The End of the Wise and the Fool

12 Then I turned myself to consider wisdom land madness and folly;

For what can the man do who succeeds the king?—

Only what he has already mdone.

13 Then I saw that wisdom nexcels folly

As light excels darkness.

14 oThe wise man’s eyes are in his head,

But the fool walks in darkness.

Yet I myself perceived

That pthe same event happens to them all.

15 So I said in my heart,

“As it happens to the fool,

It also happens to me,

And why was I then more wise?”

Then I said in my heart,

“This also is vanity.”

16 For there is qno more remembrance of the wise than of the fool forever,

Since all that now is will be forgotten in the days to come.

And how does a wise man die?

As the fool!

17 Therefore I hated life because the work that was done under the sun was distressing to me, for all is vanity and grasping for the wind.

18 Then I hated all my labor in which I had toiled under the sun, because rI must leave it to the man who will come after me. 19 And who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will rule over all my labor in which I toiled and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity. 20 Therefore I turned my heart and despaired of all the labor in which I had toiled under the sun. 21 For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, knowledge, and skill; yet he must leave his 8heritage to a man who has not labored for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. 22 sFor what has man for all his labor, and for the striving of his heart with which he has toiled under the sun? 23 For all his days are tsorrowful, and his work burdensome; even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity.

24 uNothing is better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that his soul should enjoy good in his labor. This also, I saw, was from the hand of God. 25 For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, 9more than I? 26 For God gives vwisdom and knowledge and joy to a man who is good in His sight; but to the sinner He gives the work of gathering and collecting, that whe may give to him who is good before God. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind.

Everything Has Its Time

3 To everything there is a season,

A atime for every purpose under heaven:

2 A time 1to be born,

And ba time to die;

A time to plant,

And a time to pluck what is planted;

3 A time to kill,

And a time to heal;

A time to break down,

And a time to build up;

4 A time to cweep,

And a time to laugh;

A time to mourn,

And a time to dance;

5 A time to cast away stones,

And a time to gather stones;

dA time to embrace,

And a time to refrain from embracing;

6 A time to gain,

And a time to lose;

A time to keep,

And a time to throw away;

7 A time to tear,

And a time to sew;

eA time to keep silence,

And a time to fspeak;

8 A time to love,

And a time to ghate;

A time of war,

And a time of peace.

The God-Given Task

9 hWhat profit has the worker from that in which he labors? 10 iI have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that jno one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.

12 I know that nothing is kbetter for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, 13 and also that levery man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God.

14 I know that whatever God does,

It shall be forever.

mNothing can be added to it,

And nothing taken from it.

God does it, that men should fear before Him.

15 nThat which is has already been,

And what is to be has already been;

And God 2requires an account of 3what is past.