will hate them.
\p
\v 2 \add But we know that some time in the future\add* we will all die;
\q1 it does not matter whether we act righteously or wickedly,
\q2 whether we are good or whether we are bad,
\q1 whether we are acceptable for  \add worshiping God\add* 
\q2 or whether  \add we have done things to cause us to be\add* unacceptable;
\q1 it does not matter if we offer sacrifices  \add to God\add* or if we do not;
\q1 it does not matter if we do what we have promised God that we will do or if we do not;
\q2  \add we all die\add*.
\q1 The same thing will happen to good people and to sinful people,
\q2 to those who solemnly promise  \add to do things for God\add* and to those who are afraid to make such promises.
\p
\v 3 It seems wrong that the same thing happens to everyone on this earth: Everyone dies [EUP]. Furthermore, people's inner beings are full of evil. People do foolish things while they are alive, and then they join those who are dead.
\v 4 While we are alive, we confidently expect  \add that good things will happen to us\add*. \add We despise\add* dogs, but it is better to be a dog that is alive than to be a  \add majestic\add* lion that is dead.
\q1
\v 5 We who are alive know that  \add some day\add* we will die,
\q2 but dead people do not know anything.
\q1 Dead people do not receive any more rewards,
\q2 and people soon forget them.
\q1
\v 6 \add While they were alive\add*, they loved  \add some people\add*, they hated  \add some people\add*, they envied  \add some people\add*, 
\q2 but that all ends when they die.
\q1 They will never again be a part of anything that happens here on the earth.
\p
\v 7 \add So I say\add*, be joyful [DOU] while you eat your food and drink your wine, because that is what God wants you to do.
\v 8 Wear nice [MTY] clothes and cause your face to have a good appearance.
\v 9 Enjoy living with your wife whom you love, all during the time that God has given to you to be alive here on this earth. And even though it is difficult to understand why many things happen, enjoy doing the work that you do here on this earth.
\v 10 Whatever you are able to do, do it with all your energy, because  \add some time you will die\add*, and in the place of the dead where you are going, no one works or plans to do anything or knows anything or has any wisdom.
\p
\v 11 I have seen something else here on the earth:
\q1 The person who runs fastest does not  \add always\add* win the race,
\q1 the strongest soldiers do not  \add always\add* win the battle,
\q1 the wisest people do not  \add always\add* have food,
\q1 the smartest people do not  \add always\add* become rich,
\q1 and the people who have studied a lot are not  \add always\add* ◄honored/treated very specially► by others;
\q1 we cannot  \add always\add* control what things will happen to us and where they will happen.
\p
\v 12 No one knows when he will die [EUP];
\q1 fish are cruelly caught in a net,
\q2 and birds are caught in snares/traps;
\q1 similarly [SIM], people experience disasters
\q2 at times when they do not expect them to happen.
\s1 Being wise is better than being foolish
\p
\v 13 Once I saw here on this earth something that a wise man did that impressed me.
\v 14 There was a small town, where only a few people lived. The army of a great king came to that town and surrounded it. They built dirt ramps up against the walls in order to climb up and attack the town.
\v 15 In that town there was a man who was poor but very wise. Because of what that man  \add suggested\add*, the town was saved; but people  \add soon\add* forgot about him.
\v 16 So I realized that although being wise is better than being strong, if you are poor, no one will appreciate what you do, and people will soon forget what you said.
\b
\q1
\v 17 Speaking quietly what is  \add very\add* wise is  \add much\add* more sensible
\q2 than a king shouting to foolish people.
\q1
\v 18 Being wise is more useful
\q2 than  \add a lot of\add* weapons;
\q1 but if you do one foolish thing,
\q2  \add it is possible that\add* because of doing that, you will ruin all the good things that you have done.
\c 10
\q1
\v 1 \add A few\add* dead flies in  \add a bottle of\add* perfume cause  \add all\add* the perfume to stink.
\q2 Similarly [SIM], a small amount of acting foolishly can have a greater effect than acting wisely.
\q1
\v 2 If people think sensibly, it will lead them to do what is right;
\q2 if they think foolishly, it causes them to do what is wrong.
\q1
\v 3 Even while foolish people walk along the road,
\q2 they show that they do not have good sense;
\q2 they show everyone that they are not wise.
\q1
\v 4 Do not quit your job when a ruler is angry with you;
\q2 if you remain calm, he will  \add probably\add* stop being angry.
