Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 2 ©

1 The vanity which the Preacher found in the pursuits of pleasure. 12 Wisdom excelleth folly, yet a like event happeneth to both. 18 The vanity of human labour, the fruit of which must soon be left to a man knoweth not whom. 24 Nothing better than a cheerful use of what a man hath gotten; but that is the gift of God to the good only.

1

I aSAID in mine heart, Go to now, bI will *prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.

a Lu. 12.19,20. ch. 1.16,17.
b ch. 8.15; 11.9. Is. 50.11. Ja. 5.5. Tit. 3.3.
2

I csaid of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?

c Am. 6.3,6. Pr. 14.13. ch. 7.2-6.
3

dI sought in mine heart to 1give myself unto wine, yet eacquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all 2the days of their life.

d Pr. 20.1. 1Sa. 25.36. ch. 1.17.
e 1Ki. 18.21. Mat. 6.24. v.9.
4

fI made me great works; gI builded me houses; hI planted me vineyards:

f Ge. 11.4. Da. 4.30.
g 1Ki. 7.1-12; 9.1,15-19. Ps. 49.11. Job 21.21.
h Ca. 1.14; 8.11; 7.12.
5

iI made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits:

i Je. 39.4. 1Ki. 4.33. Ca. 4.12-16; 5.1; 6.2.
6

jI made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees:

j Ne. 2.14. Ca. 7.4.
7

kI got me servants and maidens, and had 3servants born in my house; lalso I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me:

k 1Ki. 4.26,27. Ezr. 2.58.
l 1Ch. 27.29-31. Job 1.3; 42.12. 2Ki. 3.4.
8

mI gathered me also silver and gold, and the *peculiar treasure of kings and of the nprovinces: oI *gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as 4musical instruments, and that of all sorts.

m 1Ki. 9.14,28; 10.10,14,21,22,27.
n 1Ki. 20.14.
o 2Sa. 19.35. Ezr. 2.65.
9

So pI was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also qmy wisdom remained with me.

p ch. 1.16. 1Ki. 3.12,13; 4.30; 10.7,23.
q v.3.
10

And rwhatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour.

r ch. 11.9; 3.22; 5.18; 9.9. Ju. 14.2. v.24. Ps. 128.2.
11

Then sI looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, tall was vanity and *vexation of spirit, and uthere was no profit under the sun.

s 1Jn. 2.16,17. v.1,17,19,21-23,26. ch. 1.2,3,14; 3.10; 4.4,16; 5.13; 6.2.
t ch. 1.14; 11.8.
u 1Ti. 6.6.
12

¶And vI turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what can the man do that cometh after the king? 5even that which hath been already done.

v ch. 1.17; 7.25.
13

wThen I saw 6that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.

w Pr. 1-9; 10.1; 14.1. ch. 7.4-6,12. Mal. 3.18; 4.1,2.
14

The xwise man's eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also ythat one event happeneth to them all.

x Pr. 17.24. ch. 8.1; 10.2,3.
y Ps. 49.10. ch. 9.2,3,11; 6.8.
15

Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it 7happeneth even to me; and zwhy was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity.

z 1Ki. 3.12; 4.31. ch. 6.8,11; 7.11,16; 12.9,12.
16

For athere is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And bhow dieth the wise man? as the fool.

a Ex. 1.6,8. ch. 1.11; 9.1-3. Ps. 103.16; 88.12; 49.10. 2Sa. 3.33.
b He. 9.27.
17

Therefore cI hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for dall is vanity and *vexation of spirit.

c Job 7.15,16. 1Ki. 19.4,10,14. Jonah 4.3,8. Phi. 1.23. 2Co. 5.2-4.
d v.11. ch. 1.14.
18

¶Yea, I hated eall my labour which I had 8taken under the sun: because fI should leave it unto the man that shall be after me.

e ch. 1.13. v.1-12.
f Ps. 49.10; 17.14. 2Co. 12.14. ch. 5.13.
19

And who knoweth gwhether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This is also hvanity.

g 1Ki. 12.8,14. 2Ch. 10.14. ch. 3.22. Ps. 39.6.
h Lu. 8.14. 1Ti. 6.10.
20

Therefore I went about ito cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun.

i ch. 1.14; 12.1. Ro. 6.21.
21

For jthere is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in kequity; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he 9leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.

j v.18,19.
k ch. 4.4; 5.11.
22

lFor what hath man of all his labour, and of the *vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun?

l Mat. 16.26. ch. 1.3; 3.9; 5.10,11,17; 6.8.
23

mFor all his days are sorrows, and his *travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.

m Job 5.7; 14.1. Ac. 14.22. Ps. 90.7-10; 127.2; 139.5-11. Ge. 47.9. ch. 8.16.
24

There is nnothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he 10should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that oit was from the hand of God.

n ch. 3.12,13,22; 5.18; 8.15; 9.7; 11.9. Lu. 12.19. 1Co. 15.32.
o Le. 26.5. De. 8.17,18. Ho. 2.8,9. ch. 5.18,19.
25

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

p 1Ki. 4.21-31. ch. 6.1,2. v.1-12.
26

qFor God giveth to a man that is good 11in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth *travail, to gather and to heap up, that rhe may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and *vexation of spirit.

q Le. 26. De. 28. Is. 3.10,11. Ro. 2.7-11. Job 18; 20; 22.
r Job 27.16,17. Pr. 13.22; 28.8.