And he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he begged for his life, that he might die. And he said, It is enough. O Jehovah, take away my life. For I am no better than my fathers.

Why is light given to one who is in misery, and life to the bitter in soul,

so that my soul chooses strangling, death rather than my life.

Who will grant that You would hide me in the grave, that You would keep me secret, until Your wrath is past, that You would set me a fixed time and remember me?

Cursed is the day in which I was born; let not the day in which my mother bore me be blessed.

And now, O Jehovah, I beseech You, take my life from me. For better is my death than my life.

For I am pressed together by the two: having a desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is far better.

Work

I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

And again I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that wickedness was there.

So the Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; but the hand of Jehovah was strong on me.

Why do You show me evil, and You look on toil? For destruction and violence are before me; and there is strife, and contention rises up.

For

Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done, and on the labor that I had labored to do; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit; and there is no profit under the sun.

Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire. This is also vanity and vexation of spirit.

Remember, I pray, how short my time is; why have You made all men in vain?

General references

Vanity of vanities, says the preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity.

And I commended the dead who already have died, more than the living who are living now.

Vanity of vanities, says the preacher; all is vanity.