from men, by Your hand, O Jehovah, from men of the world whose portion is in this life, and their belly You fill with Your hidden things; they are satisfied with sons, and will leave their riches to their babes.
And I gave my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all which is done under the heavens. It is an evil task God has given to the sons of men, to be afflicted by it.
Then I faced on all my works that my hands had done, and on the labor that I had labored to do. And, behold, all is vanity and striving after wind, and there is no profit under the sun.
When there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, and with knowledge, and with success, yet he shall give it to a man who has not labored with it, for his share; this also is vanity and a great evil.
For God gives wisdom, and knowledge and joy to a man who is good in His sight. But to the sinner He gives the task of gathering and to heap up, to give to him who is good before God. This also is vanity and striving after wind.
And I have seen that nothing is better than that the man should rejoice in his works; for that is his portion; for who can bring him to see what shall be after him?
Behold that which I have seen: It is good, it is beautiful, to eat and to drink and to see good in all his labor that the laborer does under the sun, the number of the days of his life which God gives to him, for it is his portion.
Look on life with the wife whom you love all the days of the life of your vanity, which He gave you under the sun, all the days of your vanity. For that is your portion in this life, and in your labor which you as a laborer do under the sun.
According to God’s grace given to me, as a wise master builder, I laid a foundation, but another builds on it. But let each one look how he builds on it.