¹⁵ Then I said to myself,

Toil Is Meaningless

¹⁷ So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.^(A)

¹⁹ And who knows whether that person will be wise or foolish?^(A) 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.

²¹ For a person may labor with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then they must leave all they own to another who has not toiled for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune.

²³ All their days their work is grief and pain;^(A) even at night their minds do not rest.^(B) This too is meaningless.

²⁶ To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom,^(A) knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth^(B) to hand it over to the one who pleases God.^(C) This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.