What benefit can a worker ¹  gain from his toil? ² 

What benefit ¹  do people ²  get from all the effort which ³  they expend ⁴  on earth? ⁵ 

What does a man acquire from all his labor and from the anxiety that accompanies his toil on earth? ¹ 

Better is one handful with some rest than two hands full of toil ¹  and chasing the wind.

So I loathed all the fruit of ¹  my effort, ²  for which I worked so hard ³  on earth, ⁴  because ⁵  I must leave it ⁶  behind ⁷  in the hands of my successor. ⁸ 

and also that everyone should eat and drink, and find enjoyment in all his toil, for these things ¹  are a gift from God.

The toil of a stupid fool ¹  wears him out, ²  because he does not even know the way to the city. ³ 

He named him Noah, ¹  saying, “This one will bring us comfort ²  from our labor and from the painful toil of our hands because of the ground that the Lord has cursed.”

So we cried out to the Lord, the God of our ancestors, and he ¹  heard us and saw our humiliation, toil, and oppression.

Why do you worry about clothing? Think about how the flowers ¹  of the field grow; they do not work ²  or spin.

Consider how the flowers ¹  grow; they do not work ²  or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed like one of these!

in hard work and toil, ¹  through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, many times without food, in cold and without enough clothing. ² 

For you recall, brothers and sisters, ¹  our toil and drudgery: By working night and day so as not to impose a burden on any of you, we preached to you the gospel of God.

A man who is all alone with no companion, ¹  he has no children nor siblings; ²  yet there is no end to all his toil, and he ³  is never satisfied with riches. He laments, ⁴  “For whom am I toiling and depriving myself ⁵  of pleasure?” ⁶  This also is futile and a burdensome task! ⁷ 

This is another misfortune: ¹  Just as he came, so will he go. What did he gain from toiling for the wind?

So I began to despair ¹  about all the fruit of ²  my labor ³  for which I worked so hard ⁴  on earth. ⁵ 

and we did not eat anyone’s food without paying. ¹  Instead, in toil and drudgery we worked ²  night and day in order not to burden any of you.

In all hard work ¹  there is profit, but merely talking about it ²  only brings ³  poverty. ⁴ 

It is vain for you to rise early, come home late, and work so hard for your food. ¹  Yes, ²  he can provide for those whom he loves even when they sleep. ³ 

Simon ¹  answered, ²  “Master, ³  we worked hard all night and caught nothing! But at your word ⁴  I will lower ⁵  the nets.”