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 to myself, “Come now, I will test you with things that are fun. So have a good time.” But see, this also was for nothing.

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

I said of laughing, “It is crazy,” and of fun, “What use is 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 tried to find in my mind how to make my body happy with wine, yet at the same time having my mind lead me with wisdom. I tried to find how to take hold of what is foolish, until I could see what good there is for the sons of men to do under heaven during the few years of their lives.

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

I did great things. I built houses for myself. I planted grape-fields for myself.

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

I made gardens and beautiful places for myself, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees.

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

I made pools of water for myself from which to water many new trees.

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 and women servants, and had other servants who were born in my house. I had more flocks and cattle than anyone 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 for myself silver and gold and the riches of kings and lands. I got for myself male and female singers, and kept many women who acted as my wives, the joy of man.

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.

Then I became great, greater than all who lived before me in Jerusalem. And my wisdom stayed 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.

Whatever my eyes wanted I did not keep away from them. I did not keep my heart from anything that was pleasing, for my heart was pleased with all my work. This was my reward for all my work.

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 thought about all that my hands had done, and the work I had done. I saw that it was all for nothing. It was like trying to catch the wind, and there was nothing to get for it under the sun. The End of the Wise Man or Fool

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.

So I turned to think about wisdom and what is crazy and foolish. For what can the man do who comes after the king, except what has already been done?

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

And I saw that wisdom is better than what is foolish, as light is better than 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, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I know that one thing will happen to both of them.

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 I said to myself, “What happens to the fool will happen to me also. Why then have I been so very wise?” So I said to myself, “This also is for nothing.”

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 the wise man will not be remembered forever any more than the fool. All will be forgotten in the days to come. The wise man dies just like 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. For the work which had been done under the sun brought sorrow to me. Because everything is for nothing and is like trying to catch the 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.

I hated what came from all my work which I had done under the sun. For I must leave it to the man who will come 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 knows if he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will rule over all that I have worked for by acting with wisdom under the sun. This also is for nothing.

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

So I was filled with sorrow for all I had worked for 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 here is a man who has worked with wisdom, much learning, and an able hand. Yet he must give this to one who has not worked for it. This also is for nothing, and very wrong.

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 does a man get from all his work and trouble 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 his work brings pain and sorrow all his days. Even during the night his mind does not rest. This also is for nothing.

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 to eat and drink and find joy in his work. I have seen that this also 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 and who can find joy without Him?

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 God has given wisdom and much learning and joy to the person who is good in God’s eyes. But to the sinner He has given the work of gathering and getting many riches together to give to the one who pleases God. This also is for nothing, like trying to catch the wind.