songs 1

 In Songs we read:

The Song—best of all songs—Solomon’s song!

The Woman

2-3 Kiss me—full on the mouth!

    Yes! For your love is better than wine,

    headier than your aromatic oils.

The syllables of your name murmur like a meadow brook.

    No wonder everyone loves to say your name!

4 Take me away with you! Let’s run off together!

    An elopement with my King-Lover!

We’ll celebrate, we’ll sing,

    we’ll make great music.

Yes! For your love is better than vintage wine.

    Everyone loves you—of course! And why not?

5-6 I am weathered but still elegant,

    oh, dear sisters in Jerusalem,

Weather-darkened like Kedar desert tents,

    time-softened like Solomon’s Temple hangings.

Don’t look down on me because I’m dark,

    darkened by the sun’s harsh rays.

My brothers ridiculed me and sent me to work in the fields.

    They made me care for the face of the earth,

    but I had no time to care for my own face.

7 Tell me where you’re working

    —I love you so much—

Tell me where you’re tending your flocks,

    where you let them rest at noontime.

Why should I be the one left out,

    outside the orbit of your tender care?

> woman: my King-Lover: kiss me, take me away with you, don't take look down on me. Where are you working, tending your flocks? ; It is not clear if the lover is the king or a shepherd,

The Man

8 If you can’t find me, loveliest of all women,

    it’s all right. Stay with your flocks.

Lead your lambs to good pasture.

    Stay with your shepherd neighbors.

9-11 You remind me of Pharaoh’s

    well-groomed and satiny mares.

Pendant earrings line the elegance of your cheeks;

    strands of jewels illumine the curve of your throat.

I’m making jewelry for you, gold and silver jewelry

    that will mark and accent your beauty.

> man: if you can't find me, stay with your flocks.

The Woman

12-14 When my King-Lover lay down beside me,

    my fragrance filled the room.

His head resting between my breasts—

    the head of my lover was a sachet of sweet myrrh.

My beloved is a bouquet of wildflowers

    picked just for me from the fields of En Gedi.

> woman: I have a great pleasure to lay down beside my king lover.

The Man

15 Oh, my dear friend! You’re so beautiful!

    And your eyes so beautiful—like doves!

> man: you are so beautiful to me.

The Woman

16-17 And you, my dear lover—you’re so handsome!

    And the bed we share is like a forest glen.

We enjoy a canopy of cedars

    enclosed by cypresses, fragrant and green.

> woman: you are so handsome

Ecclesiastes 12: getting older and have a focus in your life.

 In Ecclesiastes 12 we read:

1-2 Honor and enjoy your Creator while you’re still young,

Before the years take their toll and your vigor wanes,

Before your vision dims and the world blurs

And the winter years keep you close to the fire.

> It is not so difficult that one thinks like this: "I want to do my will now that I am young. When I will get closer to death I will serve the Lord". The Thinker says the opposite: "Honor and enjoy your Creator when still young." It is really difficult that an old guy serve the Lord in old days because we mold our future everyday. Habits are very difficult to change. For example: the one who is used to save money, simply, can't waste money or be generous even when there's no reason not to do it.

3-5 In old age, your body no longer serves you so well.

Muscles slacken, grip weakens, joints stiffen.

The shades are pulled down on the world.

You can’t come and go at will. Things grind to a halt.

The hum of the household fades away.

You are wakened now by bird-song.

Hikes to the mountains are a thing of the past.

Even a stroll down the road has its terrors.

Your hair turns apple-blossom white,

Adorning a fragile and impotent matchstick body.

Yes, you’re well on your way to eternal rest,

While your friends make plans for your funeral.

> I can't avoid this fall. I am 60 years old and that's what expect me despite huge progress in medicine.

6-7 Life, lovely while it lasts, is soon over.

Life as we know it, precious and beautiful, ends.

The body is put back in the same ground it came from.

The spirit returns to God, who first breathed it.

8 It’s all smoke, nothing but smoke.

The Quester says that everything’s smoke.

> It seems like a waste of life: it is beautiful, but is soon over. It is like a smoke.

