The Vanity of Toil

Ecclesiastes 2

18 And I have hated all my labour that I labour at under the sun, because I leave it to a man who is after me. 19 And who knoweth whether he is wise or foolish? yet he doth rule over all my labour that I have laboured at, and that I have done wisely under the sun! this also [is] vanity. 20 And I turned round to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labour that I laboured at under the sun. 21 For there is a man whose labour [is] in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity, and to a man who hath not laboured therein he giveth it -- his portion! Even this [is] vanity and a great evil. 22 For what hath been to a man by all his labour, and by the thought of his heart that he laboured at under the sun? 23 For all his days are sorrows, and his travail sadness; even at night his heart hath not lain down; this also [is] vanity.

24 There is nothing good in a man who eateth, and hath drunk, and hath shewn his soul good in his labour. This also I have seen that it [is] from the hand of God. 25 For who eateth and who hasteth out more than I? 26 For to a man who [is] good before Him, He hath given wisdom, and knowledge, and joy; and to a sinner He hath given travail, to gather and to heap up, to give to the good before God. Even this [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.

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