Ecclesiastes 2:18–26

¹⁸Yea, I hated all my labour which I had ^†taken under the sun: because ^lI should leave it unto the man that shall be ^mafter me. ¹⁹And ^lwho knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity. ²⁰Therefore I ^mmwent about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun. ²¹For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in ⁿequity; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he ^†leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil. ²²For what hath man ^oof all his labour, and of the ^pvexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun? ²³For all ^qhis days are ^rsorrows, and his ^stravail ^rgrief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.

^24tThere is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he ^||should make his soul ^uenjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, ^wthat it was from the hand of God. ²⁵For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto, more than I? ²⁶For ^xGod giveth to a man that is good ^†in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth ^stravail, ^lto gather and to heap up, ^ythat he may give to him that is good before God. This also is ^zvanity and vexation of spirit.