Enjoy Life In Spite of Its Injustices So I recommend the enjoyment of life, for there is nothing better on earth for a person to do except to eat, drink, and enjoy life. So joy will accompany him in his toil during the days of his life which God gives him on earth.
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17Surely, he ate in darkness every day of his life, and he suffered greatly with sickness and anger.
18Enjoy the Fruit of Your Labor I have seen personally what is the only beneficial and appropriate course of action for people: to eat and drink, and find enjoyment in all their hard work on earth during the few days of their life which God has given them, for this is their reward.
19To every man whom God has given wealth, and possessions, he has also given him the ability to eat from them, to receive his reward and to find enjoyment in his toil; these things are the gift of God.
20For 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.
17So I loathed life because what happens on earth seems awful to me; for all the benefits of wisdom are futile– like chasing the wind.
18Futility of Being a Workaholic So I loathed all the fruit of my effort, for which I worked so hard on earth, because I must leave it behind in the hands of my successor.
19Who knows if he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will be master over all the fruit of my labor for which I worked so wisely on earth! This also is futile!
20So I began to despair about all the fruit of my labor for which I worked so hard on earth.
21For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge, and skill; however, he must hand over the fruit of his labor as an inheritance to someone else who did not work for it. This also is futile, and an awful injustice!
22Painful Days and Restless Nights What does a man acquire from all his labor and from the anxiety that accompanies his toil on earth?
23For all day long his work produces pain and frustration, and even at night his mind cannot relax! This also is futile!
24Enjoy Work and its Benefits There is nothing better for people than to eat and drink, and to find enjoyment in their work. I also perceived that this ability to find enjoyment comes from God.
25For no one can eat and drink or experience joy apart from him.
26For to the one who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy, but to the sinner, he gives the task of amassing wealth– only to give it to the one who pleases God. This task of the wicked is futile– like chasing the wind!
12Enjoy Life in the Present I have concluded that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to enjoy themselves as long as they live,
13and also that everyone should eat and drink, and find enjoyment in all his toil, for these things are a gift from God.
22So I perceived there is nothing better than for people to enjoy their work, because that is their reward; for who can show them what the future holds?
7Life is Brief, so Cherish its Joys Go, eat your food with joy, and drink your wine with a happy heart, because God has already approved your works.
9Enjoy life with your beloved wife during all the days of your fleeting life that God has given you on earth during all your fleeting days; for that is your reward in life and in your burdensome work on earth.
10Whatever you find to do with your hands, do it with all your might, because there is neither work nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom in the grave, the place where you will eventually go.
1Futility of Self-Indulgent Pleasure I thought to myself,“Come now, I will try self-indulgent pleasure to see if it is worthwhile.” But I found that it also is futile.
2I said of partying,“It is folly,” and of self-indulgent pleasure,“It accomplishes nothing!”
3I thought deeply about the effects of indulging myself with wine(all the while my mind was guiding me with wisdom) and the effects of behaving foolishly, so that I might discover what is profitable for people to do on earth during the few days of their lives.
7Life Should Be Enjoyed Because Death is Inevitable Light is sweet, and it is pleasant for a person to see the sun.
8So, if a man lives many years, let him rejoice in them all, but let him remember that the days of darkness will be many– all that is about to come is obscure.
9Enjoy Life to the Fullest under the Fear of God Rejoice, young man, while you are young, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Follow the impulses of your heart and the desires of your eyes, but know that God will judge your motives and actions.
10I did not restrain myself from getting whatever I wanted; I did not deny myself anything that would bring me pleasure. So all my accomplishments gave me joy; this was my reward for all my effort.
11Yet when I reflected on everything I had accomplished and on all the effort that I had expended to accomplish it, I concluded:“All these achievements and possessions are ultimately profitless– like chasing the wind! There is nothing gained from them on earth.”
11The more one argues with words, the less he accomplishes. How does that benefit him?
12For no one knows what is best for a person during his life– during the few days of his fleeting life– for they pass away like a shadow. Nor can anyone tell him what the future will hold for him on earth.
15All the days of the afflicted are bad, but one with a cheerful heart has a continual feast.
16Limitations of Human Wisdom When I tried to gain wisdom and to observe the activity on earth– even though it prevents anyone from sleeping day or night–
17then I discerned all that God has done: No one really comprehends what happens on earth. Despite all human efforts to discover it, no one can ever grasp it. Even if a wise person claimed that he understood, he would not really comprehend it.
19Feasts are made for laughter, and wine makes life merry, but money is the answer for everything.
3Futility Illustrated from Nature What benefit do people get from all the effort which they expend on earth?
15as well as wine that makes people feel so good, and so they can have oil to make their faces shine, as well as food that sustains people’s lives.
14In times of prosperity be joyful, but in times of adversity consider this: God has made one as well as the other, so that no one can discover what the future holds.
2It is better to go to a funeral than a feast. For death is the destiny of every person, and the living should take this to heart.
14Here is another enigma that occurs on earth: Sometimes there are righteous people who get what the wicked deserve, and sometimes there are wicked people who get what the righteous deserve. I said,“This also is an enigma.”
13But look, there is outright celebration! You say,“Kill the ox and slaughter the sheep, eat meat and drink wine. Eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”
3But better than both is the one who has not been born and has not seen the evil things that are done on earth.
7All of man’s labor is for nothing more than to fill his stomach– yet his appetite is never satisfied!
13I decided to carefully and thoroughly examine all that has been accomplished on earth. I concluded: God has given people a burdensome task that keeps them occupied.
14I reflected on everything that is accomplished by man on earth, and I concluded: Everything he has accomplished is futile– like chasing the wind!
13Even in laughter the heart may ache, and the end of joy may be grief.
8Concluding Refrain: Qoheleth Restates His Thesis“Absolutely futile!” laments the Teacher,“All of these things are futile!”
31rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth, and delighting in its people.
19And I will say to myself,“You have plenty of goods stored up for many years; relax, eat, drink, celebrate!”’
7Labor Motivated by Greed So I again considered another futile thing on earth:
10I have observed the burden that God has given to people to keep them occupied.