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, `Pray, come, I try thee with mirth, and look thou on gladness;' and lo, even it vanity.

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

Of laughter I said, `Foolish!' and of mirth, `What this it is doing?'

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 have sought in my heart to draw out with wine my appetite, (and my heart leading in wisdom), and to take hold on folly till that I see where this -- the good to the sons of man of that which they do under the heavens, the number of the days of their lives.

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

I made great my works, I builded for me houses, I planted for me vineyards.

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

I made for me gardens and paradises, and I planted in them trees of every fruit.

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

I made for me pools of water, to water from them a forest shooting forth 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 got men-servants, and maid-servants, and sons of the house were to me; also, I had much substance -- herd and flock -- above all who had been 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 me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces. I prepared for me men-singers and women-singers, and the luxuries of the sons of man -- a wife and wives.

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.

And I became great, and increased above every one who had been before me in Jerusalem; also, my wisdom stood 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 all that mine eyes asked I kept not back from them; I withheld not my heart from any joy, for my heart rejoiced because of all my labour, and this hath been my portion, from all my labour,

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.

and I have looked on all my works that my hands have done, and on the labour that I have laboured to do, and lo, the whole vanity and vexation of spirit, and there is no advantage 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 to see wisdom, and madness, and folly, but what the man who cometh after the king? that which already -- they have done it!

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

And I saw that there is an advantage to wisdom above folly, like the advantage of the light above the 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! -- his eyes in his head, and the fool in darkness is walking, and I also knew that one event happeneth with 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.

and I said in my heart, `As it happeneth with the fool, it happeneth also with me, and why am I then more wise?' And I spake in my heart, that also this 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.

That there is no remembrance to the wise -- with the fool -- to the age, for that which already, the days that are coming is all forgotten, and how dieth the wise? with 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.

And I have hated life, for sad to me the work that hath been done under the sun, for the whole vanity and vexation of spirit.

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 have hated all my labour that I labour at under the sun, because I leave it to a man who is 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 is wise or foolish? yet he doth rule over all my labour that I have laboured at, and that I have done wisely under the sun! this also vanity.

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

And I turned round to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labour that I laboured at 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 labour in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity, and to a man who hath not laboured therein he giveth it -- his portion! Even this 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 been to a man by all his labour, and by the thought of his heart that he laboured at 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 sorrows, and his travail sadness; even at night his heart hath not lain down; this also 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 good in a man who eateth, and hath drunk, and hath shewn his soul good in his labour. This also I have seen that it from the hand of God.

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

For who eateth and who hasteth out 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 a man who good before Him, He hath given wisdom, and knowledge, and joy; and to a sinner He hath given travail, to gather and to heap up, to give to the good before God. Even this vanity and vexation of spirit.