Ecclesiastes 2
1 I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy what is good!” But it proved to be futile.
I said in my heart, I will give you joy for a test; so take your pleasure — but it was to no purpose.
2 I said of laughter, “It is folly,” and of pleasure, “What does it accomplish?”
Of laughing I said, It is foolish; and of joy — What use is it?
3 I sought to cheer my body with wine and to embrace folly—my mind still guiding me with wisdom—until I could see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives.
I made a search with my heart to give pleasure to my flesh with wine, still guiding my heart with wisdom, and to go after foolish things, so that I might see what was good for the sons of men to do under the heavens all the days of their life.
4 I expanded my pursuits. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself.
I undertook great works, building myself houses and planting vine-gardens.
5 I made gardens and parks for myself, where I planted all kinds of fruit trees.
I made myself gardens and fruit gardens, planting in them fruit-trees of all sorts.
6 I built reservoirs to water my groves of flourishing trees.
I made pools to give water for the woods with their young trees.
7 I acquired menservants and maidservants, and servants were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me,
I got men-servants and women-servants, and they gave birth to sons and daughters in my house. I had great wealth of herds and flocks, more than all who were in Jerusalem before me.
8 and I accumulated for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I gathered to myself male and female singers, and the delights of the sons of men—many concubines.
I got together silver and gold and the wealth of kings and of countries. I got makers of song, male and female; and the delights of the sons of men — girls of all sorts to be my brides.
9 So I became great and surpassed all in Jerusalem who had preceded me; and my wisdom remained with me.
And I became great; increasing more than all who had been before me in Jerusalem, and my wisdom was still with me.
10 Anything my eyes desired, I did not deny myself. I refused my heart no pleasure. For my heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor.
And nothing which was desired by my eyes did I keep from them; I did not keep any joy from my heart, because my heart took pleasure in all my work, and this was my reward.
11 Yet when I considered all the works that my hands had accomplished and what I had toiled to achieve, I found everything to be futile, a pursuit of the wind; there was nothing to be gained under the sun.
Then I saw all the works which my hands had made, and everything I had been working to do; and I saw that all was to no purpose and desire for wind, and there was no profit under the sun.
12 Then I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly; for what more can the king’s successor do than what has already been accomplished?
And I went again in search of wisdom and of foolish ways. What may the man do who comes after the king? The thing which he has done before.
13 And I saw that wisdom exceeds folly, just as light exceeds darkness:
Then I saw that wisdom is better than foolish ways — as the light is better than the dark.
14 The wise man has eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I also came to realize that one fate overcomes them both.
The wise man's eyes are in his head, but the foolish man goes walking in the dark; but still I saw that the same event comes to them all.
15 So I said to myself, “The fate of the fool will also befall me. What then have I gained by being wise?” And I said to myself that this too is futile.
Then said I in my heart: As it comes to the foolish man, so will it come to me; so why have I been wise overmuch? Then I said in my heart: This again is to no purpose.
16 For there is no lasting remembrance of the wise, just as with the fool, seeing that both will be forgotten in the days to come. Alas, the wise man will die just like the fool!
Of the wise man, as of the foolish man, there is no memory for ever, seeing that those who now are will have gone from memory in the days to come. See how death comes to the wise as to the foolish!
17 So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. For everything is futile and a pursuit of the wind.
So I was hating life, because everything under the sun was evil to me: all is to no purpose and desire for wind.
18 I hated all for which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who comes after me.
Hate had I for all my work which I had done, because the man who comes after me will have its fruits.
19 And who knows whether that man will be wise or foolish? Yet he will take over all the labor at which I have worked skillfully under the sun. This too is futile.
And who is to say if that man will be wise or foolish? But he will have power over all my work which I have done and in which I have been wise under the sun. This again is to no purpose.
20 So my heart began to despair over all the labor that I had done under the sun.
So my mind was turned to grief for all the trouble I had taken and all my wisdom under the sun.
21 When there is a man who has labored with wisdom, knowledge, and skill, and he must give his portion to a man who has not worked for it, this too is futile and a great evil.
Because there is a man whose work has been done with wisdom, with knowledge, and with an expert hand; but one who has done nothing for it will have it for his heritage. This again is to no purpose and a great evil.
22 For what does a man get for all the toil and striving with which he labors under the sun?
What does a man get for all his work, and for the weight of care with which he has done his work under the sun?
23 Indeed, all his days are filled with grief, and his task is sorrowful; even at night, his mind does not rest. This too is futile.
All his days are sorrow, and his work is full of grief. Even in the night his heart has no rest. This again is to no purpose.
24 Nothing is better for a man than to eat and drink and enjoy his work. I have also seen that this is from the hand of God.
There is nothing better for a man than taking meat and drink, and having delight in his work. This again I saw was from the hand of God.
25 For apart from Him, who can eat and who can find enjoyment?
Who may take food or have pleasure without him?
26 To the man who is pleasing in His sight, He gives wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner He assigns the task of gathering and accumulating that which he will hand over to one who pleases God. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.
To the man with whom he is pleased, God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy; but to the sinner he gives the work of getting goods together and storing up wealth, to give to him in whom God has pleasure. This again is to no purpose and desire for wind.
