15 Then said I in my lev, As the mikreh befalls the kesil, so also will the same mikreh befall me; and wherein have I then been of more chochmah? Then I said in my lev, This also is hevel.
16 For no zichron (remembrance) of the chacham---no less the kesil--remains l'olam; seeing that in hayamim haba'im (the days to come) all shall be forgotten. How can the chacham die just like the kesil?
17 Therefore I hated HaChayyim (Life); because the ma'aseh that is wrought under the shemesh is grievous unto me; for all is hevel and chasing after ruach.
18 Yea, I hated all my amal for which I had toiled under the shemesh; because I must leave it unto the adam that shall occupy my place after me.
19 And who hath da'as whether he shall be a chacham or a kesil? Nevertheless shall he have shlitah (control, authority) over all my amal for which I have toiled, and have poured out my chochmah under the shemesh. This also is hevel.
20 Therefore I turned aside to give up my lev to despair over all the wearisome amal with which I toiled under the shemesh.
21 For there is an adam whose amal is with chochmah, and da'as, and kishron (skill); yet to an adam that hath not worked for it he must leave it for his chelek. This also is hevel and a ra'ah rabbah.