The Final Word

9-10 Besides being wise himself, the Quester also taught others knowledge. He weighed, examined, and arranged many proverbs. The Quester did his best to find the right words and write the plain truth.

11 The words of the wise prod us to live well.

They’re like nails hammered home, holding life together.

They are given by God, the one Shepherd.

12-13 But regarding anything beyond this, dear friend, go easy. There’s no end to the publishing of books, and constant study wears you out so you’re no good for anything else. The last and final word is this:

Fear God.

Do what he tells you.

14 And that’s it. Eventually God will bring everything that we do out into the open and judge it according to its hidden intent, whether it’s good or evil.

> I want to read many books about religion, health, investments, etc.; however, it may be a great distraction. I have to focus on "fear God". I want to be friend of the Lord. I want to enjoy my Creator while I live.

Ecclesiastes 11: be generous, life is too short to hoard your goods.

 In Ecclesiastes 11 we read:

1 Be generous: Invest in acts of charity.

Charity yields high returns.

2 Don’t hoard your goods; spread them around.

Be a blessing to others. This could be your last night.

> I have to learn to be generous. I have to always remember that the Lord has been kind to me, everyday.

3-4 When the clouds are full of water, it rains.

When the wind blows down a tree, it lies where it falls.

Don’t sit there watching the wind. Do your own work.

Don’t stare at the clouds. Get on with your life.

> It is a blessing to contemplate the acts of God, but the Lord wants me to participate in his creation. 

5 Just as you’ll never understand

    the mystery of life forming in a pregnant woman,

So you’ll never understand

    the mystery at work in all that God does.

6 Go to work in the morning

    and stick to it until evening without watching the clock.

You never know from moment to moment

    how your work will turn out in the end.

> When you work on the Lord's creation, remember that is the Lord who makes your work a success or a failure.

Before the Years Take Their Toll

7-8 Oh, how sweet the light of day,

And how wonderful to live in the sunshine!

Even if you live a long time, don’t take a single day for granted.

Take delight in each light-filled hour,

Remembering that there will also be many dark days

And that most of what comes your way is smoke.

9 You who are young, make the most of your youth.

Relish your youthful vigor.

Follow the impulses of your heart.

If something looks good to you, pursue it.

But know also that not just anything goes;

You have to answer to God for every last bit of it.

10 Live footloose and fancy-free—

You won’t be young forever.

Youth lasts about as long as smoke.

> I am getting old. I am studying some ways of dying: stroke, cancer, dementia, etc. It is really a blessing to be alive today and I am not so sure about tomorrow. Ecclesiastes tell me to "take delight in each hour" here on earth. It is a waste of time to think heavily about the past and its errors: Jesus took my sins away. 

Ecclesiastes 10: many provebs

 In Ecclesiastes 10 we read:

1 Dead flies in perfume make it stink,

And a little foolishness decomposes much wisdom.

2 Wise thinking leads to right living;

Stupid thinking leads to wrong living.

3 Fools on the road have no sense of direction.

The way they walk tells the story: “There goes the fool again!”

4 If a ruler loses his temper against you, don’t panic;

A calm disposition quiets intemperate rage.

> The wise must be consistently wise otherwise he will show no sense of direction. It is wise to be calm in front of authorities. It reminds me some investors that are taken as sages: they take good decisions consistently.

5-7 Here’s a piece of bad business I’ve seen on this earth,

An error that can be blamed on whoever is in charge:

Immaturity is given a place of prominence,

While maturity is made to take a backseat.

I’ve seen unproven upstarts riding in style,

While experienced veterans are put out to pasture.

> It is not so uncommon to see a company leader put some fool in charge of good people.

8 Caution: The trap you set might catch you.

Warning: Your accomplice in crime might double-cross you.

9 Safety first: Quarrying stones is dangerous.

Be alert: Felling trees is hazardous.

10 Remember: The duller the ax the harder the work;

Use your head: The more brains, the less muscle.

11 If the snake bites before it’s been charmed,

What’s the point in then sending for the charmer?

> Be diligent in your work. Prepare what you have to in advange. Have a plan.

12-13 The words of a wise person are gracious.

The talk of a fool self-destructs—

He starts out talking nonsense

And ends up spouting insanity and evil.

