Ecclesiastes 2
1 I said in my heart: “I will go forth and overflow with delights, and I will enjoy good things.” And I saw that this, too, is emptiness.
I said in my heart, Come now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure. And, behold, this also was vanity.
2 Laughter, I considered an error. And to rejoicing, I said: “Why are you being deceived, to no purpose?”
I said of laughter, It is mad, and of mirth, What does it do?
3 I decided in my heart to withdraw my flesh from wine, so that I might bring my mind to wisdom, and turn away from foolishness, until I see what is useful for the sons of men, and what they ought to do under the sun, during the number of the days of their life.
I searched in my heart how to cheer my flesh with wine (my 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 heaven all the days of their life.
4 I magnified my works. I built houses for myself, and I planted vineyards.
I made for me great works. I built for me houses. I planted for me vineyards.
5 I made gardens and orchards. And I planted them with trees of every kind.
I made for me gardens and parks, and I planted trees in them of all kinds of fruit.
6 And I dug out fishponds of water, so that I might irrigate the forest of growing trees.
I made for me pools of water, to water from there the forest where trees were reared.
7 I obtained men and women servants, and I had a great family, as well as herds of cattle and great flocks of sheep, beyond all who were before me in Jerusalem.
I bought men-servants and maid-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.
8 I amassed for myself silver and gold, and the wealth of kings and governors. I chose men and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, bowls and pitchers for the purpose of pouring wine.
I also gathered for me silver and gold, and the treasure of kings and of the provinces. I got for me men-singers and women-singers, and the luxuries of the sons of men, and a wife and wives.
9 And I surpassed in opulence all who were before me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also persevered with me.
So I was great, and increased more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me.
10 And all that my eyes desired, I did not refuse them. Neither did I prohibit my heart from enjoying every pleasure, and from amusing itself in the things that I had prepared. And I regarded this as my share, as if I were making use of my own labors.
And whatever my eyes desired I kept not 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.
11 But when I turned myself toward all the works that my hands had made, and to the labors in which I had perspired to no purpose, I saw emptiness and affliction of the soul in all things, and that nothing is permanent under the sun.
Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labor that I had labored to do, and, behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was no profit under the sun.
12 I continued on, so as to contemplate wisdom, as well as error and foolishness. “What is man,” I said, “that he would be able to follow his Maker, the King?”
And I turned myself to behold wisdom and madness and folly. For what can the man do who comes after the king? Even that which has been done long ago.
13 And I saw that wisdom surpasses foolishness, so much so that they differ as much as light from darkness.
Then I saw that wisdom excels folly as far as light excels darkness.
14 The eyes of a wise man are in his head. A foolish man walks in darkness. Yet I learned that one would pass away like the other.
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.
15 And I said in my heart: “If the death of both the foolish and myself will be one, how does it benefit me, if I have given myself more thoroughly to the work of wisdom?” And as I was speaking within my own mind, I perceived that this, too, is emptiness.
Then I said in my heart, As it happens to the fool, so it will happen even to me, and why then was I more wise? Then I said in my heart that this also is vanity.
16 For there will not be a remembrance in perpetuity of the wise, nor of the foolish. And the future times will cover everything together, with oblivion. The learned die in a manner similar to the unlearned.
For of the wise man, even as of the fool, there is no remembrance forever, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. And how the wise man dies even as the fool!
17 And, because of this, my life wearied me, since I saw that everything under the sun is evil, and everything is empty and an affliction of the spirit.
So I hated life, because the work that is wrought under the sun was grievous to me. For all is vanity and a striving after wind.
18 Again, I detested all my efforts, by which I had earnestly labored under the sun, to be taken up by an heir after me,
And I hated all my labor in which I labored under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who shall be after me.
19 though I know not whether he will be wise or foolish. And yet he will have power over my labors, in which I have toiled and been anxious. And is there anything else so empty?
And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have rule over all my labor in which I have labored, and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity.
20 Therefore, I ceased, and my heart renounced further laboring under the sun.
Therefore I turned about to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labor in which I had labored under the sun.
21 For when someone labors in wisdom, and doctrine, and prudence, he leaves behind what he has obtained to one who is idle. So this, too, is emptiness and a great burden.
For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, and with knowledge, and with skillfulness, yet he shall leave it to a man who has not labored in it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.
22 For how can a man benefit from all his labor and affliction of spirit, by which he has been tormented under the sun?
For what has a man of all his labor, and of the striving of his heart in which he labors under the sun?
23 All his days have been filled with sorrows and hardships; neither does he rest his mind, even in the night. And is this not emptiness?
For all his days are but sorrows, and his travail is grief, yea, even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity.
24 Is it not better to eat and drink, and to show his soul the good things of his labors? And this is from the hand of God.
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.
25 So who will feast and overflow with delights as much as I have?
For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, without him?
26 God has given, to the man who is good in his sight, wisdom, and knowledge, and rejoicing. But to the sinner, he has given affliction and needless worrying, so as to add, and to gather, and to deliver, to him who has pleased God. But this, too, is emptiness and a hollow worrying of the mind.
For to the man who pleases him God gives wisdom and 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 striving after wind.
