Ecclesiastes 2:18–26

¹⁸And I have hated all my labour that I labour at under the sun, because I leave it to a man who is after me. ¹⁹And who knoweth whether he is wise or foolish? yet he doth rule over all my labour that I have laboured at, and that I have done wisely under the sun! this also is vanity. ²⁰And I turned round to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labour that I laboured at under the sun. ²¹For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity, and to a man who hath not laboured therein he giveth it—his portion! Even this is vanity and a great evil. ²²For what hath been to a man by all his labour, and by the thought of his heart that he laboured at under the sun? ²³For all his days are sorrows, and his travail sadness; even at night his heart hath not lain down; this also is vanity. ²⁴There is nothing good in a man who eateth, and hath drunk, and hath shewn his soul good in his labour. This also I have seen that it is from the hand of God. ²⁵For who eateth and who hasteth out more than I? ²⁶For to a man who is good before Him, He hath given wisdom, and knowledge, and joy; and to a sinner He hath given travail, to gather and to heap up, to give to the good before God. Even this is vanity and vexation of spirit.

Chapter 3