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Ecclesiastes, Chapter 2

1 I saida Lit in my heartto myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure. Sob Lit consider with goodnessenjoy yourself.” And behold, it too was futility. 2 I said of laughter, “It is madness,” and of pleasure, “What does it accomplish?” 3 I explored with myc Lit heartmind how to stimulate my body with wine while myd Lit heartmind was guiding me wisely, and how to take hold of folly, until I could see what good there is for the sons of mene Lit which they doto do under heaven the fewf Lit daysyears of their lives. 4 I enlarged my works: I built houses for myself, I planted vineyards for myself; 5 I made gardens and parks for myself and I planted in them all kinds of fruit trees; 6 I made ponds of water for myself from which to irrigate a forest of growing trees. 7 I bought male and female slaves and I hadg Lit sons of the househomeborn slaves. Also I possessed flocks and herds larger than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. 8 Also, I collected for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I provided for myself male and female singers and the pleasures of men—many concubines.
9 Then I became great and increased more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also stood by me. 10 All that my eyes desired I did not refuse them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart was pleased because of all my labor and this was my reward for all my labor. 11 Thus I considered all my activities which my hands had done and the labor which I hadh Lit labored to doexerted, and behold all wasi Or futility, and so throughout the chvanity and striving after wind and there was no profit under the sun.
12 So I turned to consider wisdom, madness and folly; for what will the man do who will come after the king except what has already been done? 13 And I saw that wisdom excels folly as light excels darkness. 14 The wise man’s eyes are in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I know that one fate befalls them both. 15 Then I saidj Lit in my heartto myself, “As is the fate of the fool, it will also befall me. Why then have I been extremely wise?” Sok Lit I spoke in my heartI said to myself, “This too is vanity.” 16 For there is nol Lit foreverlasting remembrance of the wise man as with the fool, inasmuch as in the coming days all will be forgotten. And how the wise man and the fool alike die! 17 So I hated life, for the work which had been done under the sun wasm Lit evilgrievous to me; because everything is futility and striving after wind.
18 Thus I hated all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun, for I must leave it to the man who will come after me. 19 And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will haven Lit dominioncontrol over all the fruit of my labor for which I have labored by acting wisely under the sun. This too is vanity. 20 Therefore Io Lit turned aside my heart to despaircompletely despaired of all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun. 21 When there is a man who has labored with wisdom, knowledge and skill, then he gives hisp Lit sharelegacy to one who has not labored with them. This too is vanity and a great evil. 22 For what does a man get in all his labor and inq Lit the striving of his hearthis striving with which he labors under the sun? 23 Because all his days his task is painful and grievous; even at night hisr Lit heartmind does not rest. This too is vanity.
24 There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink ands Lit cause his soul to see good in his labortell himself that his labor is good. This also I have seen that it is from the hand of God. 25 For who can eat and who can have enjoyment withoutt So Gr; Heb meHim? 26 For to a person who is good in His sight He has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, while to the sinner He has given the task of gathering and collecting so that he may give to one who is good in God’s sight. This too is vanity and striving after wind.

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