Ecclesiastes 2
1 I SAID in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also was vanity.
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 said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?
I saide of laughter, Thou art mad: and of ioy, What is this that thou doest?
3 I searched in mine heart how to cheer my flesh with wine, mine heart yet guiding [me] with wisdom, and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what it was good for the sons of men that they should do under the heaven all the days of their life.
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 made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards;
I haue made my great workes: I haue built me houses: I haue planted me vineyards.
5 I made me gardens and parks, and I planted trees in them of all kinds of fruit:
I haue made me gardens and orchards, and planted in them trees of all fruite.
6 I made me pools of water, to water therefrom the forest where trees were reared:
I haue made me cisternes of water, to water therewith the woods that growe with trees.
7 I bought menservants and maidens, 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 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 gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, concubines very many.
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 So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.
And I was great, and increased aboue all that were before me in Ierusalem: also my wisedome 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 rejoiced because of all my labour; and this was my portion from all my labour.
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 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.
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 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.
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 wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.
Then I saw that there is profite in wisdome, more then in follie: as the light is more excellent then darkenes.
14 The wise man’s eyes are in his head, and the fool walketh in darkness: and yet I perceived that one event happeneth to them all.
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 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 was vanity.
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 of the wise man, even as of the fool, there is no remembrance for ever; seeing that in the days to come all will have been already forgotten. And how doth the wise man die even as the fool!
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 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.
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 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.
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 shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity.
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 turned about to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labour wherein I had laboured under the sun.
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 labour is with wisdom, and with knowledge, and with skilfulness; 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 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 a man of all his labour, and of the striving of his heart, wherein he laboureth under the sun?
For what hath man of all his trauaile and griefe of his heart, wherein he hath trauailed vnder the sunne?
23 For all his days are [but] sorrows, and his travail is grief; yea, even in the night his heart taketh no rest. This also is vanity.
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 nothing better for a man [than] that he should eat and drink, and make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it is from the hand of God.
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 can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I?
For who could eate, and who could haste to outward things more then I?
26 For to the man that pleaseth him [God] giveth wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that pleaseth God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.
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.
