Again I saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun. And behold, the tears of the oppressed, and they had no one to comfort them! On the side of their oppressors there was power, and there was no one to comfort them. And I thought the dead who are already dead more fortunate than the living who are still alive. But better than both is he who has not yet been and has not seen the evil deeds that are done under the sun.
Then I saw that all toil and all skill in work come from a man’s envy of his neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.
The fool folds his hands and eats his own flesh.
Better is a handful of quietness than two hands full of toil and a striving after wind.
Again, I saw vanity under the sun: one person who has no other, either son or brother, yet there is no end to all his toil, and his eyes are never satisfied with riches, so that he never asks, “For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?” This also is vanity and an unhappy business.
Comment: I remember on returning to Ethiopia, after the overcome of communism, seeing people living in cardboard humpies on the roadside; I saw people crawling out of sewers in the morning after sheltering from the cold of the night. I remember going into a diplomat’s house with everything anyone could want including servants for whom they just clapped their hands but didn’t speak to them. Solomon in his fantastic wealth at least saw the oppressed. I trust that in Solomon’s position as Judge and Ruler, he did something about it. Does ‘The fool folds his hands and eats his own flesh.’ refer to considering suicide? We see clearly despair, loneliness, thoughts of death!
Then with a change Solomon introduces thoughts about work; workers driven by envy; workers striving, striving, striving, but all alone with noone to whom to pass their gained wealth; a pointless life which passes like a mist into the future. ‘Why not enjoy a healthy life, why not mix work with pleasure’ he says.
Prayer: Teach me to care practically, my Father.
As I read it! 