and ran for a day's journey deep into the wilderness. He found a juniper tree, sat down under it, and prayed that he could die. He asked God, "Enough! LORD! Take my life, because I'm not better than my ancestors!"

"Why does God give light to the sufferer or life to the bitter person:

I would rather die by strangulation than continue living.

"Won't you keep me safe in the afterlife? Conceal me until your anger subsides. Set an appointment for me, then remember me.

Let the day on which I was born be cursed. Don't let the day on which my mother gave birth to me be blessed.

Therefore, LORD, please kill me, because it's better for me to die than to live!"

Indeed, I cannot decide between the two. I have the desire to leave this life and be with the Messiah, for that is far better.

Work

I observed every activity done on earth. My conclusion: all of it is pointless like chasing after the wind.

I also examined on earth: where the halls of justice were supposed to be, there was lawlessness; and where the righteous were supposed to be, there was lawlessness. 17I told myself, "God will judge both the righteous and the wicked, because there is a time set to judge every event and every work."

Then the Spirit lifted me up and carried me away. I went bitterly with an angry attitude as the hand of the LORD rested on me.

Why are you forcing me to look at iniquity and to stare at wickedness? Social havoc and oppression are all around me; there are legal conflicts, and disputes abound.

For

Then I examined all of my accomplishments that I had brought about by my own efforts, including the work that I had labored so hard to complete and it was all pointless, like chasing after the wind, and there was nothing to be gained on earth.

It is better to focus on what you can see than to meander after your self-interest; this also is pointless and a chasing after wind.

Remember how short my lifetime is! How powerless have you created all human beings!

General references

"Utterly pointless," says the Teacher. "Absolutely pointless; everything is pointless."

So I commended the dead who had already died as being happier than the living who are still alive.

"Utterly pointless," says the Teacher. "Everything is pointless."