Ecclesiastes 2
1 I said in my heart, Come now, I will try thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure. But behold, this also is vanity.
I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy what is good!” But it proved to be futile.
2 I said of laughter, Madness! and of mirth, What availeth it?
I said of laughter, “It is folly,” and of pleasure, “What does it accomplish?”
3 I searched in my heart how to cherish my flesh with wine, while practising my heart with wisdom; and how to lay hold on folly, till I should see what was that good for the children of men which they should do under the heavens all the days of their life.
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.
4 I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards;
I expanded my pursuits. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself.
5 I made me gardens and parks, and I planted trees in them of every kind of fruit;
I made gardens and parks for myself, where I planted all kinds of fruit trees.
6 I made me ponds of water, to water therewith the wood, where the trees are reared.
I built reservoirs to water my groves of flourishing trees.
7 I acquired servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of herds and flocks, above all that had been in Jerusalem before me.
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,
8 I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces; I got me men-singers and women-singers, and the delights of the children of men, a wife and concubines.
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.
9 And I became great, and increased more than all that had been before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.
So I became great and surpassed all in Jerusalem who had preceded me; and 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 in all my labour, and this was my portion from all my labour.
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.
11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that it had cost me to do [them]; and behold, all was vanity and pursuit of the wind, and there was no profit under the sun.
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.
12 And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly; for what shall the man [do] that cometh after the king? — that which hath already been done.
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?
13 And I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as light excelleth darkness.
And I saw that wisdom exceeds folly, just as light exceeds darkness:
14 The wise man's eyes are in his head, and the fool walketh in darkness; but I myself also perceived that one event happeneth to them all.
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.
15 And I said in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool so will it happen even to me; and why was I then so wise? Then I said in my heart that this also is vanity.
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.
16 For there shall be no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; because everything is already forgotten in the days which come. And how dieth the wise even as the fool?
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!
17 And I hated life; for the work that is wrought under the sun was grievous unto me; for all is vanity and pursuit of the wind.
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.
18 And I hated all my labour wherewith I had been toiling under the sun, because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me.
I hated all for which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who comes after me.
19 And who knoweth whether he will be a wise [man] or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour at which I have laboured, and wherein I have been wise under the sun. This also is vanity.
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.
20 Then I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour wherewith I had laboured under the sun.
So my heart began to despair over all the labor that I had done under the sun.
21 For there is a man whose labour hath been with wisdom, and with knowledge, and with skill, and who leaveth it to a man that hath not laboured therein, to be his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.
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.
22 For what will man have of all his labour and of the striving of his heart, wherewith he hath wearied himself under the sun?
For what does a man get for all the toil and striving with which he labors under the sun?
23 For all his days are sorrows, and his travail vexation: even in the night his heart taketh no rest. This also is vanity.
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.
24 There is nothing good for man, but 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.
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.
25 For who can eat, or who be eager, more than I?
For apart from Him, who can eat and who can find enjoyment?
26 For he giveth to a man that is good in his sight 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 is good in God's sight. This also is vanity and pursuit of the wind.
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.
