Ecclesiastes 2

1. I said in mine heart, “Go now, I will test thee with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure.” And behold, this also is vanity.

2. I said of laughter: “It is madness”; and of mirth: “What good doeth it?”

3. I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine (yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom), and to lay hold on folly, until I might see what was good for the sons of men, which they should do under heaven all the days of their life.

4. I made me great work, I builded me houses, I planted me vineyards.

5. I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kinds of fruit.

6. I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees.

7. I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house. Also I had great possessions of great and small cattle, above all that were in Jerusalem before me.

8. I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces. I got me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, and musical instruments, and those 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 in 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 vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.

12. Then 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. Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly as far as light excelleth darkness.

14. The wise man’s eyes are in his head, but the fool walketh in darkness. And I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all.

15. Then I said in my heart, “As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me, and why was I then more wise?” Then I said in my heart, “This also is vanity.”

16. For there is no more remembrance of the wise for ever than of the fool, since all that now is shall be forgotten in the days to come. And how dieth the wise man? As the fool!

17. Therefore I hated life, because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me. For all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

18. Yea, I hated all my labor which I had done under the sun, because I must leave it unto the man who shall be after me.

19. And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? Yet shall he have rule over all my labor wherein I have labored, and wherein I have shown myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity.

20. Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labor which I had done under the sun.

21. For a man may labor in wisdom and in knowledge and in equity; yet to a man who hath not labored therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.

22. For what hath man for all his labor and for the vexation of his heart wherewith he hath labored under the sun?

23. For all his days are sorrows and his travail grief. Yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.

24. There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labor. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.

25. For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto more than I?

26. For God giveth to a man what is good in His sight: 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 is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.