1 I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure. So enjoy yourself.” And behold, it too was futility.

I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure”; but surely, this also was vanity.

2 I said of laughter, “It is madness,” and of pleasure, “What does it accomplish?”

I said of laughter—“Madness!”; and of mirth, “What does it accomplish?”

3 I explored with my mind how to stimulate my body with wine while my mind was guiding me wisely, and how to take hold of folly, until I could see what good there is for the sons of men to do under heaven the few years of their lives.

I searched in my heart how to gratify my flesh with wine, while guiding my heart with wisdom, and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the sons of men to do under heaven all the days of their lives.

4 I enlarged my works: I built houses for myself, I planted vineyards for myself;

I made my works great, I built myself houses, and planted myself vineyards.

5 I made gardens and parks for myself and I planted in them all kinds of fruit trees;

I made myself gardens and orchards, and I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them.

6 I made ponds of water for myself from which to irrigate a forest of growing trees.

I made myself water pools from which to water the growing trees of the grove.

7 I bought male and female slaves and I had homeborn slaves. Also I possessed flocks and herds larger than all who preceded me in Jerusalem.

I acquired male and female servants, and had servants born in my house. Yes, I had greater possessions of herds and flocks than all who were in Jerusalem before me.

8 A lso, I collected for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I provided for myself male and female singers and the pleasures of men—many concubines.

I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the special treasures of kings and of the provinces. I acquired male and female singers, the delights of the sons of men, and musical instruments of all kinds.

9 T hen I became great and increased more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also stood by me.

So I became great and excelled more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me.

10 A ll that my eyes desired I did not refuse them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart was pleased because of all my labor and this was my reward for all my labor.

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 labor; And this was my reward from all my labor.

11 T hus I considered all my activities which my hands had done and the labor which I had exerted, and behold all was vanity and striving after wind and there was no profit under the sun. Wisdom Excels Folly

Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done And on the labor in which I had toiled; And indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun. The End of the Wise and the Fool

12 S o I turned to consider wisdom, madness and folly; for what will the man do who will come after the king except what has already been done?

Then I turned myself to consider wisdom and madness and folly; For what can the man do who succeeds the king?— Only what he has already done.

13 A nd I saw that wisdom excels folly as light excels darkness.

Then I saw that wisdom excels folly As light excels darkness.

14 T he wise man’s eyes are in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I know that one fate befalls them both.

The wise man’s eyes are in his head, But the fool walks in darkness. Yet I myself perceived That the same event happens to them all.

15 T hen I said to myself, “ As is the fate of the fool, it will also befall me. Why then have I been extremely wise?” So I said to myself, “This too is vanity.”

So I said in my heart, “As it happens to the fool, It also happens to me, And why was I then more wise?” Then I said in my heart, “This also is vanity.”

16 F or there is no lasting remembrance of the wise man as with the fool, inasmuch as in the coming days all will be forgotten. And how the wise man and the fool alike die!

For there is no more remembrance of the wise than of the fool forever, Since all that now is will be forgotten in the days to come. And how does a wise man die? As the fool!

17 S o I hated life, for the work which had been done under the sun was grievous to me; because everything is futility and striving after wind. The Futility of Labor

Therefore I hated life because the work that was done under the sun was distressing to me, for all is vanity and grasping for the wind.

18 T hus I hated all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun, for I must leave it to the man who will come after me.

Then I hated all my labor in which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who will come after me.

19 A nd who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the fruit of my labor for which I have labored by acting wisely under the sun. This too is vanity.

And who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will rule over all my labor in which I toiled and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity.

20 T herefore I completely despaired of all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun.

Therefore I turned my heart and despaired of all the labor in which I had toiled under the sun.

21 W hen there is a man who has labored with wisdom, knowledge and skill, then he gives his legacy to one who has not labored with them. This too is vanity and a great evil.

For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, knowledge, and skill; yet he must leave his heritage to a man who has not labored for it. This also is vanity and a great evil.

22 F or what does a man get in all his labor and in his striving with which he labors under the sun?

For what has man for all his labor, and for the striving of his heart with which he has toiled under the sun?

23 B ecause all his days his task is painful and grievous; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is vanity.

For all his days are sorrowful, and his work burdensome; even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity.

24 T here is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and tell himself that his labor is good. This also I have seen that it is from the hand of God.

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

25 F or who can eat and who can have enjoyment without Him?

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

26 F or to a person who is good in His sight He has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, while to the sinner He has given the task of gathering and collecting so that he may give to one who is good in God’s sight. This too is vanity and striving after wind.

For God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy to a man who is good in His sight; but to the sinner He gives the work of gathering and collecting, that he may give to him who is good before God. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind.