Again I looked and saw all the oppression that was taking place under the sun: I saw the tears of the oppressed— and they have no comforter; power was on the side of their oppressors— and they have no comforter.
And I declared that the dead, who had already died, are happier than the living, who are still alive. But better than both is he who has not yet been, who has not seen the evil that is done under the sun.
And I saw that all labor and all achievement spring from man’s envy of his neighbor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. The fool folds his hands and ruins himself. Better one handful with tranquillity than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind.
Again I saw something meaningless under the sun: There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother. There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth. “For whom am I toiling,” he asked, “and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?” This too is meaningless— a miserable business!
envy of his neighbor
Adam… I was talking with my kids (all teenagers) at the Sunday afternoon meal yesterday. I said, “I look forward to having a big mansion in heaven someday. A lot of our friends have big houses here on earth but I have been in youth ministry 22 years so my house here ain’t so big. =)” I told the kids, “Just wait though because my mansion will hopefully be pretty nice.” The kids said something about “our” mansion and I said, “Well, your rewards are going to be based on what you “chase with your life.” So chase things that are eternal. It turned in to an interesteing conversation.