14 Fools talk way too much,

Chattering stuff they know nothing about.

15 A decent day’s work so fatigues fools

That they can’t find their way back to town.

> Perhaps I am a fool: I talk too much about stuff I know nothing about to be seen as a wise guy. I want to be wise and talk as a wise guy: in a gracious way.

16-17 Unlucky the land whose king is a young pup,

And whose princes party all night.

Lucky the land whose king is mature,

Where the princes behave themselves

And don’t drink themselves silly.

> How to spot good leaders before buying share of a company? Tip: see how the leaders behave, how they compensate themselves.

18 A shiftless man lives in a tumbledown shack;

A lazy woman ends up with a leaky roof.

19 Laughter and bread go together,

And wine gives sparkle to life—

But it’s money that makes the world go around.

20 Don’t bad-mouth your leaders, not even under your breath,

And don’t abuse your betters, even in the privacy of your home.

Loose talk has a way of getting picked up and spread around.

Little birds drop the crumbs of your gossip far and wide.

> The wise is humble and learns not to gossip.

Ecclesiastes 9: enjoy life; don't take things too seriously

 In Ecclesiastes 9 we read:

1-3 Well, I took all this in and thought it through, inside and out. Here’s what I understood: The good, the wise, and all that they do are in God’s hands—but, day by day, whether it’s love or hate they’re dealing with, they don’t know.

Anything’s possible. It’s one fate for everybody—righteous and wicked, good people, bad people, the nice and the nasty, worshipers and non-worshipers, committed and uncommitted. I find this outrageous—the worst thing about living on this earth—that everyone’s lumped together in one fate. Is it any wonder that so many people are obsessed with evil? Is it any wonder that people go crazy right and left? Life leads to death. That’s it.

> It seem very unfair (outrageous) that the good and the wicked share the same fate: both die. In fact, it is outrageous that both have the same death, because in life beyond death they face opposite fates.

Seize Life!

4-6 Still, anyone selected out for life has hope, for, as they say, “A living dog is better than a dead lion.” The living at least know something, even if it’s only that they’re going to die. But the dead know nothing and get nothing. They’re a minus that no one remembers. Their loves, their hates, yes, even their dreams, are long gone. There’s not a trace of them left in the affairs of this earth.

> It is a blessing to be alive because there is no hope to dead people.

7-10 Seize life! Eat bread with gusto,

Drink wine with a robust heart.

Oh yes—God takes pleasure in your pleasure!

Dress festively every morning.

Don’t skimp on colors and scarves.

Relish life with the spouse you love

Each and every day of your precarious life.

Each day is God’s gift. It’s all you get in exchange

For the hard work of staying alive.

Make the most of each one!

Whatever turns up, grab it and do it. And heartily!

This is your last and only chance at it,

For there’s neither work to do nor thoughts to think

In the company of the dead, where you’re most certainly headed.

> Celebrate life! Each day is God's gift. Drink wine, eat bread with gusto.

11 I took another walk around the neighborhood and realized that on this earth as it is—

The race is not always to the swift,

Nor the battle to the strong,

Nor satisfaction to the wise,

Nor riches to the smart,

Nor grace to the learned.

Sooner or later bad luck hits us all.

12 No one can predict misfortune.

Like fish caught in a cruel net or birds in a trap,

So men and women are caught

By accidents evil and sudden.

> We can create models that predict the future with accuracy: the swift may loose a race, an athlete may die in a accident.

Wisdom Is Better than Muscle

13-15 One day as I was observing how wisdom fares on this earth, I saw something that made me sit up and take notice. There was a small town with only a few people in it. A strong king came and mounted an attack, building trenches and attack posts around it. There was a poor but wise man in that town whose wisdom saved the town, but he was promptly forgotten. (He was only a poor man, after all.)

16 All the same, I still say that wisdom is better than muscle, even though the wise poor man was treated with contempt and soon forgotten.

17 The quiet words of the wise are more effective  

Than the ranting of a king of fools.

18 Wisdom is better than warheads,

But one hothead can ruin the good earth.

