and he himself hath gone into the wilderness a day's Journey, and cometh and sitteth under a certain retem-tree, and desireth his soul to die, and saith, 'Enough, now, O Jehovah, take my soul, for I am not better than my fathers.'

Why giveth He to the miserable light, and life to the bitter soul?

And my soul chooseth strangling, Death rather than my bones.

O that in Sheol Thou wouldest conceal me, Hide me till the turning of Thine anger, Set for me a limit, and remember me.

Cursed is the day in which I was born, The day that my mother bare me, Let it not be blessed!

And now, O Jehovah, take, I pray Thee, my soul from me, for better is my death than my life.'

for I am pressed by the two, having the desire to depart, and to be with Christ, for it is far better,

Work

I have seen all the works that have been done under the sun, and lo, the whole is vanity and vexation of spirit!

And again, I have seen under the sun the place of judgment -- there is the wicked; and the place of righteousness -- there is the wicked.

And a spirit hath lifted me up, and doth take me away, and I go bitterly, in the heat of my spirit, and the hand of Jehovah on me is strong.

Why dost Thou shew me iniquity, And perversity dost cause to behold? And spoiling and violence are before me, And there is strife, and contention doth lift itself up,

For

and I have looked on all my works that my hands have done, and on the labour that I have laboured to do, and lo, the whole is vanity and vexation of spirit, and there is no advantage under the sun!

Better is the sight of the eyes than the going of the soul. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.

Remember, I pray Thee, what is life-time? Wherefore in vain hast Thou created All the sons of men?

General references

Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher, Vanity of vanities: the whole is vanity.

And I am praising the dead who have already died above the living who are yet alive.

Vanity of vanities, said the preacher, the whole is vanity.