< Ecclesiastes 2 >
1 I said in mine heart, Goe to nowe, I will proue thee with ioy: therefore take thou pleasure in pleasant things: and beholde, this also is vanitie.
2 I saide of laughter, Thou art mad: and of ioy, What is this that thou doest?
3 I sought in mine heart to giue my selfe to wine, and to leade mine heart in wisdome, and to take holde of follie, till I might see where is that goodnesse of the children of men, which they enioy vnder the sunne: the whole nomber of the dayes of their life.
4 I haue made my great workes: I haue built me houses: I haue planted me vineyards.
5 I haue made me gardens and orchards, and planted in them trees of all fruite.
6 I haue made me cisternes of water, to water therewith the woods that growe with trees.
7 I haue gotten seruants and maides, and had children borne in the house: also I had great possession of beeues and sheepe aboue all that were before me in Ierusalem.
8 I haue gathered vnto me also siluer and gold, and the chiefe treasures of Kings and prouinces: I haue prouided me men singers and women singers, and the delites of the sonnes of men, as a woman taken captiue, and women taken captiues.
9 And I was great, and increased aboue all that were before me in Ierusalem: also my wisedome remained with me.
10 And whatsoeuer mine eyes desired, I withheld it not from them: I withdrew not mine heart from any ioy: for mine heart reioyced in al my labour: and this was my portion of all my trauaile.
11 Then I looked on all my workes that mine hands had wrought, and on the trauaile that I had laboured to doe: and beholde, all is vanitie and vexation of the spirit: and there is no profite vnder the sunne.
12 And I turned to beholde wisedome, and madnes and follie: (for who is the man that will come after the King in things, which men nowe haue done?)
13 Then I saw that there is profite in wisdome, more then in follie: as the light is more excellent then darkenes.
14 For the wise mans eyes are in his head, but the foole walketh in darknes: yet I know also that the same condition falleth to them all.
15 Then I thought in mine heart, It befalleth vnto me, as it befalleth to ye foole. Why therefore doe I then labour to be more wise? And I sayd in mine heart, that this also is vanitie.
16 For there shalbe no remembrance of the wise, nor of the foole for euer: for that that now is, in the dayes to come shall all be forgotten. And howe dyeth the wise man, as doeth the foole?
17 Therefore I hated life: for the worke that is wrought vnder the sunne is grieuous vnto me: for all is vanitie, and vexation of the spirit.
18 I hated also all my labour, wherein I had trauailed vnder the sunne, which I shall leaue to the man that shalbe after me.
19 And who knoweth whether he shalbe wise or foolish? yet shall hee haue rule ouer all my labour, wherein I haue trauailed, and wherein I haue shewed my selfe wise vnder the sunne. This is also vanitie.
20 Therefore I went about to make mine heart abhorre all the labour, wherein I had trauailed vnder the sunne.
21 For there is a man whose trauaile is in wisdome, and in knowledge and in equitie: yet to a man that hath not trauailed herein, shall he giue his portion: this also is vanitie and a great griefe.
22 For what hath man of all his trauaile and griefe of his heart, wherein he hath trauailed vnder the sunne?
23 For all his dayes are sorowes, and his trauaile griefe: his heart also taketh not rest in the night: which also is vanitie.
24 There is no profit to man: but that he eate, and drinke, and delight his soule with the profit of his labour: I saw also this, that it was of the hand of God.
25 For who could eate, and who could haste to outward things more then I?
26 Surely to a man that is good in his sight, God giueth wisdome, and knowledge, and ioy: but to the sinner he giueth paine, to gather, and to heape to giue to him that is good before God: this is also vanitie, and vexation of the spirit.
