Quotes About Purpose

What does a man gain from all his labor, at which he toils under the sun?

And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a heavy burden God has laid upon the sons of men to occupy them!

I said of laughter, “It is folly,” and of pleasure, “What does it accomplish?”

I sought to cheer my body with wine and to embrace folly—my mind still guiding me with wisdom—until I could see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives.

Yet when I considered all the works that my hands had accomplished and what I had toiled to achieve, I found everything to be futile, a pursuit of the wind; there was nothing to be gained under the sun.

Then I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly; for what more can the kingís successor do than what has already been accomplished?

So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. For everything is futile and a pursuit of the wind.

I hated all for which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who comes after me.

So my heart began to despair over all the labor that I had done under the sun.

For what does a man get for all the toil and striving with which he labors under the sun?

Nothing is better for a man than to eat and drink and enjoy his work. I have also seen that this is from the hand of God.

For apart from Him, who can eat and who can find enjoyment?

To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven:

a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,

a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to break down and a time to build,

What does the worker gain from his toil?

I have seen the burden that God has laid upon the sons of men to occupy them.

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men, yet they cannot fathom the work that God has done from beginning to end.

I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and do good while they live,

and also that every man should eat and drink and find satisfaction in all his labor—this is the gift of God.

I know that everything God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it or taken from it. God does it so that they should fear Him.

What exists has already been, and what will be has already been, for God will call to account what has passed.

I said in my heart, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked, since there is a time for every activity and every deed.”

I said to myself, “As for the sons of men, God tests them so that they may see for themselves that they are but beasts.”