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 go, and abound with delights, and enjoy good things. And I saw that this also was vanity.
2 I said of laughter, “It is folly,” and of pleasure, “What does it accomplish?”
Laughter I counted error: and to mirth I said: Why art thou vainly deceived?
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 thought in my heart, to withdraw my flesh from wine, that I might turn my mind to wisdom, and might avoid folly, till I might see what was profitable for the children of men: and what they ought to do under the sun, all the days of their life.
4 I expanded my pursuits. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself.
I made me great works, I built me houses, and planted vineyards,
5 I made gardens and parks for myself, where I planted all kinds of fruit trees.
I made gardens, and orchards, and set them with trees of all kinds,
6 I built reservoirs to water my groves of flourishing trees.
And I made me ponds of water, to water therewith the wood of the 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 me menservants, and maidservants, and had a great family: and herds of oxen, and great flocks of sheep, above all that were before me in Jerusalem:
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 heaped together for myself silver and gold, and the wealth of kings, and provinces: I made me singing men, and singing women, and the delights of the sons of men, cups and vessels to serve to pour out wine:
9 So I became great and surpassed all in Jerusalem who had preceded me; and my wisdom remained with me.
And I surpassed in riches all that were before me in Jerusalem: my wisdom also remained 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 whatsoever my eyes desired, I refused them not: and I withheld not my heart from enjoying every pleasure, and delighting itself in the things which I had prepared: and esteemed this my portion, to make use of my own labour.
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.
And when I turned myself to all the works which my hands had wrought, and to the labours wherein I had laboured in vain, I saw in all things vanity, and vexation of mind, and that nothing was lasting 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?
I passed further to behold wisdom, and errors and folly, (What is man, said I, that he can follow the King his maker?)
13 And I saw that wisdom exceeds folly, just as light exceeds darkness:
And I saw that wisdom excelled folly, as much as light differeth from darkness.
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 eyes of a wise man are in his head: the fool walketh in darkness: and I learned that they were to die both alike.
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.
And I said in my heart: If the death of the fool and mine shall be one, what doth it avail me, that I have applied myself more to the study of wisdom? And speaking with my own mind, I perceived that this also was vanity.
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!
For there shall be no remembrance of the wise no more than of the fool for ever, and the times to come shall cover all things together with oblivion: the learned dieth in like manner as the unlearned.
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.
And therefore I was weary of my life, when I saw that all things under the sun are evil, and all vanity and vexation of spirit.
18 I hated all for which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who comes after me.
Again I hated all my application wherewith I had earnestly laboured under the sun, being like to have an heir after me,
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.
Whom I know not whether he will be a wise man or a fool, and he shall have rule over all my labours with which I have laboured and been solicitous: and is there any thing so vain?
20 So my heart began to despair over all the labor that I had done under the sun.
Wherefore I left off and my heart renounced labouring any more 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.
For when a man laboureth in wisdom, and knowledge, and carefulness, he leaveth what he hath gotten to an idle man: so this also is vanity, and a great evil.
22 For what does a man get for all the toil and striving with which he labors under the sun?
For what profit shall a man have of all his labour, and vexation of spirit, with which he bath been tormented 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 axe full of sorrows and miseries, even in the night he doth not rest in mind: and is not this vanity?
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.
Is it not better to eat and drink, and to shew his soul good things of his labours? and this is from the hand of God.
25 For apart from Him, who can eat and who can find enjoyment?
Who shall so feast and abound with delights as I?
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.
God hath given to a man that is good in his sight, wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he hath given vexation, and superfluous care, to heap up and to gather together, and to give it to him that hath pleased God: but this also is vanity, and a fruitless solicitude of the mind.
