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13 Then I saw that wisdom excels folly, just as light excels darkness. 14 The wise man's eyes are in his head; but the fool walks in darkness; and I myself perceived also that one misfortune happens to them all. 15 Then I said in my heart, The misfortune of the fool will happen to me also; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, This also is vanity. 16 The fool speaks superficially, but there is no remembrance of the wise man more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now is, in the days to come shall be forgotten. And just as the wise man dies, so 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 Yea, I hated all my labor with which I had labored under the sun because I must leave it to the man who shall come after me. 19 And who knows whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have rule over all my labor wherein I have labored, and wherein I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity. 20 Therefore I changed my view concerning all the toil in which I had labored under the sun. 21 There is a man who labors with wisdom and knowledge and success; and yet he leaves his portion to a man who has not labored for it. This also is vanity and a great misfortune. 22 For what profit shall a man have of all his labor and of the desire of his heart wherein he has labored under the sun? 23 For all his days are full of sorrows, and his travail is grief; yea, even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity. 24 There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labor. This also I saw, that it is from the hand of the LORD. 25 For who can eat or who can drink except he? 26 For, to a man who is good in his presence, God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy; but to the sinner he gives toil, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him who is good in the presence of the LORD. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit, Ecclesiastes 2:13-26, Lamsa Bible. Public domain.
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