What does a man acquire from all his labor and from the anxiety that accompanies his toil on earth?

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.

The fool folds his hands and does no work, so he has nothing to eat but his own flesh.

When someone's prosperity increases, those who consume it also increase; so what does its owner gain, except that he gets to see it with his eyes?

For he does not think much about the fleeting days of his life because God keeps him preoccupied with the joy he derives from his activity.

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.

if he should live a thousand years twice, yet does not enjoy his prosperity. For both of them die!

So what advantage does a wise man have over a fool? And what advantage does a pauper gain by knowing how to survive?

The more one argues with words, the less he accomplishes. How does that benefit him?

For there is not one truly righteous person on the earth who continually does good and never sins.

Again, I observed this on the earth: the race is not always won by the swiftest, the battle is not always won by the strongest; prosperity does not always belong to those who are the wisest, wealth does not always belong to those who are the most discerning, nor does success always come to those with the most knowledge -- for time and chance may overcome them all.

If an iron axhead is blunt and a workman does not sharpen its edge, he must exert a great deal of effort; so wisdom has the advantage of giving success.

The toil of a stupid fool wears him out, because he does not even know the way to the city.