¹⁴ I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and indeed, all is vanity and grasping for the wind.

²⁶ For God gives ^(A)wisdom and knowledge and joy to a man who is good in His sight; but to the sinner He gives the work of gathering and collecting, that ^(B)he may give to him who is good before God. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind.

¹⁷ Therefore I hated life because the work that was done under the sun was distressing to me, for all is vanity and grasping for the wind.

The Vanity of Selfish Toil

⁴ Again, I saw that for all toil and every skillful work a man is envied by his neighbor. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind.

^17 (A)And I set my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is grasping for the wind.

³⁰ Thus Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the men ^(A)of the East and all ^(B)the wisdom of Egypt. ³¹ For he was ^(C)wiser than all men—^(D)than Ethan the Ezrahite, ^(E)and Heman, Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol; and his fame was in all the surrounding nations. ^32 (F)He spoke three thousand proverbs, and his ^(G)songs were one thousand and five.