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, lo! this also was vanity.
2 Laughter I counted error: and to mirth I said: Why art thou vainly deceived?
I said of laughter, “It is mad;” 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 thought in my heart to strengthen my body with wine, and, while my heart cleaved to wisdom, to lay hold on folly, till I should see what was good for the sons of men, which they should do under heaven 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 planted in them fruit-trees of every kind.
6 And I made me ponds of water, to water therewith the wood of the young trees,
I made me pools of water, with which to water the grove shooting up trees.
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 got me men-servants and maid-servants, and had servants born in my house. I had also great possessions of herds and flocks, more than all who were 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 heaped me up also silver and gold, and the wealth of kings and of provinces. I got me men-singers and women-singers, and the delight of the sons of men, a chosen woman and chosen women.
9 And I surpassed in riches all that were before me in Jerusalem: my wisdom also remained with me.
So I became greater than all that were before me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also 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 whatever mine eyes desired I kept not from them; I withheld not my heart from any joy. For my heart rejoiced by means of all my labor, and this was my portion from all my labor.
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 upon all the works which my hands had wrought, and upon all the labor which I had toiled in performing; and, behold, it was all vanity, and striving after 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?)
Then I turned myself to behold wisdom and senselessness and folly. For what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been already done.
13 And I saw that wisdom excelled folly, as much as light differeth from darkness.
I saw, indeed, that wisdom excelleth folly, as far 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, but the fool walketh in darkness; yet I perceived also 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.
Then I said in my heart, “As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth to me. Why, then, became I wiser than others?” Then I said in my heart, “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 is no remembrance of the wise man more than of the fool for ever; for in the days to come shall all have long been forgotten; and, alas! the wise man dieth, as well 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.
Therefore I hated life, because what is done under the sun appeared evil to me. For all is vanity, and striving after wind.
18 Again I hated all my application wherewith I had earnestly laboured under the sun, being like to have an heir after me,
Yea, I hated all my labor which I had performed under the sun, because I must leave it to 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 shall be a wise man or a fool? Yet shall he be lord of all the labor with which I have wearied myself, and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity.
20 Wherefore I left off and my heart renounced labouring any more under the sun.
Therefore I turned to give up my heart to despair in regard to all the labor with which I had wearied myself 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 labor has been with wisdom and knowledge and skill; yet to a man who hath not labored for it must he leave it as 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 hath man of all his labor, and the striving of his spirit, with which he wearieth 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 grief, and his occupation trouble; 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 better for a man than to eat and drink, and let his soul enjoy good in his labor. But this, as I have seen, cometh from the hand of God.
25 Who shall so feast and abound with delights as I?
For who can eat, or hasten thereunto 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 to a man who is good in his sight God giveth wisdom and knowledge and joy; but to the sinner he giveth the wearisome business of gathering and heaping up, to give it to him who is good before God. This also is vanity, and striving after wind.
