Ecclesiastes 2:18-19

Good News Translation

¹⁸Nothing that I had worked for and earned meant a thing to me, because I knew that I would have to leave it to my successor, ¹⁹and he might be wise, or he might be foolish—who knows? Yet he will own everything I have worked for, everything my wisdom has earned for me in this world. It is all useless.

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Ecclesiastes 2:18-19

New King James Version

¹⁸Then I hated all my labor in which I had toiled under the sun, because ^(A)I must leave it to the man who will come after me. ¹⁹And who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will rule over all my labor in which I toiled and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity.

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Ecclesiastes 2:18-19

New International Version

¹⁸I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me.^(A) ¹⁹And who knows whether that person will be wise or foolish?^(B) Yet they will have control over all the fruit of my toil into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless.

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Ecclesiastes 2:18-19

English Standard Version

The Vanity of Toil

¹⁸I hated ^(A)all my toil in which I toil under the sun, seeing that I must ^(B)leave it to the man who will come after me, ¹⁹and who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity.

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