Translation
And who knows if he will be wise or a fool?
And yet he will
rule over all my labor at which I toiled so wisely
Go to footnote numberunder the sun.
This too is like a vapor.
Go to footnote numberParaphrase
And one cannot be sure whether this successor will be wise about how he uses what has been left to him, or be foolish about it, and yet he will have complete rule over everything I have worked so hard to achieve while here on earth. I have done so wisely but there is no guarantee he will not squander it all away. This is another example of how our efforts are like a vapor.
Footnotes
1
The reason he inserts the word “wisely” into this sentence is to emphasize his fear that the one who follows him might not be able to maintain forward momentum, and may not be able to hold things together. My mental picture of Solomon’s kingdom is one in which many things depended on Solomon’s decision-making skills. Since Solomon’s wisdom was unmatched, it was a legitimate concern to think that his successor would not have the same decision-making ability.
2: “like a vapor”
Our accomplishments are like a vapor in that A: they Accomplish nothing lasting, S: they are Short-lived at best, and S: and they are not Solid, but rather are transitory and shifty.