18 Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun, which I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me. 19 And who knows whether he shall be a wise man or a fool, he who shall have rule over all my labour in which I have laboured and in which I have showed myself wise under the sun? This is also vanity. 20 Therefore my heart began to despair again regarding all the labour which I took under the sun. 21 That the man who worked with wisdom and with knowledge and with uprightness would have to leave his portion to a man that has not laboured therein. This also is vanity and a great evil. 22 For what does man have of all his labour and of the vexation of his heart in which he has laboured under the sun? 23 For all his days are only sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart does not take rest in the night. This is also vanity.
24 There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. I also have seen that this is from the hand of God. 25 For who can eat, or who can care for himself better than I? 26 For God gives to the man that is good in his sight wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he gives travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to the one that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.