The Bible's Conclusion: Eat, Drink, and Be Merry

After cataloging the meaninglessness of wisdom, labor, pleasure, and justice — after watching the righteous perish and the wicked prosper — the Teacher reaches a conclusion that appears nine times in the book: 'There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil.' Not because life is good, but because it is all there is. 'The dead know nothing; they have no further reward, and even their name is forgotten.' 'Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.' The book is in the Bible. No one is sure why.