The Vanity of Toil

18 I hated all my toil in which I toil under the sun, seeing that I must ^oleave it to the man who will come after me, 19 and who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity. 20 So I turned about and gave my heart up to despair over all the toil of my labors under the sun, 21 because sometimes a person who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill must leave everything to be enjoyed by someone who did not toil for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. 22 What has a man from all the ^ptoil and striving of heart with which he toils beneath the sun? 23 For ^qall his days are full of sorrow, and his work is a vexation. Even in the night his heart does not rest. This also is vanity.

4 Then I saw that all toil and all skill in work come from a man’s envy of his neighbor. This also is vanity¹ and a ^sstriving after wind.

5 The fool ^tfolds his hands and eats his own flesh.

6 ^uBetter is a handful of quietness than two hands full of toil and a striving after wind.

7 Again, I saw vanity under the sun: 8 one person who has no other, either son or brother, yet there is no end to all his toil, and his ^veyes are never satisfied with riches, so that he never asks, “For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?” This also is vanity and an ^wunhappy business.