¹² And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been already done. ¹³ Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.

¹⁴ The wise man's eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all. ¹⁵ Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity. ¹⁶ For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise man? as the fool. ¹⁷ Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous to me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

¹⁸ Yes, I hated all my labor which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it to the man that shall be after me. ¹⁹ And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labor in which I have labored, and in which I have showed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity. ²⁰ Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labor which I took under the sun. ²¹ For there is a man whose labor is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not labored in it, shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil. ²² For what hath man of all his labor, and of the vexation of his heart, in which he hath labored under the sun? ²³ For all his days are sorrows, and his labor grief; yes, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.