What benefit can a worker gain from his toil?

What exists now is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; there is nothing truly new on earth.

The sun rises and the sun sets; it hurries away to a place from which it rises again.

Whatever exists now has already been, and whatever will be has already been; for God will seek to do again what has occurred in the past.

The produce of the land is seized by all of them, even the king is served by the fields.

Even when a fool walks along the road he lacks sense, and shows everyone what a fool he is.

Is there anything about which someone can say, “Look at this! It is new!”? It was already done long ago, before our time.

So I decided to discern the benefit of wisdom and knowledge over foolish behavior and ideas; however, I concluded that even this endeavor is like trying to chase the wind!

I thought to myself, “Come now, I will try self-indulgent pleasure to see if it is worthwhile.” But I found that it also is futile.

For all day long his work produces pain and frustration, and even at night his mind cannot relax! This also is futile!

So I perceived there is nothing better than for people to enjoy their work, because that is their reward; for who can show them what the future holds?

Whatever has happened was foreordained, and what happens to a person was also foreknown. It is useless for him to argue with God about his fate because God is more powerful than he is.

It is better to go to a funeral than a feast. For death is the destiny of every person, and the living should take this to heart.

But whoever is among the living has hope; a live dog is better than a dead lion.

However, a poor but wise man lived in the city, and he could have delivered the city by his wisdom, but no one listened to that poor man.

I decided to carefully and thoroughly examine all that has been accomplished on earth. I concluded: God has given people a burdensome task that keeps them occupied.

I also know that whatever God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it, and nothing taken away from it. God has made it this way, so that men will fear him.

I have seen personally what is the only beneficial and appropriate course of action for people: to eat and drink, and find enjoyment in all their hard work on earth during the few days of their life which God has given them, for this is their reward.

God gives a man riches, property, and wealth so that he lacks nothing that his heart desires, yet God does not enable him to enjoy the fruit of his labor – instead, someone else enjoys it! This is fruitless and a grave misfortune.

Enjoy life with your beloved wife during all the days of your fleeting life that God has given you on earth during all your fleeting days; for that is your reward in life and in your burdensome work on earth.