24 (A)There is nothing better for a person than that he should (B)eat and drink and find enjoyment[a] in his toil. This also, I saw, is (C)from the hand of God, 25 for apart from him[b] who can eat or who can have enjoyment? 26 For to the one who pleases him (D)God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given (E)the business of gathering and collecting, (F)only to give to one who pleases God. (G)This also is vanity and a striving after wind.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Ecclesiastes 2:24 Or and make his soul see good
  2. Ecclesiastes 2:25 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts apart from me

24 A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink(A) and find satisfaction in their own toil.(B) This too, I see, is from the hand of God,(C) 25 for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?(D) 26 To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom,(E) knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth(F) to hand it over to the one who pleases God.(G) This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

Read full chapter