There is one man, no more but himself alone, having neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of his careful travail, his eyes cannot be satisfied with riches. Yet, doth he not remember himself, and say, "For whom do I take such travail? For whose pleasure do I thus consume away my life?" This is also a vain and miserable thing.

Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh for to sin, neither say thou before the angel that it is thy ignorance. For then God will be angry at thy voice, and destroy all the works of thine hands.

If a man beget a hundredth children, and live many years, so that his days are many in number, and yet cannot enjoy his good, neither be buried: as for him I say, that an untimely birth is better than he.

Say not thou, "What is the cause that the days of the old time were better than they that be now?" For that were no wise question.

Like as when a king giveth a charge, his commandment is mighty: Even so whom may say unto him, "What doest thou?"

And why? As long as a man liveth, he is careless: for a quick dog, say they, is better than a dead lion.

Remember thy maker in thy youth, before the days of adversity come, and or the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, "I have no pleasure in them";