Ecclesiastes 2:14-24

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

¹⁵And I said in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool so will it happen even to me; and why was I then so wise? Then I said in my heart that this also is vanity.

¹⁶For there shall be no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; because everything is already forgotten in the days which come. And how dieth the wise even as the fool?

¹⁷And I hated life; for the work that is wrought under the sun was grievous unto me; for all is vanity and pursuit of the wind.

¹⁸And I hated all my labour wherewith I had been toiling under the sun, because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me.

¹⁹And who knoweth whether he will be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour at which I have laboured, and wherein I have been wise under the sun. This also is vanity.

²⁰Then I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour wherewith I had laboured under the sun.

²¹For there is a man whose labour hath been with wisdom, and with knowledge, and with skill, and who leaveth it to a man that hath not laboured therein, to be his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.

²²For what will man have of all his labour and of the striving of his heart, wherewith he hath wearied himself under the sun?

²³For all his days are sorrows, and his travail vexation: even in the night his heart taketh no rest. This also is vanity.

²⁴There is nothing good for man, but that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.