10 And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour.
and all my eyes desired I kept not from them, nor did I deny my heart even one of all its joys: for this heart of mine did rejoice in my toils, and this was what I procured for all my toil.
(10.) And all which asked mine eyes I did not restrain (or keep back; see Genesis xxvii. 36, Numbers xi. 17, for the meaning, the only other instances where it occurs in Kal.) from them (emphatic), I did not deny my heart from all rejoicing, for my heart rejoiced from all my toil (i.e. there was a certain kind of pleasure derived from doing all this), and this was my portion (‘lot’ or ‘inheritance’ from all my toil; equal to our ‘this was all I obtained for my pains’).
11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.
So I turned to look on all my work my hand had wrought, and all my toil which I had moiled and done, and lo! that ALL was——evanescent, and vexation of spirit, and nothing of profit in this hot work-day world.
(11.) I turned myself (פנה differs from סבב; the former is ‘to turn round in order to look,’ the latter is to ‘go round in order to do.’ The distinction is not without importance) in all my works which worked my hands, and in my toil which I had toiled to work (notice the occurrence of these words——work, work, toil, toil), and behold (a manifest and indisputable conclusion) the whole was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was nothing of profit (i.e. over and above the slight amount of present pleasure which he obtained) under the sun. (It is especially worthy of remark that while Koheleth found some small pleasure in work, he found none from it. Take, oh men, to your curse kindly, but a curse it is!)