> The poor wise man from the besieged city saved it. He was much better than the screams of the fools in charge. Despite everything, the poor wise man's words were forgotten. In conclusion, don't take life too seriously. Give yourself and others a discount. And how can we do this? Believing in Jesus, because in Jesus, God gives us this discount, this forgiveness and makes us live with more joy, more light.

Ecclesiastes 8: it is very difficult to understand what the Lord is doing here on earth.

 -

In Ecclesiastes 8 we read:

There’s nothing better than being wise,

Knowing how to interpret the meaning of life.

Wisdom puts light in the eyes,

And gives gentleness to words and manners.

> Wisdom gives gentleness to words and manners, it makes life colorful.

No One Can Control the Wind

2-7 Do what your king commands; you gave a sacred oath of obedience. Don’t worryingly second-guess your orders or try to back out when the task is unpleasant. You’re serving his pleasure, not yours. The king has the last word. Who dares say to him, “What are you doing?” Carrying out orders won’t hurt you a bit; the wise person obeys promptly and accurately. Yes, there’s a right time and way for everything, even though, unfortunately, we miss it for the most part. It’s true that no one knows what’s going to happen, or when. Who’s around to tell us?

> I am in service of my good King. 

8 No one can control the wind or lock it in a box.

No one has any say-so regarding the day of death.

No one can stop a battle in its tracks.

No one who does evil can be saved by evil.

> No one knows when the spirit/wind will be taken from our body and we die; however, we know that we can not be saved by evil.

9 All this I observed as I tried my best to understand all that’s going on in this world. As long as men and women have the power to hurt each other, this is the way it is.

One Fate for Everybody

10 One time I saw wicked men given a solemn burial in holy ground. When the people returned to the city, they delivered flowery eulogies—and in the very place where wicked acts were done by those very men! More smoke. Indeed.

11 Because the sentence against evil deeds is so long in coming, people in general think they can get by with murder.

> When justice takes a long time to be made, people forget to think about justice.

12-13 Even though a person sins and gets by with it hundreds of times throughout a long life, I’m still convinced that the good life is reserved for the person who fears God, who lives reverently in his presence, and that the evil person will not experience a “good” life. No matter how many days he lives, they’ll all be as flat and colorless as a shadow—because he doesn’t fear God.

14 Here’s something that happens all the time and makes no sense at all: Good people get what’s coming to the wicked, and bad people get what’s coming to the good. I tell you, this makes no sense. It’s smoke.

> The good life is reserved for the one who fears God; however it is not so clear. It is somehow common to see good things happening to the wicked and bad things to good people.

15 So, I’m all for just going ahead and having a good time—the best possible. The only earthly good men and women can look forward to is to eat and drink well and have a good time—compensation for the struggle for survival these few years God gives us on earth.

16-17 When I determined to load up on wisdom and examine everything taking place on earth, I realized that if you keep your eyes open day and night without even blinking, you’ll still never figure out the meaning of what God is doing on this earth. Search as hard as you like, you’re not going to make sense of it. No matter how smart you are, you won’t get to the bottom of it.

> If possible, it is very good to enjoy life; however it is very difficult to understand what the Lord is doing in this earth.

Ecclesiastes 7: "to be wise" is beyond me

 In Ecclesiastes 7 we read:

Don’t Take Anything for Granted

1 A good reputation is better than a fat bank account.

Your death date tells more than your birth date.

> Does a man end his life with a good reputation? Does a man end his life with a fat bank account? How a man dies reveals what he was. 

2 You learn more at a funeral than at a feast—

After all, that’s where we’ll end up. We might discover

    something from it.

3 Crying is better than laughing.

It blotches the face but it scours the heart.

4 Sages invest themselves in hurt and grieving.

Fools waste their lives in fun and games.

5 You’ll get more from the rebuke of a sage

Than from the song and dance of fools.

6 The giggles of fools are like the crackling of twigs

Under the cooking pot. And like smoke.

14 On a good day, enjoy yourself;

On a bad day, examine your conscience.

God arranges for both kinds of days

So that we won’t take anything for granted.

> It is wiser to think ahead in my death day, what way I am following, but I can´t forget of good days when I enjoy myself.

7 Brutality stupefies even the wise

And destroys the strongest heart.

