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.
Come, then, I said in my heart, I will have a taste of joy, and thou shalt see what is good; but, behold, this also was vanity.
2 I said of laughter, “It is folly,” and of pleasure, “What does it accomplish?”
Of laughter I said, It maketh one mad: and of joy, What doth this do?
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 resolved in my heart to indulge my body with wine, while my heart guideth itself with wisdom; and to lay fast hold on folly, till I might see what it is that is good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heavens during the number of the days of their life.
4 I expanded my pursuits. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself.
I made great works: I built myself houses; I planted myself vineyards;
5 I made gardens and parks for myself, where I planted all kinds of fruit trees.
I made myself gardens and orchards, and I planted therein trees of all kinds of fruit;
6 I built reservoirs to water my groves of flourishing trees.
I made myself pools of water, to water therewith the forest overgrown with 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 bought men-servants and maid-servants, and I had likewise those born in my house; I had also great possessions of cattle and flocks above all that had been 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 gathered unto myself also silver and gold, and the choice treasures of kings and of the provinces: I procured myself male singers and female singers, and the delights of the sons of men, wagons and chariots.
9 So I became great and surpassed all in Jerusalem who had preceded me; and my wisdom remained with me.
So was I great, and obtained more than all that had been before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom 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; I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart was rejoiced with all my toil, and this was my portion of all my toil.
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.
But when I turned myself [to look] on all my works that my hands had wrought, and on the toil that I had toiled to accomplish: then, behold, all was vanity and a torture of the spirit, 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 then I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly; for what [can] the man [do] that cometh after the king? [only] that which [others] have done already.
13 And I saw that wisdom exceeds folly, just as light exceeds darkness:
But I saw indeed that wisdom hath the advantage over folly, as great as the advantage of light over 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 wise man hath his eyes in his head, while the fool walketh in darkness; but I myself perceived then also that one occurrence will befall all of them.
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, The same that befalleth the fool will also befall even me: and why have I then been wiser? Then spoke I in my heart, that this is also 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 is no recollection of the wise any more than of the fool for ever: seeing that which hath long ago been will, in the days that are coming, all be forgotten. And how doth the wise die equally with the fool!
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.
Therefore I hated life; because I felt displeased with the work that is wrought under the sun; for all is vanity and a torture of the 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.
Yea, I hated also all my toil with which I had toiled under the sun; because I should have to leave it unto the man that will be 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.
And who knoweth, whether he will be a wise man or a fool? yet will he have full sway over all my toil wherein I have toiled, and wherein I have shown myself wise under the sun. Also this is vanity.
20 So my heart began to despair over all the labor that I had done under the sun.
Therefore I turned about to cause my heart to give up thinking of all the toil wherewith I had toiled 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 there is many a man whose toil is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and with energy; yet to a man that hath not toiled therefore must he give it as his portion. Also this 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 doth a man obtain of all his toil, and of the torture of his heart, wherewith he toileth 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.
For all his days are full of pains, and vexation is [mingled with] his employment: yea, even in the night his heart taketh not rest. Also this is 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.
It is not a good thing [inherent] in man that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy happiness for his toil. Also this have I seen, that it cometh out of the hand of God.
25 For apart from Him, who can eat and who can find enjoyment?
For who can well eat, or who can enjoy earthly things more than 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.
For to a man who is good in his presence [God] giveth wisdom, and knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner he giveth employment, to gather up and to bring together, that he may give it to him that is good before God. Also this is vanity and a torture of the spirit.
