Ecclesiastes 3:16-4:8
Moreover I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, wickedness was
there, and in the place of righteousness, wickedness was there as well. I
said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for he has
appointed a time for every matter, and for every work. I said in my heart
with regard to human beings that God is testing them to show that they are
but animals. For the fate of humans and the fate of animals is the same;
as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and humans
have no advantage over the animals; for all is vanity. All go to one
place; all are from the dust, and all turn to dust again. Who knows
whether the human spirit goes upward and the spirit of animals goes
downward to the earth? So I saw that there is nothing better than that
all should enjoy their work, for that is their lot; who can bring them to
see what will be after them?
Again I saw all the oppressions that are practiced under the sun. Look,
the tears of the oppressed — with no one to comfort them! On the side of
their oppressors there was power — with no one to comfort them. And I
thought the dead, who have already died, more fortunate than the living,
who are still alive; but better than both is the one who has not yet been,
and has not seen the evil deeds that are done under the sun.
Then I saw that all toil and all skill in work come from one person's envy
of another. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind.
Fools fold their hands
and consume their own flesh.
Better is a handful with quiet
than two handfuls with toil,
and a chasing after wind.
Again, I saw vanity under the sun: the case of solitary individuals,
without sons or brothers; yet there is no end to all their toil, and their
eyes are never satisfied with riches. "For whom am I toiling," they ask,
"and depriving myself of pleasure?" This also is vanity and an unhappy
business.