8 Endings are better than beginnings.

Sticking to it is better than standing out.

9 Don’t be quick to fly off the handle.

Anger boomerangs. You can spot a fool by the lumps on his head.

> Anger boomerangs and kindness too.

10 Don’t always be asking, “Where are the good old days?”

Wise folks don’t ask questions like that.

11-12 Wisdom is better when it’s paired with money,

Especially if you get both while you’re still living.

Double protection: wisdom and wealth!

Plus this bonus: Wisdom energizes its owner.

> It is a Lord'blessing to be wise and rich.

13 Take a good look at God’s work.

Who could simplify and reduce Creation’s curves and angles

To a plain straight line?

> Lord's creation is certainly much more complex and wise than I can see.

Stay in Touch with Both Sides

15-17 I’ve seen it all in my brief and pointless life—here a good person cut down in the middle of doing good, there a bad person living a long life of sheer evil. So don’t knock yourself out being good, and don’t go overboard being wise. Believe me, you won’t get anything out of it. But don’t press your luck by being bad, either. And don’t be reckless. Why die needlessly?

18 It’s best to stay in touch with both sides of an issue. A person who fears God deals responsibly with all of reality, not just a piece of it.

19 Wisdom puts more strength in one wise person

Than ten strong men give to a city.

20 There’s not one totally good person on earth,

Not one who is truly pure and sinless.

> I have to learn everyday that I have a good Father that is much more gracious to me than I can understand. I am not tottaly good; however I must understand that the the Lord is guiding me, taking care of me even when I sin. I am quite sure that there are many sins that I don't recognize now. Perhaps I am much more greedy than I suppose to be. Whatever great sinner I am, I must trust in the Lord. Let the Lord's peace correct me.

21-22 Don’t eavesdrop on the conversation of others.

What if the gossip’s about you and you’d rather not hear it?

You’ve done that a few times, haven’t you—said things

Behind someone’s back you wouldn’t say to his face?

> I must improve the way I listen and talk to others. 

How to Interpret the Meaning of Life

23-25 I tested everything in my search for wisdom. I set out to be wise, but it was beyond me, far beyond me, and deep—oh so deep! Does anyone ever find it? I concentrated with all my might, studying and exploring and seeking wisdom—the meaning of life. I also wanted to identify evil and stupidity, foolishness and craziness.

> If it was difficult to understand wisdom to Salomon, it is difficult to me too. I would like to be wise, and I search for wisdom, but it comes from the Lord. The one who sees himself as wise or humble is very likely fool or arrogant.

26-29 One discovery: A woman can be a bitter pill to swallow, full of seductive scheming and grasping. The lucky escape her; the undiscerning get caught. At least this is my experience—what I, the Quester, have pieced together as I’ve tried to make sense of life. But the wisdom I’ve looked for I haven’t found. I didn’t find one man or woman in a thousand worth my while. Yet I did spot one ray of light in this murk: God made men and women true and upright; we’re the ones who’ve made a mess of things.

> the Lord created Adam true and upright, but he made a mess of things.

Ecclesiastes 6: enjoy life and trust in the Lord.

 In Ecclesiastes 6 we read:

 1-2 I looked long and hard at what goes on around here, and let me tell you, things are bad. And people feel it. There are people, for instance, on whom God showers everything—money, property, reputation—all they ever wanted or dreamed of. And then God doesn’t let them enjoy it. Some stranger comes along and has all the fun. It’s more of what I’m calling smoke. A bad business.

3-5 Say a couple have scores of children and live a long, long life but never enjoy themselves—even though they end up with a big funeral! I’d say that a stillborn baby gets the better deal. It gets its start in a mist and ends up in the dark—unnamed. It sees nothing and knows nothing, but is better off by far than anyone living.

6 Even if someone lived a thousand years—make it two thousand!—but didn’t enjoy anything, what’s the point? Doesn’t everyone end up in the same place?

7 We work to feed our appetites;

Meanwhile our souls go hungry.

> Even though a person may work a lot (to feed his appetites), he is never satisfied. It is really a blessing of the Lord to enjoy life. Greedy disables to enjoy life. Sometimes a person has everything to be happy, but he is not. 

