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

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

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

I said of laughter, “It is foolishness”; and of mirth, “What does it accomplish?”

3 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.

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

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

I made myself great works. I built myself houses. I planted myself vineyards.

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

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

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

I made myself pools of water, to water from it the forest where trees were reared.

7 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.

I bought male servants and female servants, and had servants born in my house. I also had great possessions of herds and flocks, above all who were before me in Jerusalem;

8 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.

I also gathered silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and of the provinces. I got myself male and female singers, and the delights of the sons of men—musical instruments, and that of all sorts.

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

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

10 W hatever 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.

Whatever my eyes desired, I didn’t keep from them. I didn’t withhold my heart from any joy, for my heart rejoiced because of all my labor, and this was my portion from all my labor.

11 T hen 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

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

12 T hen 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.

I turned myself to consider wisdom, madness, and folly: for what can the king’s successor do? Just that which has been done long ago.

13 T hen I saw that wisdom excels folly As light excels darkness.

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

14 T he 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.

The wise man’s eyes are in his head, and the fool walks in darkness—and yet I perceived that one event happens to them all.

15 S o 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.”

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

16 F or 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!

For of the wise man, even as of the fool, there is no memory for ever, since in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. Indeed, the wise man must die just like the fool!

17 T herefore 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.

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

18 T hen 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.

I hated all my labor in which I labored under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who comes after me.

19 A nd 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.

Who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have rule over all of my labor in which I have labored, and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity.

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

Therefore I began to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labor in which I had labored under the sun.

21 F or 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.

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

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

For what has a man of all his labor, and of the striving of his heart, in which he labors under the sun?

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

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

24 N othing 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.

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 have enjoyment, more than I?

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

26 F or 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.

For to the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner he gives travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him who pleases God. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind.