Study Desk

All that my eyes asked for I did not refuse them. I did not withhold my heart from any gladness, for my heart was glad because of all my labor, and this was my reward for all my labor.

For there is no remembrance of the wise man along with the fool forever, inasmuch as in the coming days all will be forgotten. And how the wise man dies with the fool!

So I hated life, for the work which had been done under the sun was grievous to me; because everything is vanity and striving after wind.

Thus I hated all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun, for I must leave it to the man who will come after me.

And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a man of simpleminded folly? Yet he will have power over all the fruit of my labor for which I have labored and for which I have acted wisely under the sun. This too is vanity.

Therefore I turned my heart to despair of all my labor for which I had labored under the sun.

For what does a man get in all his labor and in the striving of his heart with which he labors under the sun?

There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and have his soul see good in his labor. This also I have seen that it is from the hand of God.

For who can eat and who can have enjoyment outside of Him?

For to a man who is good before Him, He has given wisdom and knowledge and gladness, while to the sinner He has given the endeavor of gathering and collecting so that he may give to one who is good before God. This too is vanity and striving after wind.

There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every matter under heaven—

A time to love and a time to hate;A time for war and a time for peace.

I know that there is nothing better for them than to be glad and to do good in one's lifetime;

I said in my heart, "God will judge both the righteous man and the wicked man," for a time for every matter and for every work is there.

I said in my heart concerning the sons of men, "God is testing them in order for them to see that they are but beasts."

For the fate of the sons of men and the fate of beasts is the same fate for each of them. As one dies so dies the other, and they all have the same breath. So there is no advantage for man over beast, for all is vanity.

I have seen that nothing is better than that man should be glad in his works, for that is his portion. For who will bring him to see what will occur after him?

There was a certain man without a second man, having neither a son nor a brother, yet there was no end to all his labor. Indeed, his eyes were not satisfied with riches—"And for whom am I laboring and depriving myself of good?" This too is vanity, and it is a grievous endeavor.

Two are better than one because they have good wages for their labor.

For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not a second one to lift him up.