Translation
Better
Go to footnote numberis one full hand with rest,
than both hands full of toil and chasing after the wind.
Go to footnote numberParaphrase
It is better to have just enough to live on and live a peaceful, calm lifestyle, than to have more than enough but live a life characterized by troublesome toil and the frustration of pursuing a constantly moving target.
Footnotes
1: “Better”
When he compared the achievers with those who barely get by, he concluded that the lifestyle of those who barely get by is less stressful. We may look at that and question the validity of such a statement because it is stressful to have bills and not be able to pay them. However, having lived in third world countries I have seen many times that people who live off the land, just barely above survival, work hard but they value relationships and have time for people. Their lives do not seem rushed; they do what they can and trust God for the outcome. In contrast many Americans live stressed-out lives because they have accumulated more debt and taken on more monthly bills than they can pay. Rather than trusting in God they trust in debt. They got themselves into that mess because selfishness causes us to reach for things we can’t really afford, and easy credit makes all this frustration way too easy.
2: “Chasing after the wind”
When we strive for great achievements and want to be famous it will seem like our goal is always just a little bit further away. No matter what we achieve, we will never be satisfied. This is human nature, and Solomon had experienced this firsthand. But after his favorite wife died, he learned how futile such selfish striving is.