Ecclesiastes 2
1 I said in my heart, 'Pray, come, I try thee with mirth, and look thou on gladness;' and lo, even it [is] vanity.
I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove you with delight, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.
2 Of laughter I said, 'Foolish!' and of mirth, 'What [is] this it is doing?'
I said of laughter, It is mad: and of delight, What does it?
3 I have sought in my heart to draw out with wine my appetite, (and my heart leading in wisdom), and to take hold on folly till that I see where [is] this — the good to the sons of man of that which they do under the heavens, the number of the days of their lives.
I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life.
4 I made great my works, I builded for me houses, I planted for me vineyards.
I made me great works; I built me houses; I planted me vineyards:
5 I made for me gardens and paradises, and I planted in them trees of every fruit.
I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits:
6 I made for me pools of water, to water from them a forest shooting forth trees.
I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that brings forth trees:
7 I got men-servants, and maid-servants, and sons of the house were to me; also, I had much substance — herd and flock — above all who had been before me in Jerusalem.
I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me:
8 I gathered for me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces. I prepared for me men-singers and women-singers, and the luxuries of the sons of man — a wife and wives.
I gathered me also silver and gold, and the exclusive treasure of kings and of the provinces: I got me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts.
9 And I became great, and increased above every one who had been before me in Jerusalem; also, my wisdom stood with me.
So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.
10 And all that mine eyes asked I kept not back from them; I withheld not my heart from any joy, for my heart rejoiced because of all my labour, and this hath been my portion, from all my labour,
And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour.
11 and I have looked on all my works that my hands have done, and on the labour that I have laboured to do, and lo, the whole [is] vanity and vexation of spirit, and there is no advantage under the sun!
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 vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.
12 And I turned to see wisdom, and madness, and folly, but what [is] the man who cometh after the king? that which [is] already — they have done it!
And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what can the man do that comes after the king? even that which has been already done.
13 And I saw that there is an advantage to wisdom above folly, like the advantage of the light above the darkness.
Then I saw that wisdom excels folly, as far as light excels darkness.
14 The wise! — his eyes [are] in his head, and the fool in darkness is walking, and I also knew that one event happeneth with them all;
The wise man's eyes are in his head; but the fool walks in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happens to them all.
15 and I said in my heart, 'As it happeneth with the fool, it happeneth also with me, and why am I then more wise?' And I spake in my heart, that also this [is] vanity:
Then said I in my heart, As it happens to the fool, so it happens even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity.
16 That there is no remembrance to the wise — with the fool — to the age, for that which [is] already, [in] the days that are coming is all forgotten, and how dieth the wise? with the fool!
For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dies the wise man? as the fool.
17 And I have hated life, for sad to me [is] the work that hath been done under the sun, for the whole [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.
Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit.
18 And I have hated all my labour that I labour at under the sun, because I leave it to a man who is after me.
Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me.
19 And who knoweth whether he is wise or foolish? yet he doth rule over all my labour that I have laboured at, and that I have done wisely under the sun! this also [is] vanity.
And who knows 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 showed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity.
20 And I turned round to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labour that I laboured at under the sun.
Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun.
21 For there is a man whose labour [is] in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity, and to a man who hath not laboured therein he giveth it — his portion! Even this [is] vanity and a great evil.
For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that has not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.
22 For what hath been to a man by all his labour, and by the thought of his heart that he laboured at under the sun?
For what has man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he has laboured under the sun?
23 For all his days are sorrows, and his travail sadness; even at night his heart hath not lain down; this also [is] vanity.
For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart takes not rest in the night. This is also vanity.
24 There is nothing good in a man who eateth, and hath drunk, and hath shewn his soul good in his labour. This also I have seen that it [is] from the hand of God.
There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.
25 For who eateth and who hasteth out more than I?
For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto, more than I?
26 For to a man who [is] good before Him, He hath given wisdom, and knowledge, and joy; and to a sinner He hath given travail, to gather and to heap up, to give to the good before God. Even this [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.
For God gives to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he gives travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.
