Anyone who loves money never has enough. Anyone who loves wealth is never satisfied with what they get. That doesn’t have any meaning either.As more and more goods are made, more and more people use them up. So how can those goods benefit their owners? All they can do is look at them with desire.The sleep of a worker is sweet. It doesn’t matter whether they eat a little or a lot. But the wealth of rich people keeps them awake at night.
I hated everything I had worked for on earth. I’ll have to leave all of it to someone who lives after me.And who knows whether that person will be wise or foolish? Either way, they’ll take over everything on earth I’ve worked so hard for. That doesn’t have any meaning either.So I began to lose hope because of all my hard work on this earth.A person might use wisdom, knowledge and skill to do their work. But then they have to leave everything they own to someone who hasn’t worked for it. That doesn’t have any meaning either. In fact, it isn’t fair.What do people get for all their hard work on earth? What do they get for all their worries?As long as they live, their work is nothing but pain and sorrow. Even at night their minds can’t rest. That doesn’t have any meaning either.
I gave myself everything my eyes wanted. There wasn’t any pleasure that I refused to give myself. I took delight in everything I did. And that was what I got for all my work.But then I looked over everything my hands had done. I saw what I had worked so hard to get. And nothing had any meaning. It was like chasing the wind. Nothing was gained on this earth.
