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.
I said in my heart, “Come, now, I will try thee with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure!” But, lo! this also was vanity.
2 I saide of laughter, Thou art mad: and of ioy, What is this that thou doest?
I said of laughter, “It is mad;” and of mirth, “What availeth it?”
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.
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 haue made my great workes: I haue built me houses: I haue planted me vineyards.
I made me great works. I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards.
5 I haue made me gardens and orchards, and planted in them trees of all fruite.
I made me gardens and parks, and planted in them fruit-trees of every kind.
6 I haue made me cisternes of water, to water therewith the woods that growe with trees.
I made me pools of water, with which to water the grove shooting up 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.
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 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.
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 was great, and increased aboue all that were before me in Ierusalem: also my wisedome remained with me.
So I became greater than all that were before me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also 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.
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 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.
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 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?)
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 Then I saw that there is profite in wisdome, more then in follie: as the light is more excellent then darkenes.
I saw, indeed, that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.
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.
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 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.
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 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?
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 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.
Therefore I hated life, because what is done under the sun appeared evil to me. For all is vanity, and striving after wind.
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.
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 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.
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 Therefore I went about to make mine heart abhorre all the labour, wherein I had trauailed vnder the sunne.
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 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.
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 hath man of all his trauaile and griefe of his heart, wherein he hath trauailed vnder the sunne?
For what hath man of all his labor, and the striving of his spirit, with which he wearieth himself under the sun?
23 For all his dayes are sorowes, and his trauaile griefe: his heart also taketh not rest in the night: which also is vanitie.
For all his days are grief, and his occupation trouble; even in the night his heart taketh no rest. This also is vanity.
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.
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 For who could eate, and who could haste to outward things more then I?
For who can eat, or hasten thereunto more than 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.
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.
