Ecclesiastes 2:15-17

The Message

^15-16 When I realized that my fate’s the same as the fool’s, I had to ask myself, “So why bother being wise?” It’s all smoke, nothing but smoke. The smart and the stupid both disappear out of sight. In a day or two they’re both forgotten. Yes, both the smart and the stupid die, and that’s it.

¹⁷ I hate life. As far as I can see, what happens on earth is a bad business. It’s smoke—and spitting into the wind.