The Emptiness of Pleasure
1 I said to myself, “Go ahead, I will test you with pleasure; u enjoy what is good.” But it turned out to be futile. 2 I said about laughter, v “It is madness,” and about pleasure, “What does this accomplish? ” 3 I explored with my mind the pull of wine w on my body—my mind still guiding me with wisdom—and how to grasp folly, x until I could see what is good for people to do under heaven H during the few days of their lives. y
The Emptiness of Possessions
4 I increased my achievements. I built houses z and planted vineyards a for myself. 5 I made gardens b and parks for myself and planted every kind of fruit tree in them. 6 I constructed reservoirs for myself from which to irrigate a grove of flourishing trees. c 7 I acquired male and female servants and had slaves who were born in my house. d I also owned livestock—large herds and flocks—more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. e 8 I also amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. f I gathered male and female singers for myself, g and many concubines, the delights of men. I,J 9 So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem; h my wisdom also remained with me. 10 All that my eyes desired, I did not deny them. i I did not refuse myself any pleasure, for I took pleasure in all my struggles. This was my reward for all my struggles. j 11 When I considered all that I had accomplished K and what I had labored to achieve, I found everything to be futile and a pursuit of the wind. L,k There was nothing to be gained under the sun. l
The Relative Value of Wisdom
12 Then I turned to consider wisdom, m madness, and folly, for what will the king’s successor M be like? He N will do what has already been done. n 13 And I realized that there is an advantage to wisdom over folly, like the advantage of light over darkness. o
14 The wise person has eyes in his head,
but the fool walks in darkness. p
Yet I also knew that one fate comes to them both. q 15 So I said to myself, “What happens to the fool will also happen to me. Why then have I been overly wise? ” r And I said to myself that this is also futile. 16 For, just like the fool, there is no lasting remembrance of the wise, s since in the days to come both will be forgotten. How is it that the wise person dies just like the fool? 17 Therefore, I hated life because the work that was done under the sun was distressing to me. For everything is futile and a pursuit of the wind.
The Emptiness of Work
18 I hated all my work that I labored at under the sun t because I must leave it to the one who comes after me. u 19 And who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? v Yet he will take over all my work that I labored at skillfully under the sun. This too is futile. 20 So I began to give myself over O to despair concerning all my work that I had labored at under the sun. 21 When there is a person whose work was done with wisdom, knowledge, and skill, w and he must give his portion to a person who has not worked for it, this too is futile and a great wrong. 22 For what does a person get with all his work and all his efforts x that he labors at under the sun? 23 For all his days are filled with grief, and his occupation is sorrowful; y even at night, his mind does not rest. z This too is futile.
24 There is nothing better for a person than to eat, drink, and enjoy P,Q his work. a I have seen that even this is from God’s hand, b 25 because who can eat and who can enjoy life R apart from him? S 26 For to the person who is pleasing in his sight, he gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy; c but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and accumulating in order to give to the one who is pleasing in God’s sight. d This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind. e