The Futility of Pleasures
1I saidin mine heart,Go to now,I will provethee with mirth,therefore enjoypleasure:and, behold, this also [is] vanity.2I saidof laughter,[It is] mad:and of mirth,Whatdoethit?3I soughtin mine heartto givemyselfunto wine,yet acquaintingmine heartwith wisdom;and to lay holdon folly,till I might seewhat [was] that goodfor the sonsof men,which they should dounder the heavenallthe daysof their life.4I made me greatworks;I buildedme houses;I plantedme vineyards:5I mademe gardensand orchards,and I plantedtreesin them of all [kind of] fruits:6I mademe poolsof water,to watertherewith the woodthat bringeth forthtrees:7I got[me] servantsand maidens,and had servants bornin my house;also I had greatpossessionsof greatand small cattleabove all that were in Jerusalembeforeme:8I gatheredme also silverand gold,and the peculiar treasureof kingsand of the provinces:I gatme men singersand women singers,and the delightsof the sonsof men,[as] musical instruments,and that of all sorts.
9So I was great,and increasedmore than all that were beforeme in Jerusalem:also my wisdomremainedwith me.10And whatsoever mine eyesdesiredI keptnot from them, I withheldnot my heartfrom any joy;for my heartrejoicedin all my labour:and this was my portionof all my labour.11Then I lookedon all the worksthat my handshad wrought,and on the labourthat I had labouredto do:and, behold, all [was] vanityand vexationof spirit,and [there was] no profitunder the sun.
The Wise and the Foolish
12And I turnedmyself to beholdwisdom,and madness,and folly:for what [can] the man[do] that comethafterthe king?[even] that which hath been alreadydone.13Then I sawthatwisdomexcellethfolly,as far as lightexcellethdarkness.14The wise man'seyes[are] in his head;but the foolwalkethin darkness:and I myself perceivedalso that oneeventhappenethto them all.15ThensaidI in my heart,As it happenethto the fool,so it happenetheven to me;and why was I then morewise?Then I saidin my heart,that this also [is] vanity.16For [there is] no remembranceof the wisemore thanof the foolfor ever;seeing that which now[is] in the daysto comeshall all be forgotten.And how dieththe wise[man]? as the fool.17Therefore I hatedlife;because the workthat is wroughtunder the sun[is] grievousunto me: for all [is] vanityand vexationof spirit.
The Futility of Work
18Yea, I hatedall my labourwhich I had takenunder the sun:because I should leaveit unto the manthat shall be afterme.19And who knowethwhether he shall be a wise[man] or a fool?yet shall he have ruleover all my labourwherein I have laboured,and wherein I have shewed myself wiseunder the sun.This [is] also vanity.20Therefore I went aboutto causemy heartto despairof all the labourwhich I tookunder the sun.21For there isa manwhose labour[is] in wisdom,and in knowledge,and in equity;yet to a manthat hath not labouredtherein shall he leaveit [for] his portion.This also [is] vanityand a greatevil.22For what hathmanof all his labour,and of the vexationof his heart,whereinhe hath labouredunder the sun?23For all his days[are] sorrows,and his travailgrief;yea, his hearttaketh not restin the night.This is also vanity.
24[There is] nothing betterfor a man,[than] that he should eatand drink,and [that] he should make his soulenjoygoodin his labour.Thisalso I saw,that it [was] from the handof God.25For who can eat,or who else can hasten[hereunto], morethan I?26For [God] givethto a manthat [is] goodin his sightwisdom,and knowledge,and joy:but to the sinnerhe givethtravail,to gatherand to heap up,that he may giveto [him that is] goodbeforeGod.This also [is] vanityand vexationof spirit.
