Ecclesiastes 2
1 I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure;” and behold, this also was vanity.
I said in my heart: I will go, and abound with delights, and enjoy good things. And I saw that this also was vanity.
2 I said of laughter, “It is foolishness;” and of mirth, “What does it accomplish?”
Laughter I counted error: and to mirth I said: Why art thou vainly deceived?
3 I searched in my heart how to cheer my flesh with wine, my heart yet guiding me with wisdom, and how to lay hold of folly, until I might see what it was good for the sons of men that they should do under heaven all the days of their lives.
I thought in my heart, to withdraw my flesh from wine, that I might turn my mind to wisdom, and might avoid folly, till I might see what was profitable for the children of men: and what they ought to do under the sun, all the days of their life.
4 I made myself great works. I built myself houses. I planted myself vineyards.
I made me great works, I built me houses, and planted vineyards,
5 I made myself gardens and parks, and I planted trees in them of all kinds of fruit.
I made gardens, and orchards, and set them with trees of all kinds,
6 I made myself pools of water, to water the forest where trees were grown.
And I made me ponds of water, to water therewith the wood of the young trees,
7 I bought male servants and female servants, and had servants born in my house. I also had great possessions of herds and flocks, above all who were before me in Jerusalem.
I got me menservants, and maidservants, and had a great family: and herds of oxen, and great flocks of sheep, above all that were before me in Jerusalem:
8 I also gathered silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and of the provinces. I got myself male and female singers, and the delights of the sons of men: musical instruments of all sorts.
I heaped together for myself silver and gold, and the wealth of kings, and provinces: I made me singing men, and singing women, and the delights of the sons of men, cups and vessels to serve to pour out wine:
9 So I was great, and increased more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also remained with me.
And I surpassed in riches all that were before me in Jerusalem: my wisdom also remained with me.
10 Whatever my eyes desired, I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my heart from any joy, for my heart rejoiced because of all my labor, and this was my portion from all my labor.
And whatsoever my eyes desired, I refused them not: and I withheld not my heart from enjoying every pleasure, and delighting itself in the things which I had prepared: and esteemed this my portion, to make use of my own labour.
11 Then I looked at all the works that my hands had worked, and at the labor that I had labored to do; and behold, all was vanity and a chasing after wind, and there was no profit under the sun.
And when I turned myself to all the works which my hands had wrought, and to the labours wherein I had laboured in vain, I saw in all things vanity, and vexation of mind, and that nothing was lasting under the sun.
12 I turned myself to consider wisdom, madness, and folly; for what can the king’s successor do? Just that which has been done long ago.
I passed further to behold wisdom, and errors and folly, (What is man, said I, that he can follow the King his maker?)
13 Then I saw that wisdom excels folly, as far as light excels darkness.
And I saw that wisdom excelled folly, as much as light differeth from darkness.
14 The wise man’s eyes are in his head, and the fool walks in darkness—and yet I perceived that one event happens to them all.
The eyes of a wise man are in his head: the fool walketh in darkness: and I learned that they were to die both alike.
15 Then I said in my heart, “As it happens 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 is vanity.
And I said in my heart: If the death of the fool and mine shall be one, what doth it avail me, that I have applied myself more to the study of wisdom? And speaking with my own mind, I perceived that this also was vanity.
16 For of the wise man, even as of the fool, there is no memory forever, since in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. Indeed, the wise man must die just like the fool!
For there shall be no remembrance of the wise no more than of the fool for ever, and the times to come shall cover all things together with oblivion: the learned dieth in like manner as the unlearned.
17 So I hated life, because the work that is worked under the sun was grievous to me; for all is vanity and a chasing after wind.
And therefore I was weary of my life, when I saw that all things under the sun are evil, and all vanity and vexation of spirit.
18 I hated all my labor in which I labored under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who comes after me.
Again I hated all my application wherewith I had earnestly laboured under the sun, being like to have an heir after me,
19 Who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have rule over all of my labor in which I have labored, and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity.
Whom I know not whether he will be a wise man or a fool, and he shall have rule over all my labours with which I have laboured and been solicitous: and is there any thing so vain?
20 Therefore I began to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labor in which I had labored under the sun.
Wherefore I left off and my heart renounced labouring any more under the sun.
21 For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, with knowledge, and with skillfulness; yet he shall leave it for his portion to a man who has not labored for it. This also is vanity and a great evil.
For when a man laboureth in wisdom, and knowledge, and carefulness, he leaveth what he hath gotten to an idle man: so this also is vanity, and a great evil.
22 For what does a man have of all his labor and of the striving of his heart, in which he labors under the sun?
For what profit shall a man have of all his labour, and vexation of spirit, with which he bath been tormented under the sun?
23 For all his days are sorrows, and his travail is grief; yes, even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity.
All his days axe full of sorrows and miseries, even in the night he doth not rest in mind: and is not this vanity?
24 There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and make his soul enjoy good in his labor. This also I saw, that it is from the hand of God.
Is it not better to eat and drink, and to shew his soul good things of his labours? and this is from the hand of God.
25 For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I?
Who shall so feast and abound with delights as I?
26 For to the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner he gives travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him who pleases God. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind.
God hath given to a man that is good in his sight, wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he hath given vexation, and superfluous care, to heap up and to gather together, and to give it to him that hath pleased God: but this also is vanity, and a fruitless solicitude of the mind.
