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.

¹² not as ^(A)Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother’s righteous.

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.

²¹ For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, knowledge, and skill; yet he must leave his ^[a]heritage to a man who has not labored for it. This also is vanity and a great evil.

²⁹ and Saul was still more afraid of David. So Saul became David’s enemy ^[a]continually. ³⁰ Then the princes of the Philistines ^(A)went out to war. And so it was, whenever they went out, that David ^(B)behaved more wisely than all the servants of Saul, so that his name became highly esteemed.

¹⁴ And David behaved wisely in all his ways, and ^(A)the Lord was with him. ¹⁵ Therefore, when Saul saw that he behaved very wisely, he was afraid of him. ¹⁶ But ^(B)all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them.

⁸ Then Saul was very angry, and the saying ^(A)displeased him; and he said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed only thousands. Now what more can he have but ^(B)the kingdom?” ⁹ So Saul ^[a]eyed David from that day forward.

¹⁸ For he knew that they had handed Him over because of ^(A)envy.