⁴ Then I observed that most people are motivated to success because they envy their neighbors. But this, too, is meaningless—like chasing the wind.

¹² We must not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because Cain had been doing what was evil, and his brother had been doing what was righteous.

¹⁴ I observed everything going on under the sun, and really, it is all meaningless—like chasing the wind.

²¹ Some people work wisely with knowledge and skill, then must leave the fruit of their efforts to someone who hasn’t worked for it. This, too, is meaningless, a great tragedy.

¹⁸ (He knew very well that the religious leaders had arrested Jesus out of envy.)

¹¹ The more words you speak, the less they mean. So what good are they?

⁹ Enjoy what you have rather than desiring what you don’t have. Just dreaming about nice things is meaningless—like chasing the wind.

¹⁶ Endless crowds stand around him,^[a] but then another generation grows up and rejects him, too. So it is all meaningless—like chasing the wind.

²⁶ God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy to those who please him. But if a sinner becomes wealthy, God takes the wealth away and gives it to those who please him. This, too, is meaningless—like chasing the wind.