Ecclesiastes 2
1 Said, I, in my heart, Come now! I will prove thee with gladness, and look thou on blessedness, —but lo! even that, was vanity.
I said in my heart, “Come, now, I will try thee with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure!” But, lo! this also was vanity.
2 Of laughter, I said, Madness! and, of mirth, What can it do?
I said of laughter, “It is mad;” and of mirth, “What availeth it?”
3 I sought out with my heart, to cherish with wine, my flesh, —but, my heart, was to guide with wisdom, even in laying hold of folly, until I should see which was blessedness for the sons of men, as to that which they could do, under the heavens, during the number of the days 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 enlarged my works, —I built me houses, I planted me vineyards;
I made me great works. I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards.
5 I made me gardens, and parks, —I planted in them trees of every kind of fruit;
I made me gardens and parks, and planted in them fruit-trees of every kind.
6 I made me pools of water, —to irrigate therefrom the thick-set saplings growing up into trees:
I made me pools of water, with which to water the grove shooting up trees.
7 I acquired, men-servants and women-servants, and, the children of the household, were mine, —also possessions, herds and flocks in abundance, were mine, beyond all who had been before me in Jerusalem;
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 heaped me up, both silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings, and provinces, —I provided me singing-men and singing-women, and the delights of the sons of men, a wife and wives.
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 So I became great, and increased, more than any one who had been before me in Jerusalem, —moreover, my wisdom, remained with me;
So I became greater than all that were before me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also remained with me.
10 and, nothing that mine eyes asked, withheld I from them, —I did not keep back my heart from any gladness, for, my heart, obtained gladness out of all my toil, and so, this, was my portion, out of all my toil.
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 When, I, looked upon all my works, which my hands had made, and on my toil, whereon I had toilsomely wrought, then lo! all, was vanity, and feeding on wind, and there was no profit under the sun.
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 Thus turned, I, to look at wisdom, and madness and folly, —for what can the man [do more] who cometh after the king? [save] that which, already, men have 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 saw, I, that wisdom doth excel folly, —as far as light excelleth darkness.
I saw, indeed, that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.
14 As for the wise man, his eyes, are in his head, whereas, the dullard, in darkness, doth walk, —but, I myself, knew that, one destiny, happeneth 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 said, I, in my heart, As it happeneth to the dullard, even to me, will it happen, but wherefore, then, became, I, wise to excess? Therefore spake I, in my heart, Even this, is vanity.
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 is no remembrance of a wise man, more than of a dullard, unto times age-abiding, —seeing that, already, in the days to come, all hath been forgotten, how then cometh it that the wise man dieth equally with the dullard?
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, a vexation unto me, was the work which was done under the sun, —for, all, was vanity, and a feeding on wind.
Therefore I hated life, because what is done under the sun appeared evil to me. For all is vanity, and striving after wind.
18 Therefore hated, I, all my toil, wherein I was toiling, under the sun, —in that I should leave it for the man who should come 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 could know whether a, wise man, he would be or a foolish, and yet he would lord it over all my toil, wherein I had toiled and wherein I had acted wisely, under the sun, —even this, was vanity.
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 Then resolved I, to give my heart over to despair, —concerning all the toil, wherein I had toiled, under the sun.
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 here is a man, whose toil hath been with wisdom and with knowledge and with skill, —yet, to a man who hath not toiled therein, shall he leave it as his portion, even this, was vanity and a great vexation.
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 the man for all his toil, and for the striving of his heart, —wherein, he himself, toiled under the sun?
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 days, are pains, and, vexatious, is his employment, even in the night, his heart lieth not down, —even this, was, vanity.
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 was nothing more blessed for Man [than] that he should eat and drink, and see his desireth for blessedness in his toil, —even this, saw, I myself, that, from the hand of God, it was.
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 eat and who could enjoy, so well as I?
For who can eat, or hasten thereunto more than I?
26 For, to a man who is good before him, hath he given wisdom and knowledge and gladness, —whereas, to the sinner, he hath given employment, to gather and heap up, to give to one who is good before God, even this, was vanity, and a feeding on wind.
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.
