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.

2

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

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.

4

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

5

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

6

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

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:

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.

9

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

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.

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.

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.

13

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

20

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

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.
22

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

23

mFor 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 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.

25

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

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.