1 ¶ I said in my heart, Come now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy good things; and, behold, this also is vanity.

I said in my heart, Come now, I will prove thee with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also was vanity.

2 I said of laughter, It is mad, and of mirth, What does it do?

I said of laughter, It is mad; and of mirth, What doeth it?

3 I proposed in my heart to regale my flesh with wine and that my heart would walk in wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, until 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.

I searched in my heart how to cheer my flesh with wine, my heart yet guiding me with wisdom, and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what it was good for the sons of men that they should do under heaven all the days of their life.

4 I made myself great works; I built myself houses; I planted myself vineyards;

I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards;

5 I made myself gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits;

I made me gardens and parks, and I planted trees in them of all kinds of fruit;

6 I made myself pools of water, to water with them the forest that brings forth trees;

I made me pools of water, to water therefrom the forest where trees were reared;

7 I got myself slaves and maidens and had sons born in my house; also I had great possessions of cattle and sheep above all that were in Jerusalem before me;

I bought men-servants and maid-servants, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of herds and flocks, above all that were before me in Jerusalem;

8 I gathered unto myself also silver and gold and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces; I obtained men singers and women singers and all the delights of the sons of men, musical instruments, and those of all sorts.

I gathered me also silver and gold, and the treasure of kings and of the provinces; I gat me men-singers and women-singers, and the delights of the sons of men, musical instruments, and that of all sorts.

9 S o I was great and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem, and more than that, my wisdom remained with me.

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

10 A nd whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them; I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour, and this was my portion of all my labour.

And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them; I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced because of all my labor; and this was my portion from all my labor.

11 A t last 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.

Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labor that I had labored to do; and, behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was no profit under the sun.

12 ¶ And I turned myself to behold wisdom and those who are mad, and folly; for what can the man do that comes after the king? even that which has already been done.

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 done long ago.

13 A nd I have seen that wisdom excels folly as far as light excels darkness.

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

14 T he wise man has his eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness: And I myself also understood that one event happens to the one and to the other.

The wise man's eyes are in his head, and the fool walketh in darkness: and yet I perceived that one event happeneth to them all.

15 T hen I said in my heart, As it shall happen to the fool, so it shall happen even to me. Why have I worked until now to make myself wiser? Then I said in my heart that this also is vanity.

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

16 F or 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 also the wise man shall die the same as the fool.

For of the wise man, even as of the fool, there is no remembrance for ever; seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. And how doth the wise man die even as the fool!

17 ¶ Therefore I hated life because every work that is wrought under the sun was grievous unto me; for all was vanity and vexation of spirit.

So I hated life, because the work that is wrought under the sun was grievous unto me; for all is vanity and a striving after wind.

18 Y ea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun, which I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me.

And I hated all my labor wherein I labored under the sun, seeing that I must leave it unto the man that shall be after me.

19 A nd who knows whether he shall be a wise man or a fool, he who shall have rule over all my labour in which I have laboured and in which I have showed myself wise under the sun? This is also vanity.

And who knoweth whether he will be a wise man or a fool? yet will he have rule over all my labor wherein I have labored, and wherein I have showed myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity.

20 T herefore my heart began to despair again regarding all the labour which I took under the sun.

Therefore I turned about to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labor wherein I had labored under the sun.

21 T hat the man who worked with wisdom and with knowledge and with uprightness would have to leave his portion to a man that has not laboured therein. This also is vanity and a great evil.

For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, and with knowledge, and with skilfulness; yet to a man that hath not labored therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.

22 F or what does man have of all his labour and of the vexation of his heart in which he has laboured under the sun?

For what hath a man of all his labor, and of the striving of his heart, wherein he laboreth under the sun?

23 F or all his days are only sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart does not take rest in the night. This is also vanity.

For all his days are but sorrows, and his travail is grief; yea, even in the night his heart taketh no rest. This also is vanity.

24 T here 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. I also have seen that this is from the hand of God.

There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and make his soul enjoy good in his labor. This also I saw, that it is from the hand of God.

25 F or who can eat, or who can care for himself better than I?

For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I?

26 F or God gives to the man that is good in his sight wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he gives travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to the one that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.

For to the man that pleaseth him God giveth 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 pleaseth God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.