When I gave my mind to the knowledge of wisdom and to seeing the business which is done on the earth and there are those whose eyes see not sleep by day or by night,
It is of no use for you to get up early, and to go late to your rest, with the bread of sorrow for your food; for the Lord gives to his loved ones in sleep.
It is one who is by himself, without a second, and without son or brother; but there is no end to all his work, and he has never enough of wealth. For whom, then, am I working and keeping myself from pleasure? This again is to no purpose, and a bitter work.
I gave my mind to knowledge and to searching for wisdom and the reason of things, and to the discovery that sin is foolish, and that to be foolish is to be without one's senses.
All this have I seen, and have given my heart to all the work which is done under the sun: there is a time when man has power over man for his destruction.