Ecclesiastes 2
1 I said in my heart, Come now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure. And, behold, this also was vanity.
I said in mine heart, Goe to nowe, I will proue thee with ioy: therefore take thou pleasure in pleasant things: and beholde, this also is vanitie.
2 I said of laughter, It is mad, and of mirth, What does it do?
I saide of laughter, Thou art mad: and of ioy, What is this that thou doest?
3 I searched in my heart how to cheer my flesh with wine (my heart yet guiding me with wisdom), and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what it was good for the sons of men that they should do under heaven all the days of their life.
I sought in mine heart to giue my selfe to wine, and to leade mine heart in wisdome, and to take holde of follie, till I might see where is that goodnesse of the children of men, which they enioy vnder the sunne: the whole nomber of the dayes of their life.
4 I made for me great works. I built for me houses. I planted for me vineyards.
I haue made my great workes: I haue built me houses: I haue planted me vineyards.
5 I made for me gardens and parks, and I planted trees in them of all kinds of fruit.
I haue made me gardens and orchards, and planted in them trees of all fruite.
6 I made for me pools of water, to water from there the forest where trees were reared.
I haue made me cisternes of water, to water therewith the woods that growe with trees.
7 I bought men-servants and maid-servants, and had servants born in my house. I also had great possessions of herds and flocks, above all who were before me in Jerusalem.
I haue gotten seruants and maides, and had children borne in the house: also I had great possession of beeues and sheepe aboue all that were before me in Ierusalem.
8 I also gathered for me silver and gold, and the treasure of kings and of the provinces. I got for me men-singers and women-singers, and the luxuries of the sons of men, and a wife and wives.
I haue gathered vnto me also siluer and gold, and the chiefe treasures of Kings and prouinces: I haue prouided me men singers and women singers, and the delites of the sonnes of men, as a woman taken captiue, and women taken captiues.
9 So I was great, and increased more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me.
And I was great, and increased aboue all that were before me in Ierusalem: also my wisedome remained with me.
10 And whatever my eyes desired I kept not from them. I did not withhold my heart from any joy. For my heart rejoiced because of all my labor, and this was my portion from all my labor.
And whatsoeuer mine eyes desired, I withheld it not from them: I withdrew not mine heart from any ioy: for mine heart reioyced in al my labour: and this was my portion of all my trauaile.
11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labor that I had labored to do, and, behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was no profit under the sun.
Then I looked on all my workes that mine hands had wrought, and on the trauaile that I had laboured to doe: and beholde, all is vanitie and vexation of the spirit: and there is no profite vnder the sunne.
12 And I turned myself to behold wisdom and madness and folly. For what can the man do who comes after the king? Even that which has been done long ago.
And I turned to beholde wisedome, and madnes and follie: (for who is the man that will come after the King in things, which men nowe haue done?)
13 Then I saw that wisdom excels folly as far as light excels darkness.
Then I saw that there is profite in wisdome, more then in follie: as the light is more excellent then darkenes.
14 The wise man's eyes are in his head, and the fool walks in darkness. And yet I perceived that one event happens to them all.
For the wise mans eyes are in his head, but the foole walketh in darknes: yet I know also that the same condition falleth to them all.
15 Then I said in my heart, As it happens to the fool, so it will happen even to me, and why then was I more wise? Then I said in my heart that this also is vanity.
Then I thought in mine heart, It befalleth vnto me, as it befalleth to ye foole. Why therefore doe I then labour to be more wise? And I sayd in mine heart, that this also is vanitie.
16 For of the wise man, even as of the fool, there is no remembrance forever, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. And how the wise man dies even as the fool!
For there shalbe no remembrance of the wise, nor of the foole for euer: for that that now is, in the dayes to come shall all be forgotten. And howe dyeth the wise man, as doeth the foole?
17 So I hated life, because the work that is wrought under the sun was grievous to me. For all is vanity and a striving after wind.
Therefore I hated life: for the worke that is wrought vnder the sunne is grieuous vnto me: for all is vanitie, and vexation of the spirit.
18 And I hated all my labor in which I labored under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who shall be after me.
I hated also all my labour, wherein I had trauailed vnder the sunne, which I shall leaue to the man that shalbe after me.
19 And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have rule over all my labor in which I have labored, and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity.
And who knoweth whether he shalbe wise or foolish? yet shall hee haue rule ouer all my labour, wherein I haue trauailed, and wherein I haue shewed my selfe wise vnder the sunne. This is also vanitie.
20 Therefore I turned about to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labor in which I had labored under the sun.
Therefore I went about to make mine heart abhorre all the labour, wherein I had trauailed vnder the sunne.
21 For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, and with knowledge, and with skillfulness, yet he shall leave it to a man who has not labored in it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.
For there is a man whose trauaile is in wisdome, and in knowledge and in equitie: yet to a man that hath not trauailed herein, shall he giue his portion: this also is vanitie and a great griefe.
22 For what has a man of all his labor, and of the striving of his heart in which he labors under the sun?
For what hath man of all his trauaile and griefe of his heart, wherein he hath trauailed vnder the sunne?
23 For all his days are but sorrows, and his travail is grief, yea, even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity.
For all his dayes are sorowes, and his trauaile griefe: his heart also taketh not rest in the night: which also is vanitie.
24 There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and make his soul enjoy good in his labor. This also I saw, that it is from the hand of God.
There is no profit to man: but that he eate, and drinke, and delight his soule with the profit of his labour: I saw also this, that it was of the hand of God.
25 For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, without him?
For who could eate, and who could haste to outward things more then I?
26 For to the man who pleases him God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he gives travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him who pleases God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.
Surely to a man that is good in his sight, God giueth wisdome, and knowledge, and ioy: but to the sinner he giueth paine, to gather, and to heape to giue to him that is good before God: this is also vanitie, and vexation of the spirit.
