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Ecclesiastes
Chapter 2
1 I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth,
therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.
2 I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What 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, till I might see what
was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the
heaven all the days of their life.
4 I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me
vineyards:
5 I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of
all kind of fruits:
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 gat me men singers and women singers, and
the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that 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
labour: and this was my portion of all my labour.
11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on
the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and
vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.
12 And 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 said I 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, that this also is vanity.
16 For there 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 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 labour which I had taken under the sun:
because I should leave it unto the man that 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 labour wherein I have laboured, and
wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity.
20 Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the
labour which I took under the sun.
21 For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge,
and in equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he
leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.
22 For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his
heart, wherein he hath laboured 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 labour. 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 that 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.