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 my heart, Come now, I will test thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.
2 I said of laughter, It is mad; and of mirth, What doeth it?
I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?
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 my heart to give myself to wine, yet acquainting my heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life.
4 I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards;
I made for myself great works; I built houses; I planted vineyards:
5 I made me gardens and parks, and I planted trees in them of all kinds of fruit;
I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits:
6 I made me pools of water, to water therefrom the forest where trees were reared;
I made me pools of water, to water with them the wood that bringeth forth trees:
7 I bought men-servants and maid-servants, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of herds and flocks, above all that were before me in Jerusalem;
I procured me male and female servants, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of herds and flocks above all that were in Jerusalem before me:
8 I gathered me also silver and gold, and the treasure of kings and of the provinces; I gat me men-singers and women-singers, and the delights of the sons of men, musical instruments, and that of all sorts.
I gathered me also silver and gold, and the special treasure of kings and of the provinces: I procured me male and female singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and of all sorts.
9 So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.
So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.
10 And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them; I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced because of all my labor; and this was my portion from all my labor.
And whatever my 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.
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 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.
12 And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what [can] the man [do] that cometh after the king? [even] that which hath been done long ago.
And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been already done.
13 Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.
Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.
14 The wise man’s eyes are in his head, and the fool walketh in darkness: and yet I perceived that one event happeneth to them all.
The wise man’s eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all.
15 Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so will it happen even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then said I in my heart, that this also is vanity.
Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity.
16 For of the wise man, even as of the fool, there is no remembrance for ever; seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. And how doth the wise man die even as the fool!
For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise man? as the fool.
17 So I hated life, because the work that is wrought under the sun was grievous unto me; for all is vanity and a striving after wind.
Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous to me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit.
18 And I hated all my labor wherein I labored under the sun, seeing that I must leave it unto the man that shall be after me.
Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it to the man that shall be after me.
19 And who knoweth whether he will be a wise man or a fool? yet will he have rule over all my labor wherein I have labored, and wherein I have showed myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity.
And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour in which I have laboured, and in which I have showed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity.
20 Therefore I turned about to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labor wherein I had labored under the sun.
Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun.
21 For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, and with knowledge, and with skilfulness; yet to a man that hath not labored therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.
For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured in it shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.
22 For what hath a man of all his labor, and of the striving of his heart, wherein he laboreth under the sun?
For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, in which he hath laboured under the sun?
23 For all his days are [but] sorrows, and his travail is grief; yea, even in the night his heart taketh no rest. This also is vanity.
For all his days are sorrows, and his labour grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.
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 nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.
25 For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I?
For who can eat, or who else can hasten to it, more than I?
26 For to the man that pleaseth him [God] giveth wisdom, and knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that pleaseth God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.
For God giveth to a man who is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth toil, to gather and to store up wealth, that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.