\b
\q1
\v 5 There is something  \add else\add* that I have seen here on this earth,
\q2 something that rulers sometimes do that is wrong/inappropriate:
\q1
\v 6 They appoint foolish people to have important positions,
\q2 while they appoint rich  \add people\add* to have unimportant positions.
\q1
\v 7 They allow slaves  \add to ride\add* on horses  \add like rich people usually do\add*, 
\q2  \add but\add* they force officials to walk  \add like slaves usually do\add*.
\b
\q1
\v 8 \add It is possible that\add* those who dig pits
\q2 will fall into one of those pits.
\q1  \add It is possible that\add* someone who tears down a wall
\q2 will be bitten by a snake  \add that is in that wall\add*.
\q1
\v 9 If you work in a quarry,
\q2  \add it is possible that\add* a stone  \add will fall on you and\add* injure you.
\q1  \add It is possible that\add* men who split logs
\q2 will be injured by one of those logs.
\b
\q1
\v 10 If your axe is not sharp [DOU],
\q2 you will need to work harder  \add to cut down a tree\add*, 
\q1 but by using wisdom, you will succeed.
\b
\q1
\v 11 If a snake bites a man before he charms/tames it,
\q2 his ability to charm snakes will not benefit him.
\b
\q1
\v 12 Wise people say [MTY] what is sensible, and because of that, people honor them;
\q2 but foolish people are destroyed by what they say [MTY].
\q1
\v 13 When foolish people start to talk, they say things that are foolish,
\q2 and they end by saying things that are both wicked and foolish.
\q2
\v 14 They talk ◄too much/without ceasing►.
\b
\q1 None of us knows what will happen in the future,
\q2 or what will happen after we die.
\b
\q1
\v 15 Foolish people become  \add very\add* exhausted by the work that they do,
\q2 with the result that they are unable to find the road to their town/homes.
\b
\q1
\v 16 Terrible things will happen to the people of a nation whose ruler is a foolish young man,
\q2 and whose  \add other\add* leaders continually eat, all during the day, every day.
\q1
\v 17 \add But\add* a nation will prosper if its ruler is from a ◄noble/well-educated► family,
\q2 and if its  \add other\add* leaders feast  \add only\add* at the proper times,
\q2 and  \add if they eat and drink only\add* to be strong, not to become drunk.
\b
\q1
\v 18 Some men are very lazy  \add and do not repair the rafters\add*, 
\q2 with the result that the rafters sag  \add and collapse\add*; 
\q1 and if they do not repair the roof,
\q2 water will leak into the house  \add when it rains\add*.
\b
\q1
\v 19 Eating food and drinking wine causes us to laugh and be happy,
\q2  \add but\add* we are able to enjoy those things only if we have money  \add to buy them\add*.
\b
\q1
\v 20 Do not even think about cursing the king,
\q2 or cursing rich  \add people, even\add* when you are  \add alone\add* in your bedroom,
\q1 because  \add it is possible that\add* a little bird will hear  \add what you are saying\add*, 
\q2  \add and\add* tell those people what you said  \add about them\add*.
\c 11
\s1 Advice from nature
\q1
\v 1 Give generously to others \add some of\add* the money [MET] that you have;
\q2 if you do that, later you will get back an equal amount.
\q1
\v 2 Share some of what you have with ◄seven or eight/several► \add others\add*,
\q2 because you do not know when you will experience a disaster,
\q1 \add and if you give some of what you have to others\add*,
\q2 \add when you experience that disaster, they will kindly help you\add*.
\b
\q1
\v 3 \add It is always true that\add* when clouds are full of water,
\q2 they pour rain on the earth.
\q1 \add Similarly\add*, wherever a tree falls on the ground,
\q2 that is where it will remain.
\q1
\v 4 If farmers see in what direction the wind is blowing,
\q2 they will know whether it is wise at that time to plant things or not.
\q1 \add It is also true that\add* if farmers look at the clouds \add and see that they are blowing from the west, which means that it will probably rain,\add*
\q2 they will not \add try to\add* harvest their crops on that day.
\b
\q1
\v 5 We do not know where the wind comes from or where it goes,
\q2 and we do not know how bodies are formed in women's wombs.
\q1 Similarly [SIM], God is the one who made everything,
\q2 and we cannot \add fully\add* understand what God does.
