2. It makes no difference. The same fate comes to the righteous and the wicked, to the good and the bad, to those who are religious and those who are not, to those who offer sacrifices and those who do not. A good person is no better off than a sinner; one who takes an oath is no better off than one who does not.
3. One fate comes to all alike, and this is as wrong as anything that happens in this world. As long as people live, their minds are full of evil and madness, and suddenly they die.
4. But anyone who is alive in the world of the living has some hope; a live dog is better off than a dead lion.
5. Yes, the living know they are going to die, but the dead know nothing. They have no further reward; they are completely forgotten.
6. Their loves, their hates, their passions, all died with them. They will never again take part in anything that happens in this world.
7. Go ahead — eat your food and be happy; drink your wine and be cheerful. It's all right with God.
8. Always look happy and cheerful.
9. Enjoy life with the woman you love, as long as you live the useless life that God has given you in this world. Enjoy every useless day of it, because that is all you will get for all your trouble.