8-9 So what advantage has a sage over a fool, or over some poor wretch who barely gets by? Just grab whatever you can while you can; don’t assume something better might turn up by and by. All it amounts to anyway is smoke. And spitting into the wind.

10 Whatever happens, happens. Its destiny is fixed.

You can’t argue with fate.

> Enjoy today, this day. Don't make plans to be happy in the future. Be happy now. The Lord reigns. Be greateful.

11-12 The more words that are spoken, the more smoke there is in the air. And who is any better off? And who knows what’s best for us as we live out our meager smoke-and-shadow lives? And who can tell any of us the next chapter of our lives?

> Who can tell my next chapter of my life? Who knows what's best for me? The Lord knows; let Him guide me.

Ecclesiastes 5: don't be greedy - understand that the Lord is good.

 we read in Ecclesiastes 5:

God’s in Charge, Not You

1 Watch your step when you enter God’s house.

    Enter to learn. That’s far better than mindlessly offering

        a sacrifice,

    Doing more harm than good.

2 Don’t shoot off your mouth, or speak before you think.

Don’t be too quick to tell God what you think he wants to hear.

God’s in charge, not you—the less you speak, the better.

3 Overwork makes for restless sleep.

Overtalk shows you up as a fool.

4-5 When you tell God you’ll do something, do it—now.

God takes no pleasure in foolish drivel. Vow it, then do it.

Far better not to vow in the first place than to vow and not pay up.

6 Don’t let your mouth make a total sinner of you.

When called to account, you won’t get by with

    “Sorry, I didn’t mean it.”

Why risk provoking God to angry retaliation?

7 But against all illusion and fantasy and empty talk

There’s always this rock foundation: Fear God!

> The Lord reigns but we always forget it. He is with me in the church. It is not so important what I talk, but it is very important that I learn in the church. The Lord is in control, so I have to fear the Lord.

A Salary of Smoke

8-9 Don’t be too upset when you see the poor kicked around, and justice and right violated all over the place. Exploitation filters down from one petty official to another. There’s no end to it, and nothing can be done about it. But the good earth doesn’t cheat anyone—even a bad king is honestly served by a field.

10 The one who loves money is never satisfied with money,

Nor the one who loves wealth with big profits. More smoke.

11 The more loot you get, the more looters show up.

And what fun is that—to be robbed in broad daylight?

12 Hard and honest work earns a good night’s sleep,

Whether supper is beans or steak.

But a rich man’s belly gives him insomnia.

13-17 Here’s a piece of bad luck I’ve seen happen:

A man hoards far more wealth than is good for him

And then loses it all in a bad business deal.

He fathered a child but hasn’t a cent left to give him.

He arrived naked from the womb of his mother;

He’ll leave in the same condition—with nothing.

This is bad luck, for sure—naked he came, naked he went.

So what was the point of working for a salary of smoke?

All for a miserable life spent in the dark?

> A greedy person (that loves money, that is never satisfied with money) harms himself by overworking. He may have problems with robbers and insomnia, besides, he may oppress the poor. 

Make the Most of What God Gives

18-20 After looking at the way things are on this earth, here’s what I’ve decided is the best way to live: Take care of yourself, have a good time, and make the most of whatever job you have for as long as God gives you life. And that’s about it. That’s the human lot. Yes, we should make the most of what God gives, both the bounty and the capacity to enjoy it, accepting what’s given and delighting in the work. It’s God’s gift! God deals out joy in the present, the now. It’s useless to brood over how long we might live.

> It is a blessing to understand that the Lord is gracious and He wants us to enjoy what he provides us.

Ecclesiastes 4 : why do you work? be wise to work not too much and too less.

 In Ecclesiastes 4 we read:

Slow Suicide

1-3 Next I turned my attention to all the outrageous violence that takes place on this planet—the tears of the victims, no one to comfort them; the iron grip of oppressors, no one to rescue the victims from them. So I congratulated the dead who are already dead instead of the living who are still alive. But luckier than the dead or the living is the person who has never even been, who has never seen the bad business that takes place on this earth.

