Ecclesiastes 2

1 I said in my heart, Come now, I will prove thee with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also was vanity.2 I said of laughter, It is mad; and of mirth, What doeth it?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 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 made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards;5 I made me gardens and parks, and I planted trees in them of all kinds of fruit;6 I made me pools of water, to water therefrom the forest where trees were reared;7 I bought 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 me also silver and gold, and the treasure of kings and of the provinces; I gat me men-singers and women-singers, and the delights of the sons of men, musical instruments, and that of all sorts.9 So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.10 And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them; I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced because of all my labor; and this was my portion from all my labor.11 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 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 done long ago.13 Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.14 The wise man’s eyes are in his head, and the fool walketh in darkness: and yet I perceived that one event happeneth to them all.15 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 said I in my heart, that this also is vanity.16 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 have been long forgotten. And how doth the wise man die even as the fool!17 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 all my labor wherein I labored under the sun, seeing that I must leave it unto the man that shall be after me.19 And who knoweth whether he will be a wise man or a fool? yet will he have rule over all my labor wherein I have labored, and wherein I have showed myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity.20 Therefore I turned about to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labor wherein I had labored under the sun.21 For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, and with knowledge, and with skilfulness; yet to a man that hath not labored therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.22 For what hath a man of all his labor, and of the striving of his heart, wherein he laboreth under the sun?23 For all his days are but sorrows, and his travail is grief; yea, even in the night his heart taketh no rest. This also is 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.25 For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I?26 For to the man that pleaseth him God giveth wisdom, and knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that pleaseth God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.

Ecclesiastes 2

Futility of Self-Indulgent Pleasure

1 I thought to myself,t
“Come now,t I will tryt self-indulgent pleasurets to seet if it is worthwhile.”s
But I foundt that it also is futile.t

2 I said of partying,t “It is folly,”
and of self-indulgent pleasure,t “It accomplishes nothing!”t

3 I thought deeplyts about the effects oft indulgingt myselft with wine
(all the whilet my mind was guiding met with wisdom)t
and the effects oft behaving foolishly,t
so thatt I might discover what is profitablet
for peoplet to do on eartht during the few dayst of their lives.

Futility of Materialism

4 I increased my possessions:ts
I built houses for myself;s
I planted vineyards for myself.

5 I designedt royal gardenst and parkst for myself,
and I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them.

6 I constructed pools of water for myself,
to irrigate my grovet of flourishing trees.

7 I purchased male and female slaves,
and I owned slaves who were born in my house;t
I also possessed more livestock – both herds and flocks –
than any of my predecessors in Jerusalem.s

8 I also amassed silver and gold for myself,
as well as valuable treasurest taken from kingdoms and provinces.t
I acquired male singers and female singers for myself,
and what gives a man sensual delightt – a harem of beautiful concubines!ts

9 Sot I was far wealthiert than all my predecessors in Jerusalem,
yet I maintained my objectivity:t

10 I did not restrain myself from getting whatever I wanted;t
I did not deny myself anything that would bring me pleasure.t
So all my accomplishments gave me joy;t
this was my reward for all my effort.t

11 Yet when I reflected on everything I had accomplishedt
and on all the effort that I had expended to accomplish it,t
I concluded:t “All theset achievements and possessionst are ultimatelyt profitlesst –
like chasing the wind!
There is nothing gainedt from themt on earth.”t

Wisdom is Better than Folly

12 Next, I decided to considert wisdom, as well as foolish behavior and ideas.s
For what more can the king’s successor do than what the kings has already done?

13 I realized that wisdom is preferable to folly,t
just as light is preferable to darkness:

14 The wise man can see where he is going,t but the fool walks in darkness.
Yet I also realized that the same fates happens to them both.t

15 So I thought to myself, “The fate of the fool will happen even to me!t
Then what did I gain by becoming so excessivelyt wise?”t
So I lamented to myself,t
“The benefits of wisdomt are ultimatelyt meaningless!”

16 For the wise man, liket the fool, will not be remembered for very long,t
becauset in the days to come, both will already have been forgotten.t
Alas,t the wise man dies – just liket the fool!

17 So I loathedt lifet because what
happenst on eartht seems awful to me;
for all the benefits of wisdomt are futile – like chasing the wind.

Futility of Being a Workaholic

18 So I loathed all the fruit oft my effort,t
for which I worked so hardt on earth,t
becauset I must leave itt behindt in the hands of my successor.t

19 Who knows if he will be a wise man or a fool?
Yett he will be master over all the fruit oft my labort
for which I worked so wiselyt on earth!t
This also is futile!

20 So I began to despairt about all the fruit oft my labort
for which I worked so hardt on earth.t

21 For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge, and skill;
however, he must hand overts the fruit of his labort as an inheritancet
to someone else who did not work for it.
This also is futile, and an awful injustice!ts

Painful Days and Restless Nights

22 What does a man acquire from all his labor
and from the anxiety that accompanies his toil on earth?t

23 For all day longt his work produces pain and frustration,t
and even at night his mind cannot relax!t
This also is futile!

Enjoy Work and its Benefits

24 There is nothing better fort peoplet thans to eat and drink,
and to find enjoymentt in theirt work.
I also perceived that this ability to find enjoymentt comes from God.ts

25 For no onet can eat and drinkt
or experience joyt apart from him.s

26 For to the one who pleases him,t God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy,
but to the sinner, he gives the task of amassings wealtht –
only to gives itt to the one who pleases God.
Thist task of the wickedt is futile – like chasing the wind!