Ecclesiastes 2
1 I said in my heart, "Come now, I will test you with mirth: therefore enjoy pleasure;" and look, this also was vanity.
I said in my heart, I will give you joy for a test; so take your pleasure — but it was to no purpose.
2 I said of laughter, "It is foolishness;" and of mirth, "What does it accomplish?"
Of laughing I said, It is foolish; and of joy — What use is it?
3 I searched in my heart how to cheer my flesh with wine, my heart yet guiding me with wisdom, and how to lay hold of folly, until I might see what it was good for the sons of men that they should do under heaven all the days of their lives.
I made a search with my heart to give pleasure to my flesh with wine, still guiding my heart with wisdom, and to go after foolish things, so that I might see what was good for the sons of men to do under the heavens all the days of their life.
4 I made myself great works. I built myself houses. I planted myself vineyards.
I undertook great works, building myself houses and planting vine-gardens.
5 I made myself gardens and parks, and I planted trees in them of all kinds of fruit.
I made myself gardens and fruit gardens, planting in them fruit-trees of all sorts.
6 I made myself pools of water, to water from it the forest where trees were reared.
I made pools to give water for the woods with their young trees.
7 I bought male servants and female servants, and had servants born in my house. I also had great possessions of herds and flocks, above all who were before me in Jerusalem;
I got men-servants and women-servants, and they gave birth to sons and daughters in my house. I had great wealth of herds and flocks, more than all who were in Jerusalem before me.
8 I also gathered silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and of the provinces. I got myself male and female singers, and the delights of the sons of men—musical instruments, and that of all sorts.
I got together silver and gold and the wealth of kings and of countries. I got makers of song, male and female; and the delights of the sons of men — girls of all sorts to be my brides.
9 So I was great, and increased more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also remained with me.
And I became great; increasing more than all who had been before me in Jerusalem, and my wisdom was still with me.
10 Whatever my eyes desired, I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my heart from any joy, for my heart rejoiced because of all my labor, and this was my portion from all my labor.
And nothing which was desired by my eyes did I keep from them; I did not keep any joy from my heart, because my heart took pleasure in all my work, and this was my reward.
11 Then I looked at all the works that my hands had worked, and at the labor that I had labored to do; and look, all was vanity and a chasing after wind, and there was no profit under the sun.
Then I saw all the works which my hands had made, and everything I had been working to do; and I saw that all was to no purpose and desire for wind, and there was no profit under the sun.
12 I turned myself to consider wisdom, madness, and folly. For what can the man who comes after the king do? Just that which he has already done.
And I went again in search of wisdom and of foolish ways. What may the man do who comes after the king? The thing which he has done before.
13 Then I saw that wisdom excels folly, as far as light excels darkness.
Then I saw that wisdom is better than foolish ways — as the light is better than the dark.
14 The wise man's eyes are in his head, and the fool walks in darkness—and yet I perceived that one event happens to them all.
The wise man's eyes are in his head, but the foolish man goes walking in the dark; but still I saw that the same event comes to them all.
15 Then said I in my heart, "As it happens to the fool, so will it happen even to me; and why was I then more wise?" Then said I in my heart that this also is vanity.
Then said I in my heart: As it comes to the foolish man, so will it come to me; so why have I been wise overmuch? Then I said in my heart: This again is to no purpose.
16 For of the wise man, even as of the fool, there is no memory for ever, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. Indeed, the wise man must die just like the fool.
Of the wise man, as of the foolish man, there is no memory for ever, seeing that those who now are will have gone from memory in the days to come. See how death comes to the wise as to the foolish!
17 So I hated life, because the work that is worked under the sun was grievous to me; for all is vanity and a chasing after wind.
So I was hating life, because everything under the sun was evil to me: all is to no purpose and desire for wind.
18 I hated all my labor in which I labored under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who comes after me.
Hate had I for all my work which I had done, because the man who comes after me will have its fruits.
19 Who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have rule over all of my labor in which I have labored, and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity.
And who is to say if that man will be wise or foolish? But he will have power over all my work which I have done and in which I have been wise under the sun. This again is to no purpose.
20 Therefore I began to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labor in which I had labored under the sun.
So my mind was turned to grief for all the trouble I had taken and all my wisdom under the sun.
21 For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, with knowledge, and with skillfulness; yet he shall leave it for his portion to a man who has not labored for it. This also is vanity and a great evil.
Because there is a man whose work has been done with wisdom, with knowledge, and with an expert hand; but one who has done nothing for it will have it for his heritage. This again is to no purpose and a great evil.
22 For what has a man of all his labor, and of the striving of his heart, in which he labors under the sun?
What does a man get for all his work, and for the weight of care with which he has done his work under the sun?
23 For all his days are sorrows, and his travail is grief; yes, even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity.
All his days are sorrow, and his work is full of grief. Even in the night his heart has no rest. This again is to no purpose.
24 There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and make his soul enjoy good in his labor. This also I saw, that it is from the hand of God.
There is nothing better for a man than taking meat and drink, and having delight in his work. This again I saw was from the hand of God.
25 For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, apart from him?
Who may take food or have pleasure without him?
26 For to the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner he gives travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him who pleases God. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind.
To the man with whom he is pleased, God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy; but to the sinner he gives the work of getting goods together and storing up wealth, to give to him in whom God has pleasure. This again is to no purpose and desire for wind.