\b
\q1
\v 6 \add Start\add* planting your seeds in the morning,
\q2 and do not stop planting them until the evening,
\q1 because you do not know which ones will grow better,
\q2 the ones you plant in the morning or the ones you plant later in the day,
\q2 or whether both will grow well.
\s1 Youth and old age
\q1
\v 7 It is very delightful to be alive
\q2 and see [MTY] the sun \add rise every morning\add*.
\q1
\v 8 \add Even\add* if people live for many years,
\q2 they should enjoy all of them.
\q1 But they should not forget that \add some day they will die\add*
\q2 and then they will never be able to see any light again,
\q2 and we do not know what will happen to us after we die.
\b
\q1
\v 9 You young people, be happy while you are still young.
\q2 Enjoy [IDI] doing the things that you want to do.
\q1 But do not forget that \add some day\add* God will judge you
\q2 concerning all the things that you do.
\q1
\v 10 \add So when you are young\add* [MTY], do not worry about anything,
\q2 and do not pay attention to the pains that you have in your body,
\q1 because we will not remain young and strong forever.
\c 12
\q1
\v 1 While you are still young, keep thinking about \add God\add*, who created you.
\q2 Do that before \add you are old\add* and you experience many troubles,
\q1 during the years when you say
\q2 “I no \add longer\add* enjoy being alive.”
\q1
\v 2 \add When you become old\add*, the light from the sun and moon and stars will \add seem\add* dim \add to you\add*,
\q2 and \add it will seem that the rain\add* clouds \add always\add* return \add quickly\add* after it rains.
\q1
\v 3 Then your \add arms that you use to protect\add* [MET] your bodies will shake/tremble,
\q2 and your \add legs that support\add* [MET] your bodies will become weak.
\q1 Many of your \add teeth that you use to\add* grind/chew \add your food\add* will fall out,
\q2 and your \add eyes that you use to\add* look out of windows will not see clearly.
\q1
\v 4 Your \add ears\add* [MET] will not hear the noise in the streets,
\q2 and you will not be able to hear clearly the sound of people grinding grain with millstones.
\q1 You will be awakened in the morning by hearing the birds singing/chirping,
\q2 \add but\add* you will not be able to hear well the songs that ◄the birds/people► sing.
\q1
\v 5 You will be afraid to be in high places
\q2 and afraid of dangers on the roads that you walk on.
\q1 \add Your hair\add* will become \add white like\add* [MET] the flowers of almond trees.
\q2 \add When you try to walk\add*, you will drag yourself along like [MET] grasshoppers,
\q2 and you will no longer desire \add to have sex\add*.
\q1 Then you will \add die and\add* go to your eternal home,
\q2 and people who will mourn for you will be in the streets.
\q1
\v 6 \add Think much about God now, because\add* soon our lives will end,
\q2 \add like\add* [MET] silver chains or golden bowls that break easily,
\q1 or like pitchers/jugs that are broken at the water fountain,
\q2 or like broken pulleys at a well.
\q1
\v 7 Then our corpses will \add decay and\add* become dirt again,
\q2 and our spirits will return to God, the one who gave us our spirits.
\b
\q1
\v 8 \add So\add* I say \add again\add* that it is difficult to understand why everything happens;
\q2 everything is mysterious.
\s1 The conclusion
\p
\v 9 I was considered to be a very wise man, and I taught the people many things. I assembled/collected and wrote down many proverbs, and I carefully thought about and studied them.
\v 10 I searched for the right words, and what I have written is reliable and true.
\p
\v 11 The things that \add I and other\add* wise people say \add teach people what they should do\add*; they are like [SIM] ◄goads/sharp sticks that people use to strike animals to direct where they should go►. They are like [SIM] nails that stick out of pieces of wood. They are given to us by \add God, who is like\add* [MET] our shepherd.
\v 12 \add So\add*, my son, pay careful attention to what I have written, and choose carefully what you read that others have written, \add because\add* writing proverbs/books is endless, and \add trying to\add* study them all will cause you to become exhausted.
\b
\q1
\v 13 \add Now\add* you have heard all \add that I have told you\add*,
\q2 and here is the conclusion:
\q1 Revere God, and obey his commandments,
\q2 because those commandments summarize everything that people should do.
\q1
\v 14 And do not forget that God will judge everything that we do,
\q2 good things and bad things,
\q2 \add even\add* things that we do secretly.