Ecclesiastes 2
1 I said I in heart my come! please let me put to [the] test you with pleasure and look on good and there! also it [was] futility.
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 [it is] folly and of pleasure what? this [is it] doing.
I said of laughter, “It is mad;” and of mirth, “What availeth it?”
3 I searched in heart my to gratify with wine flesh my and heart my [was] guiding with wisdom and to take hold on folly until that I saw where? this [is] good for [the] children of humankind which they will do under the heavens [the] number of [the] days of lives their.
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 made great works my I built for myself houses I planted for myself vineyards.
I made me great works. I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards.
5 I made for myself gardens and parks and I planted in them tree[s] of every fruit.
I made me gardens and parks, and planted in them fruit-trees of every kind.
6 I made for myself pools of water to water from them a forest sprouting of trees.
I made me pools of water, with which to water the grove shooting up trees.
7 I acquired [male] slaves and female slaves and sons of house he belonged to me also livestock herd[s] and flock[s] [surely] a multitude belonged to me more than all who were 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 gathered for myself also silver and gold and treasure of kings and provinces I acquired for myself male singers and female singers and [the] delights of [the] children of humankind breast and breasts.
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 And I became great and I increased more than any who was before me in Jerusalem also wisdom my it remained to me.
So I became greater than all that were before me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also remained with me.
10 And all that they asked eyes my not I withheld from them not I restrained heart my from any pleasure for heart my [was] joyful from all toil my and this it was reward my from all toil my.
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 And I turned I on all works my that had done hands my and on the toil that I had toiled to do and there! everything [was] futility and striving of wind and there not [was] 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 And I turned I to consider wisdom and madness and folly for - what? [is] the person who will come after the king [that] which already people have done it.
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 And I saw I that there [is] advantage of wisdom more than folly like [the] advantage of light more than darkness.
I saw, indeed, that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.
14 The wise [person] eyes his [are] in head his and the fool in darkness [is] walking and I knew also I that fate one it will happen to all of them.
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 And I said I in heart my like [the] fate of the fool also me it will happen to me and why? have I become wise I then excessively and I said in heart my that also this [is] futility.
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 not [is] remembrance of the wise man with the fool for a long time in that already the days coming everything it has been forgotten and how! he will die the wise [person] with the fool.
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 And I hated life for [was] evil on me the work that was done under the sun for everything [is] futility and striving of 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 And I hated I all toil my that I [was] a laborer under the sun that I will leave it to the person who will be 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? [is] knowing ¿ a wise [person] will he be or? a fool so he may have power over all toil my that I have toiled and that I worked skillfully under the sun also this [is] futility.
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 And I turned I to make despair heart my on all the toil that I have 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 If there [was] a person who toil his [was] with wisdom and with knowledge and with skill and to a person who not he toiled in it he will give it portion his also this [is] futility and an evil great.
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? [is] becoming to the person in all toil his and in [the] striving of heart his that he [was] a laborer 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 days his [are] pains and [is] vexation task his also in the night not it rests heart his also this [is] futility it.
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 not [is] good for person that he will eat and he will drink and he will show self his good in toil his also this I have seen I that [is] from [the] hand of God it.
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? will he eat and who? will he enjoy outside from me.
For who can eat, or hasten thereunto more than I?
26 For to anyone who [is] good before him he gives wisdom and knowledge and joy and to the sinner he gives a task to gather and to collect to give [it] to a [person] good before God also this [is] futility and striving of 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.
