en_tn/ecc/02/21.md

# who works with wisdom, with knowledge, and skill

"who works wisely and skillfully, using the things that he has learned"

# who has not made any of it

"who has not worked for any of it"

# vapor

"mist." The author speaks of useless and meaningless things as if they were "vapor." See how you translated this in [Ecclesiastes 1:14](../01/12.md). AT: "as useless as vapor" or "meaningless" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])

# a great tragedy

"a great disaster"

# For what profit does the person gain who works so hard and tries in his heart to complete his labors under the sun?

The author uses a rhetorical question to emphasize that the man who works hard gains nothing. Translate "what profit does ... gain" as you did in [Ecclesiastes 1:3](../01/01.md). AT: "For the person who works so hard and tries in his heart to complete his labors under the sun gains nothing." (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion]])

# works so hard and tries in his heart

These two phrases mean basically the same thing and emphasize how strenuously the person works. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-parallelism]])

# tries in his heart

This is an idiom. AT: "tries anxiously" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]])

# under the sun

This refers to things that are done on earth. See how you translated this in [Ecclesiastes 1:3](../01/01.md). AT: "on the earth" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]])

# painful and stressful

These two words mean basically the same thing and emphasize how difficult the person's work is. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-doublet]])

# his soul does not find rest

Here man's mind is referred to as his "soul" to emphasize his deep thoughts. AT: "his mind does not rest" or "he continues to worry" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy]])