Ecclesiastes 2
1 I said in my heart: “I will go forth and overflow with delights, and I will enjoy good things.” And I saw that this, too, is emptiness.
I said in my heart, I will give you joy for a test; so take your pleasure — but it was to no purpose.
2 Laughter, I considered an error. And to rejoicing, I said: “Why are you being deceived, to no purpose?”
Of laughing I said, It is foolish; and of joy — What use is it?
3 I decided in my heart to withdraw my flesh from wine, so that I might bring my mind to wisdom, and turn away from foolishness, until I see what is useful for the sons of men, and what they ought to do under the sun, during the number of the days of their life.
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 magnified my works. I built houses for myself, and I planted vineyards.
I undertook great works, building myself houses and planting vine-gardens.
5 I made gardens and orchards. And I planted them with trees of every kind.
I made myself gardens and fruit gardens, planting in them fruit-trees of all sorts.
6 And I dug out fishponds of water, so that I might irrigate the forest of growing trees.
I made pools to give water for the woods with their young trees.
7 I obtained men and women servants, and I had a great family, as well as herds of cattle and great flocks of sheep, beyond all who were before me in Jerusalem.
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 I amassed for myself silver and gold, and the wealth of kings and governors. I chose men and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, bowls and pitchers for the purpose of pouring wine.
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 And I surpassed in opulence all who were before me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also persevered 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 And all that my eyes desired, I did not refuse them. Neither did I prohibit my heart from enjoying every pleasure, and from amusing itself in the things that I had prepared. And I regarded this as my share, as if I were making use of my own labors.
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 But when I turned myself toward all the works that my hands had made, and to the labors in which I had perspired to no purpose, I saw emptiness and affliction of the soul in all things, and that nothing is permanent 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 I continued on, so as to contemplate wisdom, as well as error and foolishness. “What is man,” I said, “that he would be able to follow his Maker, the King?”
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 surpasses foolishness, so much so that they differ as much as light from darkness.
Then I saw that wisdom is better than foolish ways — as the light is better than the dark.
14 The eyes of a wise man are in his head. A foolish man walks in darkness. Yet I learned that one would pass away like the other.
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 And I said in my heart: “If the death of both the foolish and myself will be one, how does it benefit me, if I have given myself more thoroughly to the work of wisdom?” And as I was speaking within my own mind, I perceived that this, too, is emptiness.
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 will not be a remembrance in perpetuity of the wise, nor of the foolish. And the future times will cover everything together, with oblivion. The learned die in a manner similar to the unlearned.
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 And, because of this, my life wearied me, since I saw that everything under the sun is evil, and everything is empty and an affliction of the spirit.
So I was hating life, because everything under the sun was evil to me: all is to no purpose and desire for wind.
18 Again, I detested all my efforts, by which I had earnestly labored under the sun, to be taken up by an heir 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 though I know not whether he will be wise or foolish. And yet he will have power over my labors, in which I have toiled and been anxious. And is there anything else so empty?
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 Therefore, I ceased, and my heart renounced further laboring 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 For when someone labors in wisdom, and doctrine, and prudence, he leaves behind what he has obtained to one who is idle. So this, too, is emptiness and a great burden.
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 how can a man benefit from all his labor and affliction of spirit, by which he has been tormented 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 All his days have been filled with sorrows and hardships; neither does he rest his mind, even in the night. And is this not emptiness?
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 Is it not better to eat and drink, and to show his soul the good things of his labors? And 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 So who will feast and overflow with delights as much as I have?
Who may take food or have pleasure without him?
26 God has given, to the man who is good in his sight, wisdom, and knowledge, and rejoicing. But to the sinner, he has given affliction and needless worrying, so as to add, and to gather, and to deliver, to him who has pleased God. But this, too, is emptiness and a hollow worrying of the mind.
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.
