Ecclesiastes 2
1 I said in my heart: 'Come now, I will try thee with mirth, and enjoy pleasure'; and, behold, this also was vanity.
I said in my heart: I will go, and abound with delights, and enjoy good things. And I saw that this also was vanity.
2 I said of laughter: 'It is mad'; and of mirth: 'What doth it accomplish?'
Laughter I counted error: and to mirth I said: Why art thou vainly deceived?
3 I searched in my heart how to pamper my flesh with wine, and, my heart conducting itself with wisdom, how yet to lay hold on folly, till I might see which it was best for the sons of men that they should do under the heaven the few days of their life.
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.
4 I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards;
I made me great works, I built me houses, and planted vineyards,
5 I made me gardens and parks, and I planted trees in them of all kinds of fruit;
I made gardens, and orchards, and set them with trees of all kinds,
6 I made me pools of water, to water therefrom the wood springing up with trees;
And I made me ponds of water, to water therewith the wood of the young trees,
7 I acquired men-servants and maid-servants, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of herds and flocks, above all that were before me in Jerusalem;
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:
8 I gathered me also silver and gold, and treasure such as kings and the provinces have as their own; I got me men-singers and women-singers, and the delights of the sons of men, women very many.
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:
9 So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem; also my wisdom stood me in stead.
And I surpassed in riches all that were before me in Jerusalem: my wisdom also 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 had joy of all my labour; and this was my portion from all my labour.
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.
11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do; and, behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was no profit under the sun.
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.
12 And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness and folly; for what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been already done.
I passed further to behold wisdom, and errors and folly, (What is man, said I, that he can follow the King his maker?)
13 Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.
And I saw that wisdom excelled folly, as much as light differeth from darkness.
14 The wise man, his eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness. And I also perceived that one event happeneth to them all.
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.
15 Then said I in my heart: 'As it happeneth to the fool, so will it happen even to me; and why was I then more wise?' Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity.
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.
16 For of the wise man, even as of the fool, there is no remembrance for ever; seeing that in the days to come all will long ago have been forgotten. And how must the wise man die even as the fool!
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.
17 So I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun was grievous unto me; for all is vanity and a striving after wind.
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.
18 And I hated all my labour wherein I laboured under the sun, seeing that I must leave it unto the man that shall be after me.
Again I hated all my application wherewith I had earnestly laboured under the sun, being like to have an heir after me,
19 And who knoweth whether he will be a wise man or a fool? yet will he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity.
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?
20 Therefore I turned about to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labour wherein I had laboured under the sun.
Wherefore I left off and my heart renounced labouring any more under the sun.
21 For there is a man whose labour is with wisdom, and with knowledge, and with skill; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.
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.
22 For what hath a man of all his labour, and of the striving of his heart, wherein he laboureth under the sun?
For what profit shall a man have of all his labour, and vexation of spirit, with which he bath been tormented under the sun?
23 For all his days are pains, and his occupation vexation; yea, even in the night his heart taketh not rest. This also is vanity.
All his days axe full of sorrows and miseries, even in the night he doth not rest in mind: and is not this vanity?
24 There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and make his soul enjoy pleasure for his labour. This also I saw, that it is from the hand of God.
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.
25 For who will eat, or who will enjoy, if not I?
Who shall so feast and abound with delights as I?
26 For to the man that is good in His sight He giveth wisdom, and knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner He giveth the task, to gather and to heap up, that he may leave to him that is good in the sight of God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.
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.
