The Emptiness of Work

¹⁸ I hated all my work that I labored at under the sun^(A) because I must leave it to the man who comes after me.^{(B) 19} And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool?^(C) Yet he will take over all my work that I labored at skillfully under the sun. This too is futile. ²⁰ So I began to give myself over^[a] to despair concerning all my work that I had labored at under the sun. ²¹ When there is a man whose work was done with wisdom, knowledge, and skill,^(D) and he must give his portion to a man who has not worked for it, this too is futile and a great wrong.