Ecclesiastes 2
1 I said in my heart: I will go, and abound with delights, and enjoy good things. And I saw that this also was vanity.
I said in my heart, Come now, I will try thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure. But behold, this also is vanity.
2 Laughter I counted error: and to mirth I said: Why art thou vainly deceived?
I said of laughter, Madness! and of mirth, What availeth it?
3 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.
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.
4 I made me great works, I built me houses, and planted vineyards,
I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards;
5 I made gardens, and orchards, and set them with trees of all kinds,
I made me gardens and parks, and I planted trees in them of every kind of fruit;
6 And I made me ponds of water, to water therewith the wood of the young trees,
I made me ponds of water, to water therewith the wood, where the trees are reared.
7 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:
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.
8 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:
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.
9 And I surpassed in riches all that were before me in Jerusalem: my wisdom also remained with me.
And I became great, and increased more than all that had been before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.
10 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.
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.
11 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.
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.
12 I passed further to behold wisdom, and errors and folly, (What is man, said I, that he can follow the King his maker?)
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.
13 And I saw that wisdom excelled folly, as much as light differeth from darkness.
And I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as light excelleth darkness.
14 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.
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.
15 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.
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.
16 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.
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?
17 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.
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.
18 Again I hated all my application wherewith I had earnestly laboured under the sun, being like to have an heir after me,
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.
19 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?
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.
20 Wherefore I left off and my heart renounced labouring any more under the sun.
Then I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour wherewith I had laboured under the sun.
21 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.
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.
22 For what profit shall a man have of all his labour, and vexation of spirit, with which he bath been tormented under the sun?
For what will man have of all his labour and of the striving of his heart, wherewith he hath wearied himself under the sun?
23 All his days axe full of sorrows and miseries, even in the night he doth not rest in mind: and is not this vanity?
For all his days are sorrows, and his travail vexation: even in the night his heart taketh no rest. This also is vanity.
24 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.
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.
25 Who shall so feast and abound with delights as I?
For who can eat, or who be eager, more than I?
26 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.
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.
