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, and enjoy pleasure'; and, behold, 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 doth it accomplish?'
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 searched in my heart how to pamper my flesh with wine, and, my heart conducting itself with wisdom, how yet to lay hold on folly, till I might see which it was best for the sons of men that they should do under the heaven the few 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 I planted trees in them of all kinds of fruit;
6 I made for myself pools of water to water from them a forest sprouting of trees.
I made me pools of water, to water therefrom the wood springing up with 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 acquired men-servants and maid-servants, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of herds and flocks, above all that were before me in Jerusalem;
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 gathered me also silver and gold, and treasure such as kings and the provinces have as their own; I got me men-singers and women-singers, and the delights of the sons of men, women very many.
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 was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem; also my wisdom stood me in stead.
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 whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them; I withheld not my heart from any joy, for my heart had joy of all my labour; and this was my portion from all my labour.
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 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 a 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.
And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness 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.
Then I saw 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, his eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness. And I also perceived 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 said I in my heart: 'As it happeneth 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.
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 of the wise man, even as of the fool, there is no remembrance for ever; seeing that in the days to come all will long ago have been forgotten. And how must the wise man die even 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.
So I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun was grievous unto me; for all is vanity and a 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.
And I hated all my labour wherein I laboured under the sun, seeing that I must leave it unto 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 will be a wise man or a fool? yet will he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein 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 about to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labour wherein I had laboured 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 labour is with wisdom, and with knowledge, and with skill; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for 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 a man of all his labour, and of the striving of his heart, wherein he laboureth 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 pains, and his occupation vexation; yea, even in the night his heart taketh not 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 that he should eat and drink, and make his soul enjoy pleasure for his labour. This also I saw, that it is from the hand of God.
25 For who? will he eat and who? will he enjoy outside from me.
For who will eat, or who will enjoy, if not 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 the man that is good in His sight He giveth wisdom, and knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner He giveth the task, to gather and to heap up, that he may leave to him that is good in the sight of God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.
