I accomplished great things. I built myself houses and planted vineyards.

I dug ponds to irrigate them.

I also piled up silver and gold from the royal treasuries of the lands I ruled. Men and women sang to entertain me, and I had all the women a man could want.

I determined that I would examine and study all the things that are done in this world. God has laid a miserable fate upon us.

But better off than either are those who have never been born, who have never seen the injustice that goes on in this world.

Here is what I have found out: the best thing we can do is eat and drink and enjoy what we have worked for during the short life that God has given us; this is our fate.

Enjoy life with the one you love, as long as you live the useless life that God has given you in this world. Enjoy every useless day of it, because that is all you will get for all your trouble.

God gives wisdom, knowledge, and happiness to those who please him, but he makes sinners work, earning and saving, so that what they get can be given to those who please him. It is all useless. It is like chasing the wind.

Here is a terrible thing that I have seen in this world: people save up their money for a time when they may need it,

and then lose it all in some bad deal and end up with nothing left to pass on to their children.

and said to him, "Because you have deliberately broken your covenant with me and disobeyed my commands, I promise that I will take the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your officials.

And I will not take the whole kingdom away from him; instead, I will leave him one tribe for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city I have made my own."

save me from those who in this life have all they want. Punish them with the sufferings you have stored up for them; may there be enough for their children and some left over for their children's children!

no more than a shadow. All we do is for nothing; we gather wealth, but don't know who will get it.

Anyone can see that even the wise die, as well as the foolish and stupid. They all leave their riches to their descendants.

But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night you will have to give up your life; then who will get all these things you have kept for yourself ? ' "

The rich man said, 'Then I beg you, father Abraham, send Lazarus to my father's house,

where I have five brothers. Let him go and warn them so that they, at least, will not come to this place of pain.'

I know that after I leave, fierce wolves will come among you, and they will not spare the flock.

The time will come when some men from your own group will tell lies to lead the believers away after them.

Using the gift that God gave me, I did the work of an expert builder and laid the foundation, and someone else is building on it. But each of you must be careful how you build.