Ecclesiastes 2:12-26

¹²Then I turned myself to behold wisdom and senselessness and folly. For what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been already done.

¹³I saw, indeed, that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.

¹⁴The wise man's eyes are in his head, but the fool walketh in darkness; yet I perceived also that one event happeneth to them all.

¹⁵Then I said in my heart, “As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth to me. Why, then, became I wiser than others?” Then I said in my heart, “This also is vanity.”

¹⁶For there is no remembrance of the wise man more than of the fool for ever; for in the days to come shall all have long been forgotten; and, alas! the wise man dieth, as well as the fool.

¹⁷Therefore I hated life, because what is done under the sun appeared evil to me. For all is vanity, and striving after wind.

¹⁸Yea, I hated all my labor which I had performed under the sun, because I must leave it to the man that shall be after me.

¹⁹And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? Yet shall he be lord of all the labor with which I have wearied myself, and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity.

²⁰Therefore I turned to give up my heart to despair in regard to all the labor with which I had wearied myself under the sun.

²¹For there is a man whose labor has been with wisdom and knowledge and skill; yet to a man who hath not labored for it must he leave it as his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.

²²For what hath man of all his labor, and the striving of his spirit, with which he wearieth himself under the sun?

²³For all his days are grief, and his occupation trouble; even in the night his heart taketh no rest. This also is vanity.

²⁴There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink, and let his soul enjoy good in his labor. But this, as I have seen, cometh from the hand of God.

²⁵For who can eat, or hasten thereunto more than I?

²⁶For to a man who is good in his sight God giveth wisdom and knowledge and joy; but to the sinner he giveth the wearisome business of gathering and heaping up, to give it to him who is good before God. This also is vanity, and striving after wind.