Ecclesiastes 2
1 I said in my heart, “Come, now, I will try thee with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure!” But, lo! this also was vanity.
I said in my heart, Come now, I will prove thee with mirth, and behold thou good: and, behold, this is also vanity.
2 I said of laughter, “It is mad;” and of mirth, “What availeth it?”
I said to laughter, Madness: and to mirth, Why doest thou this:
3 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.
And I examined whether my heart would excite my flesh as [with] wine, (though my heart guided [me] in wisdom, ) and [I desired] to lay hold of mirth, until I should see of what kind is the good to the sons of men, which they should 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 enlarged my work; I built me houses; I planted me vineyards.
5 I made me gardens and parks, and planted in them fruit-trees of every kind.
I made me gardens and orchards, and planted in them every kind of fruit-tree.
6 I made me pools of water, with which to water the grove shooting up trees.
I made me pools of water, to water from them the timber-bearing wood.
7 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.
I got servants and maidens, and servants were born to me in the house: also I had abundant possession of flocks and herds, beyond all who were before me in Jerusalem.
8 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.
Moreover I collected for myself both silver and gold also, and the peculiar treasures of kings and provinces: I procured me singing men and singing women, and delights of the sons of men, a butler and female cupbearers.
9 So I became greater than all that were before me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also remained with me.
So I became great, and advanced beyond all that were before in Jerusalem: also my wisdom was established to me.
10 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.
And whatever mine eyes desired, I withheld not from them, I withheld not my heart from all my mirth: for my heart rejoiced in all my labour; and this was my portion of all my labour.
11 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.
And I looked on all my works which my hands had wrought, and on my labour which I laboured to perform: and behold, all was vanity and waywardness of spirit, and there is no advantage under the sun.
12 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.
Then I looked on to see wisdom, and madness, and folly: for who is the man who will follow after counsel, in all things where in he employs it?
13 I saw, indeed, that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.
And I saw that wisdom excels folly, as much as light excels darkness.
14 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.
The wise man's eyes are in his head; but the fool walks in darkness: and I perceived, even I, that one event shall happen to them all.
15 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.”
And I said in my heart, As the event of the fool is, so shall it be to me, even to me: and to what purpose have I gained wisdom? I said moreover in my heart, This is also vanity, because the fool speaks of his abundance.
16 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.
For there is no remembrance of the wise man with the fool for ever; forasmuch as now [in] the coming days all things are forgotten: and how shall the wise man die with the fool?
17 Therefore I hated life, because what is done under the sun appeared evil to me. For all is vanity, and striving after wind.
So I hated life; because the work that was wrought under the sun was evil before me: for all is vanity and waywardness of spirit.
18 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.
And I hated the whole of my labour which I took under the sun; because I must leave it to the man who will come after me.
19 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.
And who knows whether he will be a wise [man] or a fool? and whether he will have power over all my labour in which I laboured, and wherein I grew wise under the sun? this is also vanity.
20 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.
so I went about to dismiss from my heart all my labour wherein I had laboured under the sun.
21 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.
For there is [such] a man that his labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in fortitude; [yet] this man shall give his portion to one who has not laboured therein. This is also vanity and great evil.
22 For what hath man of all his labor, and the striving of his spirit, with which he wearieth himself under the sun?
For it happens to a man in all his labour, and in the purpose of his heart wherein he labours under the sun.
23 For all his days are grief, and his occupation trouble; even in the night his heart taketh no rest. This also is vanity.
For all his days [are days] of sorrows, and vexation of spirit is his; in the night also his heart rests not. This is also vanity.
24 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.
A man has nothing [really] good to eat, and to drink, and to shew his soul [as] good in his trouble. This also I saw, that it is from the hand of God.
25 For who can eat, or hasten thereunto more than I?
For who shall eat, or who shall drink, without him?
26 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.
For [God] has given to the man who is good in his sight, wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but he has given to the sinner trouble, to add and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God; for this is also vanity and waywardness of spirit.
