Study Desk

The same thing happens to animals and to people—they die. People and animals have the same ‘breath.' Is a dead animal different from a dead person? It is all so senseless!

So I saw that the best thing people can do is to enjoy what they do, because that is all they have. Besides, no one can help another person see what will happen in the future.

Then I thought, "Why do people work so hard?" I saw people try to succeed and be better than other people. They do this because they are jealous. They don't want other people to have more than they have. This is senseless. It is like trying to catch the wind.

I saw a man who has no family, not a son or even a brother. But he continues to work very hard. He is never satisfied with what he has. And he works so hard that he never stops and asks himself, "Why am I working so hard? Why don't I let myself enjoy my life?" This is also a very bad and senseless thing.

Be careful when you make promises to God. Be careful about what you say to him. Don't let your feelings cause you to speak too soon. God is in heaven, and you are on the earth. So you need to say only a few things to him. This saying is true:

So don't let your words cause you to sin. Don't say to the priest, "I didn't mean what I said." If you do this, God might become angry with your words and destroy everything you have worked for.

The more wealth people have, the more "friends" they have to help spend it. So the rich really gain nothing. They can only look at their wealth.

Then something bad happens and they lose everything. So they have nothing to give to their children.

It is very sad that people leave the world just as they came. So what does a person gain from "trying to catch the wind"?

People don't have many years to live, so they must remember these things all their life. God will keep them busy with the work they love to do.

The laughter of fools is such a waste. It is like thorns burning under a pot. The thorns burn so quickly that the pot does not get hot.

So why ruin your life? Don't be too good or too bad, and don't be too wise or too foolish. Why should you die before your time?

Evil people don't respect God, so they will not get good things or live long lives. Their lives will not be like the shadows that become longer and longer as the sun goes down.

So I decided it was more important to enjoy life because the best thing people can do in this life is to eat, drink, and enjoy life. At least that will help people enjoy the hard work God gave them to do during their life on earth.

So go and eat your food now and enjoy it. Drink your wine and be happy. It is all right with God if you do these things.

Enjoy life with the wife you love. Enjoy every day of your short life. God has given you this short life on earth—and it is all you have. So enjoy the work you have to do in this life.

Fools aren't smart enough to find their way home, so they must work hard all their lives.

So begin planting early in the morning, and don't stop working until evening. You don't know what might make you rich. Maybe everything you do will be successful.

So young people, enjoy yourselves while you are young. Be happy. Do whatever your heart leads you to do. Do whatever you want, but remember that God will judge you for everything you do.

Everything is so meaningless. The Teacher says that it is all a waste of time!