⁵ Just as you don’t understand what the life-breath does in the fetus^[a] inside a pregnant woman’s womb, so you can’t understand the work of God, who makes everything happen. ⁶ Scatter your seed in the morning, and in the evening don’t be idle because you don’t know which will succeed, this one or that, or whether both will be equally good.

⁷ Sweet is the light, and it’s pleasant for the eyes to see the sun. ⁸ Even those who live many years should take pleasure in them all. But they should be mindful that there will also be many dark days. Everything that happens is pointless.

⁹ Rejoice, young person, while you are young! Your heart should make you happy in your prime. Follow your heart’s inclinations and whatever your eyes see, but know this: God will call you to account for all of these things. ¹⁰ Remove anxiety from your heart, banish pain from your body, because youth and the dawn of life are pointless too.