Ecclesiastes 2:18-23

¹⁸And I hated everything I''d accomplished and accumulated on this earth. I can''t take it with me--no, I have to leave it to whoever comes after me.

¹⁹Whether they''re worthy or worthless--and who''s to tell?-they''ll take over the earthly results of my intense thinking and hard work. Smoke.

²⁰That''s when I called it quits, gave up on anything that could be hoped for on this earth.

²¹What''s the point of working your fingers to the bone if you hand over what you worked for to someone who never lifted a finger for it? Smoke, that''s what it is. A bad business from start to finish.

²²So what do you get from a life of hard labor?

²³Pain and grief from dawn to dusk. Never a decent night''s rest. Nothing but smoke.