People Need Balance in Their Approach to Labor

4 I also realized that all of the toil and all of the skillful work that is done—it is envy between one man and ⌊another⌋.b This also is vanity and chasing wind!

5 ⌊The fool refuses to work with his hands,

so he has nothing to eat except his own skin⌋!c

6 Better is one handful with peace

than two fists full with toil and chasing wind.

Wealth without Someone with Which to Enjoy It is Futile

7 I turned again and saw another vanity under the sun. 8 Sometimes a man is all alone with no companion; he also has neither son nor brother. Yet there is no end to all his toil, and his eye is not satisfied with wealth. He laments, “For whom am I toiling and depriving ⌊myself⌋d of pleasure?” This also is vanity—it is an unhappy business!