Ecclesiastes 2:18-26

¹⁸Yes, I hated all my labor which I had taken under the sun: because I should 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 have rule over all my labor in which I have labored, and in which I have showed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity.

²⁰Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labor which I took under the sun.

²¹For there is a man whose labor is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not labored in it, shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.

²²For what hath man of all his labor, and of the vexation of his heart, in which he hath labored under the sun?

²³For all his days are sorrows, and his labor grief; yes, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.

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

²⁵For who can eat, or who else can hasten to it more than I?

²⁶For God giveth to a man who is good in his sight, wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth toil, to gather, and to amass, that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.