4 Then I observed all the work and ambition motivated by envy. What a waste! Smoke. And spitting into the wind.

5 The fool sits back and takes it easy,

His sloth is slow suicide.

6 One handful of peaceful repose

Is better than two fistfuls of worried work—

More spitting into the wind.

> Envy motivates a lot of work and ambition that generates nothing. By other side, a sloth person is not wiser: he commits suicide. Wisdom is in the midle: not too much work by envy and not too little by sloth.

Why Am I Working Like a Dog?

7-8 I turned my head and saw yet another wisp of smoke on its way to nothingness: a solitary person, completely alone—no children, no family, no friends—yet working obsessively late into the night, compulsively greedy for more and more, never bothering to ask, “Why am I working like a dog, never having any fun? And who cares?” More smoke. A bad business.

> This solitary man is not solth, but he is greedy. He works so hard to have more and more but he will certanly leave his possessions to a stranger.

9-10 It’s better to have a partner than go it alone.

Share the work, share the wealth.

And if one falls down, the other helps,

But if there’s no one to help, tough!

11 Two in a bed warm each other.

Alone, you shiver all night.

12 By yourself you’re unprotected.

With a friend you can face the worst.

Can you round up a third?

A three-stranded rope isn’t easily snapped.

> Instead of alone, t is better to be married, to haver a partner, etc. It is good to share the work and share the wealth with another person. 

13-16 A poor child with some wisdom is better off than an old but foolish king who doesn’t know which end is up. I saw a youth just like this start with nothing and go from rags to riches, and I saw everyone rally to the rule of this young successor to the king. Even so, the excitement died quickly, the throngs of people soon lost interest. Can’t you see it’s only smoke? And spitting into the wind?

> If you have to choose between wisdom or riches, choose wisdom; but don´t expect to be honored by people.

Ecclesiastes3: are we like animals?

 In Ecclesiastes 3 we read:

There’s a Right Time for Everything

3 There’s an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth:

2-8 A right time for birth and another for death,

A right time to plant and another to reap,

A right time to kill and another to heal,

A right time to destroy and another to construct,

A right time to cry and another to laugh,

A right time to lament and another to cheer,

A right time to make love and another to abstain,

A right time to embrace and another to part,

A right time to search and another to count your losses,

A right time to hold on and another to let go,

A right time to rip out and another to mend,

A right time to shut up and another to speak up,

A right time to love and another to hate,

A right time to wage war and another to make peace.

9-13 But in the end, does it really make a difference what anyone does? I’ve had a good look at what God has given us to do—busywork, mostly. True, God made everything beautiful in itself and in its time—but he’s left us in the dark, so we can never know what God is up to, whether he’s coming or going. I’ve decided that there’s nothing better to do than go ahead and have a good time and get the most we can out of life. That’s it—eat, drink, and make the most of your job. It’s God’s gift.

> I agree on "there’s nothing better to do than go ahead and have a good time and get the most we can out of life. That’s it—eat, drink, and make the most of your job. It’s God’s gift.". I have some problem to understand that the Lord is good and He wants me to enjoy the food, drink and trips that He provides me. 

14 I’ve also concluded that whatever God does, that’s the way it’s going to be, always. No addition, no subtraction. God’s done it and that’s it. That’s so we’ll quit asking questions and simply worship in holy fear.

> It is difficult to accept certain things in life but the Lord is in control: "God’s done it and that’s it.". 

15 Whatever was, is.

Whatever will be, is.

That’s how it always is with God.

God’s Testing Us

16-18 I took another good look at what’s going on: The very place of judgment—corrupt! The place of righteousness—corrupt! I said to myself, “God will judge righteous and wicked.” There’s a right time for every thing, every deed—and there’s no getting around it. I said to myself regarding the human race, “God’s testing the lot of us, showing us up as nothing but animals.”

19-22 Humans and animals come to the same end—humans die, animals die. We all breathe the same air. So there’s really no advantage in being human. None. Everything’s smoke. We all end up in the same place—we all came from dust, we all end up as dust. Nobody knows for sure that the human spirit rises to heaven or that the animal spirit sinks into the earth. So I made up my mind that there’s nothing better for us men and women than to have a good time in whatever we do—that’s our lot. Who knows if there’s anything else to life?

