Ecclesiastes 2:11, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 26

But then I looked at what I had done, and I thought about all the hard work. Suddenly I realized it was useless, like chasing the wind. There is nothing to gain from anything we do here on earth.

I thought to myself, “What happens to a fool will happen to me, too, so what is the reward for being wise?” I said to myself, “Being wise is also useless.”

So I hated life. It made me sad to think that everything here on earth is useless, like chasing the wind.

Someone else will control everything for which I worked so hard here on earth, and I don’t know if he will be wise or foolish. This is also useless.

People can work hard using all their wisdom, knowledge, and skill, but they will die, and other people will get the things for which they worked. They did not do the work, but they will get everything. This is also unfair and useless.

All of their lives their work is full of pain and sorrow, and even at night their minds don’t rest. This is also useless.

If people please God, God will give them wisdom, knowledge, and joy. But sinners will get only the work of gathering and storing wealth that they will have to give to the ones who please God. So all their work is useless, like chasing the wind.