Thus I hated all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun, for I must leave it to the man who will come after me. 19And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the fruit of my labor for which I have labored by acting wisely under the sun. This too is vanity. 20Therefore I completely despaired of all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun. 21When there is a man who has labored with wisdom, knowledge and skill, then he gives his legacy to one who has not labored with them. This too is vanity and a great evil. 22For what does a man get in all his labor and in his striving with which he labors under the sun? 23Because all his days his task is painful and grievous; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is vanity.

24There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and tell himself that his labor is good. This also I have seen that it is from the hand of God. 25For who can eat and who can have enjoyment without Him? 26For to a person who is good in His sight He has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, while to the sinner He has given the task of gathering and collecting so that he may give to one who is good in God’s sight. This too is vanity and striving after wind.

Thus I hated all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun, for I must leave it to the man who will come after me. 19And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the fruit of my labor for which I have labored by acting wisely under the sun. This too is vanity. 20Therefore I completely despaired of all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun. 21When there is a man who has labored with wisdom, knowledge and skill, then he gives his legacy to one who has not labored with them. This too is vanity and a great evil. 22For what does a man get in all his labor and in his striving with which he labors under the sun? 23Because all his days his task is painful and grievous; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is vanity.

24There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and tell himself that his labor is good. This also I have seen that it is from the hand of God. 25For who can eat and who can have enjoyment without Him? 26For to a person who is good in His sight He has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, while to the sinner He has given the task of gathering and collecting so that he may give to one who is good in God’s sight. This too is vanity and striving after wind.

1The words of ver. 12; ch. 7:27; 12:8-10 the Preacher,1:1 Or Convener, or Collector; Hebrew Qoheleth (so throughout Ecclesiastes) the son of David, ver. 12king in Jerusalem.

2  ch. 12:8 Vanity1:2 The Hebrew term hebel, translated vanity or vain, refers concretely to a “mist,” “vapor,” or “mere breath,” and metaphorically to something that is fleeting or elusive (with different nuances depending on the context). It appears five times in this verse and in 29 other verses in Ecclesiastes of vanities, says [See ver. 1 above] the Preacher,

ch. 12:8 vanity of vanities! [Rom. 8:20]All is vanity.

3  ver. 14; Ps. 144:4; See Job 7:16; Ps. 39:5 What ch. 2:11, 22; 3:9; 5:16does man gain by all the toil

at which he toils under the sun?

4A generation goes, and a generation comes,

but Ps. 104:5; 119:90the earth remains forever.

5  [Ps. 19:4-6] The sun rises, and the sun goes down,

and hastens1:5 Or and returns panting to the place where it rises.

6  [ch. 11:5; John 3:8] The wind blows to the south

and goes around to the north;

around and around goes the wind,

and on its circuits the wind returns.

7All Ps. 104:8, 9streams run to the sea,

but the sea is not full;

to the place where the streams flow,

there they flow again.

8All things are full of weariness;

a man cannot utter it;

ch. 4:8; Prov. 27:20 the eye is not satisfied with seeing,

nor the ear filled with hearing.

9  ch. 3:15; 6:10; [ch. 2:12] What has been is what will be,

and what has been done is what will be done,

and there is nothing new under the sun.

10Is there a thing of which it is said,

“See, this is new”?

It has been ch. 3:15already

in the ages before us.

11There is no ch. 2:16; See ch. 9:5remembrance of former things,1:11 Or former people

nor will there be any remembrance

of later things1:11 Or later people yet to be

among those who come after.