> If humans and animals die without judgement then where is justice? There's a ritght time to the justice of the Lord.

Ecclesiastes2: divine fate

 We read in Ecclesiastes 2:

2 1-3 I said to myself, “Let’s go for it—experiment with pleasure, have a good time!” But there was nothing to it, nothing but smoke.

What do I think of the fun-filled life? Insane! Inane!

    My verdict on the pursuit of happiness? Who needs it?

With the help of a bottle of wine

    and all the wisdom I could muster,

I tried my level best

    to penetrate the absurdity of life.

I wanted to get a handle on anything useful we mortals might do

    during the years we spend on this earth.

> The "thinker" is asking "what for do I live?", "what is the meaning of life?", "what can bring me happiness?". He searched for the answers in doing things.

I Never Said No to Myself

4-8 Oh, I did great things:

    built houses,

    planted vineyards,

    designed gardens and parks

        and planted a variety of fruit trees in them,

    made pools of water

        to irrigate the groves of trees.

I bought slaves, male and female,

        who had children, giving me even more slaves;

    then I acquired large herds and flocks,

        larger than any before me in Jerusalem.

I piled up silver and gold,

        loot from kings and kingdoms.

I gathered a chorus of singers to entertain me with song,

    and—most exquisite of all pleasures—

    voluptuous maidens for my bed.

9-10 Oh, how I prospered! I left all my predecessors in Jerusalem far behind, left them behind in the dust. What’s more, I kept a clear head through it all. Everything I wanted I took—I never said no to myself. I gave in to every impulse, held back nothing. I sucked the marrow of pleasure out of every task—my reward to myself for a hard day’s work!

I Hate Life

11 Then I took a good look at everything I’d done, looked at all the sweat and hard work. But when I looked, I saw nothing but smoke. Smoke and spitting into the wind. There was nothing to any of it. Nothing.

> The "thinker" had money and intelligence to try whatever he desired, from building things to sex (v8). He saw that all was smoke and spitting into the wind. We always want to build a "name" to ourselves but but in the end, sadly, we conclude that we built nothing. 

12-14 And then I took a hard look at what’s smart and what’s stupid. What’s left to do after you’ve been king? That’s a hard act to follow. You just do what you can, and that’s it. But I did see that it’s better to be smart than stupid, just as light is better than darkness. Even so, though the smart ones see where they’re going and the stupid ones grope in the dark, they’re all the same in the end. One fate for all—and that’s it.

15-16 When I realized that my fate’s the same as the fool’s, I had to ask myself, “So why bother being wise?” It’s all smoke, nothing but smoke. The smart and the stupid both disappear out of sight. In a day or two they’re both forgotten. Yes, both the smart and the stupid die, and that’s it.

> If there is nothing more beyond our death, then there is no "correct way to live" because at the end, the wise/smart and the fool will end up in the same place: both will die and be forgotten. 

17 I hate life. As far as I can see, what happens on earth is a bad business. It’s smoke—and spitting into the wind.

18-19 And I hated everything I’d accomplished and accumulated on this earth. I can’t take it with me—no, I have to leave it to whoever comes after me. Whether they’re worthy or worthless—and who’s to tell?—they’ll take over the earthly results of my intense thinking and hard work. Smoke.

20-23 That’s when I called it quits, gave up on anything that could be hoped for on this earth. What’s the point of working your fingers to the bone if you hand over what you worked for to someone who never lifted a finger for it? Smoke, that’s what it is. A bad business from start to finish. So what do you get from a life of hard labor? Pain and grief from dawn to dusk. Never a decent night’s rest. Nothing but smoke.

24-26 The best you can do with your life is have a good time and get by the best you can. The way I see it, that’s it—divine fate. Whether we feast or fast, it’s up to God. God may give wisdom and knowledge and joy to his favorites, but sinners are assigned a life of hard labor, and end up turning their wages over to God’s favorites. Nothing but smoke—and spitting into the wind.

> The "thinker" advises to have a good time and be glad with the job. The Lord has his favorites and treats them assigning them wisdom and knowledge whereas he assigns a life of hard labor, without rest, to others.